HELP !!!!!! Algae...................

[currycooker]

Hi Everone,
I have recently set up my 125gallon fowlr aquarium and I have serious problem with what I think is algae. It is like red rust brown that clings to the sand, rocks, snails, you name it and it is smothering it. My water tests are perfect, I have syphoned off the top level of sand, tried 15% water changes, but nothing works. It tends to die down when the lights are off but within an hour or two of the lights coming on it's back. Could it be something in the salt? I use Tropic Marine. I am desperate.... I was so looking forward to this but it is really depreesing to see all this horible reddish brown stuff flowing in the tank. What have I done wrong and what do I need to do to correct it.

I would appreciate any help at all.

Many Thanks

Larry

[FireEater]

It's normal as your tank goes through a cycle. Just keep cleaning it up like you are doing. It will go away soon enough.

[zhenya]

Hi Larry,

Try searching this forum using keywords like 'cyanobacteria' and 'diatoms'. I am sure you'll find plenty of information regarding this topics.

On a side note, can you provide a bit more details as far as your set up goes? Are you using any filters( canister filters), what type of sand you have, etc.
Also, what exactly recently means in terms of month, weeks? And af course, please be more specific about your aquarium water test results, saying they are perfect means abolutely nothing when you try to analize what could be wrong. ;)

Almost all newly set up aquariums go through progression of algae and possibly cyanobacteria outbreaks. It usually subsides as the tank matures and becomes more balanced and stable.

PS> Are you using tap water or RO/DI? Sometimes it is not the brand of salt but water it is mixed with is the culprit.

[currycooker]

Thanks Gene,

I have had the aquarium running for 7 weeks, I use RO water. I have about 60kg of live rock and about 3" of live sand, which was purchased 2nd hand from established aquariums. I have zero readings in Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate and Phosphate, Cacium is reading at 420ppm, oxygen at 7mg/l.
as I said this all appears fine and I am so dissapointed with how the aquarium looks. Are you saying this could be normal and it might settle itself daown?????????
Thanks
Larry

[weez1959]

Yes, it will go away in a little while, I'm going to probably have an outbreak myself because I should be setting up a new tank at the beginning of this week, (I hope) so I'll be going through the same headache as you.
Too bad you can't get them to look picture perfect from day one!

[zhenya]

Are you saying this could be normal and it might settle itself daown?????????

Absolutely! It is quite common and a natural progression of tank maturity in it;s cycle period. As bacterial populations stabalize and stop flactuating the cycle will be over and you will see reductions in algal(diatoms) and even cyanobacterial formations. They will never be completely gone( and it is a good thing), instead they will be almost invisible to you. ;)

To understand all of the complexities of the cycle, and marine aquarium as a whole, I would recommend purchasing a book and read up on it.
Just click on the "bookstore" link on the top of the page for more information on qhat exactly is available.

As an alternative( and not a bad one), I recommend subscribing to the wonderful articles by Dr. Ron Shimek here, it is really a packet change if you consider the wealth of information you'd get in return. ;)