Brown Algae on Substrate

[jamestank]

What do you recommend as a sand sifter for brown algae that accumulates on substrate? I have almost 2 inches of live sand on the bottom of my tank that often becomes covered with brown algae. I blow it off with a turkey baster periodically, but would like to add a critter or two that would take care of this naturally.

I have read that sand sifting stars are not recommended b/c they eat a lot of the beneficial animals in the sand. I have read that Queen and/or Fighting Conchs may be good choices.

Does anyone have any recommendations?

Thanks!

[Reefland]

Hi jamestank,

I suppose the brown algae your mentioning is a rusty, film type algae that appears during the daylight? If so it sounds like diatoms, perfectly normal to bloom in new tanks. How old is your marine aquarium?

[jamestank]

That's exactly what it is. The tank is about 2 months old. I do recall having this issue when I first started the tank, but then it went away.

I wonder if it has anything to do with my missing clownfish. If there is a small dead fish in the tank could it spark this problem? I still have not been able to locate that fish - I wonder if I need to start removing live rock and looking around until he's discovered?

Hi jamestank,

I suppose the brown algae your mentioning is a rusty, film type algae that appears during the daylight? If so it sounds like diatoms, perfectly normal to bloom in new tanks. How old is your marine aquarium?

[Reefland]

What else do you have in the tank right now? How long has the fish been missing?

The missing fish might be the cause for the diatoms, but a 2 month old tank could still be experiencing the original bloom as well. I don't think I would dismantle the reef to find a missing fish, chances are you wouldn't find it anyway. Have you tested your nitrates lately?

[Ninong]

What do you recommend as a sand sifter for brown algae that accumulates on substrate?

One animal that absolutely loves to eat diatoms on the sand bed is the fighting conch (Strombus alatus). You may be able to maintain one for a couple of years if your tank is at least 75 gallons with a sufficient open sand bed surface. Try to get a small one (less than 1.5"). Their maximum adult size, if they live that long, is 3"-4". I managed to keep two of them alive in my 120-gal tank for about 19 months before they starved to death. They require a lot of sand bed surface to thrive.

Do NOT get a queen conch (S. gigas) unless you have an extremely large aquarium or you are planning on removing it once it gets big enough to cause problems. Their adult size is 8"-12".

I have almost 2 inches of live sand on the bottom of my tank that often becomes covered with brown algae. I blow it off with a turkey baster periodically, but would like to add a critter or two that would take care of this naturally.

Diatom blooms are a natural part of the new-tank cycling process. They can even pop up to a certain extent in more mature tanks. They come and go on their own and adding diatom eaters won't make much of a dent in their overall appearance if the other factors are there for them. However... I got two of them early on in the history of my tank and I absolutely loved them. I intend to get one new one whenever I get ready to order some stuff. I'm going to try to find one that is only about 1" long to begin with and see if I can keep it going longer than the first two. The first two were each about 1.75" long when I got them and both were about 2.25" long when they died. After corresponding with Dr. Ron Shimek about this situation, I am convinced that I just don't have enough sand bed surface to maintain more than one for very long. If you can find one, go for it. They are really fun to watch. Be prepared for the fact that they will bury themselves under the surface of the sand bed and stay there for a few days or a few weeks.

[Ninong]

If there is a small dead fish in the tank could it spark this problem?

I don't think so. A small dead fish will be history in a couple of days anyway. You may notice a slight rise in nitrates that will be gone within four or five days.

[jamestank]

Thanks Guys. I will look into getting a small Fighting Conch.

The fish has been missing for about 4 days. Tested nitrates two days ago and it read 20 ppm. I'll test again tonight but hopefully my serpent star / cleaner shrimp will have found the carcass and taken care of it.

What else do you have in the tank right now? How long has the fish been missing?

The missing fish might be the cause for the diatoms, but a 2 month old tank could still be experiencing the original bloom as well. I don't think I would dismantle the reef to find a missing fish, chances are you wouldn't find it anyway. Have you tested your nitrates lately?