Filaments of brown algae : problem in established tank

I have a serious problem in my 55g reef. This tank is about 5 years
old, and is well established. I've kept reefs for about 15 years, so
thought I'd seen everything, but this has me beaten.

The symptoms are that everything is covered in brown algae, which is
more dense nearer the light (10K MH 250W). After the lights have been
off for most of the day the density of the algae is reduced. As soon as
the lights come on I can see filaments of brown algae, like hairs, an
inch or so long, floating around in the current. After the light has
been on for a while, the rocks and corals seem to get covered more and
more by this stuff.

So I have been reducing the lighting period gradually down from the
normal 9 hours to 1 hour.

My corals don't like it: I have a ton of hammerhead, all retracted.
I've already lost a clam.

Fish are a Picasso trigger, hawkfish and a striped damsel. There's a
brittlestar in there too. The fish seem to be quite happy, but not the
corals.

I have activated charcoal, some Kent phosphate/silicate remover, a
skimmer which is working well, and a couple of powerheads. Water temp
is 78F.

What should I do to investigate further and eliminate this problem? Any
advice?

Thanks,
Julian

Well if you are trying to eliminate the corals, then keep
doing what you are doing.

If you want your corals to live, then turn the lights back
on. 12 hour is a normal light cycle. 1 hour is just pathetic.

Pull the algae out with you hands. You can also use a
tooth brush, they work well. Use fresh phosphate remover,
add some algae eating critters.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets



jjbunn wrote on 9/28/2006 9:50 PM:
I have a serious problem in my 55g reef. This tank is about 5 years
old, and is well established. I've kept reefs for about 15 years, so
thought I'd seen everything, but this has me beaten.

The symptoms are that everything is covered in brown algae, which is
more dense nearer the light (10K MH 250W). After the lights have been
off for most of the day the density of the algae is reduced. As soon as
the lights come on I can see filaments of brown algae, like hairs, an
inch or so long, floating around in the current. After the light has
been on for a while, the rocks and corals seem to get covered more and
more by this stuff.

So I have been reducing the lighting period gradually down from the
normal 9 hours to 1 hour.

My corals don't like it: I have a ton of hammerhead, all retracted.
I've already lost a clam.

Fish are a Picasso trigger, hawkfish and a striped damsel. There's a
brittlestar in there too. The fish seem to be quite happy, but not the
corals.

I have activated charcoal, some Kent phosphate/silicate remover, a
skimmer which is working well, and a couple of powerheads. Water temp
is 78F.

What should I do to investigate further and eliminate this problem? Any
advice?

Thanks,
Julian

And also check your nitrates.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets



Wayne Sallee wrote on 9/29/2006 1:09 PM:
Well if you are trying to eliminate the corals, then keep doing what you
are doing.

If you want your corals to live, then turn the lights back on. 12 hour
is a normal light cycle. 1 hour is just pathetic.

Pull the algae out with you hands. You can also use a tooth brush, they
work well. Use fresh phosphate remover, add some algae eating critters.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets



jjbunn wrote on 9/28/2006 9:50 PM:
I have a serious problem in my 55g reef. This tank is about 5 years
old, and is well established. I've kept reefs for about 15 years, so
thought I'd seen everything, but this has me beaten.

The symptoms are that everything is covered in brown algae, which is
more dense nearer the light (10K MH 250W). After the lights have been
off for most of the day the density of the algae is reduced. As soon as
the lights come on I can see filaments of brown algae, like hairs, an
inch or so long, floating around in the current. After the light has
been on for a while, the rocks and corals seem to get covered more and
more by this stuff.

So I have been reducing the lighting period gradually down from the
normal 9 hours to 1 hour.

My corals don't like it: I have a ton of hammerhead, all retracted.
I've already lost a clam.

Fish are a Picasso trigger, hawkfish and a striped damsel. There's a
brittlestar in there too. The fish seem to be quite happy, but not the
corals.

I have activated charcoal, some Kent phosphate/silicate remover, a
skimmer which is working well, and a couple of powerheads. Water temp
is 78F.

What should I do to investigate further and eliminate this problem? Any
advice?

Thanks,
Julian

Check for anything dead/decaying in your tank that you may have missed. The
amount of damage a decaying softie can do to your params is quite
frightening.



"Wayne Sallee" wrote in message
ink.net...
And also check your nitrates.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets



Wayne Sallee wrote on 9/29/2006 1:09 PM:
Well if you are trying to eliminate the corals, then keep doing what you
are doing.

If you want your corals to live, then turn the lights back on. 12 hour is
a normal light cycle. 1 hour is just pathetic.

Pull the algae out with you hands. You can also use a tooth brush, they
work well. Use fresh phosphate remover, add some algae eating critters.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets



jjbunn wrote on 9/28/2006 9:50 PM:
I have a serious problem in my 55g reef. This tank is about 5 years
old, and is well established. I've kept reefs for about 15 years, so
thought I'd seen everything, but this has me beaten.

The symptoms are that everything is covered in brown algae, which is
more dense nearer the light (10K MH 250W). After the lights have been
off for most of the day the density of the algae is reduced. As soon as
the lights come on I can see filaments of brown algae, like hairs, an
inch or so long, floating around in the current. After the light has
been on for a while, the rocks and corals seem to get covered more and
more by this stuff.

So I have been reducing the lighting period gradually down from the
normal 9 hours to 1 hour.

My corals don't like it: I have a ton of hammerhead, all retracted.
I've already lost a clam.

Fish are a Picasso trigger, hawkfish and a striped damsel. There's a
brittlestar in there too. The fish seem to be quite happy, but not the
corals.

I have activated charcoal, some Kent phosphate/silicate remover, a
skimmer which is working well, and a couple of powerheads. Water temp
is 78F.

What should I do to investigate further and eliminate this problem? Any
advice?

Thanks,
Julian

Interesting read:
Feature Article: The "Old Tank" Syndrome
By Mike Paletta
Now that a tank no longer needs to be broken down and tanks are being
maintained for long periods of time a new "syndrome" is starting to show
itself. For lack of a better term the situation is being called the "Old
Tank Syndrome." This syndrome is not as dramatic as the new tank syndrome
where all of the fish died, but it can be just as unsettling to the tank's
owner.
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2006/5/aafeature2




"jjbunn" wrote in message
ups.com...
I have a serious problem in my 55g reef. This tank is about 5 years
old, and is well established. I've kept reefs for about 15 years, so
thought I'd seen everything, but this has me beaten.

The symptoms are that everything is covered in brown algae, which is
more dense nearer the light (10K MH 250W). After the lights have been
off for most of the day the density of the algae is reduced. As soon as
the lights come on I can see filaments of brown algae, like hairs, an
inch or so long, floating around in the current. After the light has
been on for a while, the rocks and corals seem to get covered more and
more by this stuff.

So I have been reducing the lighting period gradually down from the
normal 9 hours to 1 hour.

My corals don't like it: I have a ton of hammerhead, all retracted.
I've already lost a clam.

Fish are a Picasso trigger, hawkfish and a striped damsel. There's a
brittlestar in there too. The fish seem to be quite happy, but not the
corals.

I have activated charcoal, some Kent phosphate/silicate remover, a
skimmer which is working well, and a couple of powerheads. Water temp
is 78F.

What should I do to investigate further and eliminate this problem? Any
advice?

Thanks,
Julian

Wayne Sallee wrote:
Well if you are trying to eliminate the corals, then keep
doing what you are doing.

If you want your corals to live, then turn the lights back
on. 12 hour is a normal light cycle. 1 hour is just pathetic.

Pull the algae out with you hands. You can also use a
tooth brush, they work well. Use fresh phosphate remover,
add some algae eating critters.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets



Hi Wayne,

Thanks: excellent input.
I will try again with a normal light cycle, but this has only
exacerbated the problem when I've tried it recently.

I have pulled clumps of the algae out, and continue to do so ... but
it's often hard to get a hold of as it's so slippery. I've scrubbed the
rocks with a toothbrush several times in the last week or so, but I
have the impression this is just distributing the algae further!

I have a Kent Phosphate and Silicate remover in ... I need to replace
it now because it has been in a couple of days

I'd love to add some snails ... I have a bunch of hermit crabs, but my
Picasso Trigger just treats snails as a delicious snack :-)

Julian

Get rid of things that don't work well in a reef tank.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets



jjbunn wrote on 9/29/2006 9:24 PM:
Wayne Sallee wrote:
Well if you are trying to eliminate the corals, then keep
doing what you are doing.

If you want your corals to live, then turn the lights back
on. 12 hour is a normal light cycle. 1 hour is just pathetic.

Pull the algae out with you hands. You can also use a
tooth brush, they work well. Use fresh phosphate remover,
add some algae eating critters.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets



Hi Wayne,

Thanks: excellent input.
I will try again with a normal light cycle, but this has only
exacerbated the problem when I've tried it recently.

I have pulled clumps of the algae out, and continue to do so ... but
it's often hard to get a hold of as it's so slippery. I've scrubbed the
rocks with a toothbrush several times in the last week or so, but I
have the impression this is just distributing the algae further!

I have a Kent Phosphate and Silicate remover in ... I need to replace
it now because it has been in a couple of days

I'd love to add some snails ... I have a bunch of hermit crabs, but my
Picasso Trigger just treats snails as a delicious snack :-)

Julian

What about turn over of water ?
You say you've got 2 power heads ? What's the GPH ?
Are there obstructions that would restrict flow (corals, rock etc.) ?



"Wayne Sallee" wrote in message
nk.net...
Get rid of things that don't work well in a reef tank.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets



jjbunn wrote on 9/29/2006 9:24 PM:
Wayne Sallee wrote:
Well if you are trying to eliminate the corals, then keep
doing what you are doing.

If you want your corals to live, then turn the lights back
on. 12 hour is a normal light cycle. 1 hour is just pathetic.

Pull the algae out with you hands. You can also use a
tooth brush, they work well. Use fresh phosphate remover,
add some algae eating critters.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets



Hi Wayne,

Thanks: excellent input.
I will try again with a normal light cycle, but this has only
exacerbated the problem when I've tried it recently.

I have pulled clumps of the algae out, and continue to do so ... but
it's often hard to get a hold of as it's so slippery. I've scrubbed the
rocks with a toothbrush several times in the last week or so, but I
have the impression this is just distributing the algae further!

I have a Kent Phosphate and Silicate remover in ... I need to replace
it now because it has been in a couple of days

I'd love to add some snails ... I have a bunch of hermit crabs, but my
Picasso Trigger just treats snails as a delicious snack :-)

Julian

Hi Wayne,

The turnover is pretty good: there are two powerheads plus the return
from the skimmer plus the return from a hang on filter (in which I keep
the charcoal and silicate/phosphate sponge).
I have a lot of live rock in the tank, so there are certainly plenty of
obstructions.

I completely overhauled my CPR BakPak skimmer last night, and that
seems to have improved the collection rate of skim. I've increased the
lights to 12 hours on.

I'm going to go with this setup for a couple of days to see what
improvements there are (if any).

Thanks again.
Julian

TheRock wrote:
What about turn over of water ?
You say you've got 2 power heads ? What's the GPH ?
Are there obstructions that would restrict flow (corals, rock etc.) ?



"Wayne Sallee" wrote in message
nk.net...
Get rid of things that don't work well in a reef tank.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets



jjbunn wrote on 9/29/2006 9:24 PM:
Wayne Sallee wrote:
Well if you are trying to eliminate the corals, then keep
doing what you are doing.

If you want your corals to live, then turn the lights back
on. 12 hour is a normal light cycle. 1 hour is just pathetic.

Pull the algae out with you hands. You can also use a
tooth brush, they work well. Use fresh phosphate remover,
add some algae eating critters.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets



Hi Wayne,

Thanks: excellent input.
I will try again with a normal light cycle, but this has only
exacerbated the problem when I've tried it recently.

I have pulled clumps of the algae out, and continue to do so ... but
it's often hard to get a hold of as it's so slippery. I've scrubbed the
rocks with a toothbrush several times in the last week or so, but I
have the impression this is just distributing the algae further!

I have a Kent Phosphate and Silicate remover in ... I need to replace
it now because it has been in a couple of days

I'd love to add some snails ... I have a bunch of hermit crabs, but my
Picasso Trigger just treats snails as a delicious snack :-)

Julian

Isn't brown Algae cause by pour water circulation? If so, shouldn't more
water movement fix this problem? ( before you flame me on this... I'm just
asking, I'm not sure of the answer)