Brown Algae/Dirt all over rocks

[Marcellina]

All of my rocks are getting covered by a brown dirty looking substance. Some is detritus and I use a turkey baster everyday to blow it off.

The stuff that is annoying me looks like brown dust bunnies on the back wall and its attaching to some of my corals making it look like a haunted aquarium.

Is this Green Hair Algae? Its brown so its throwing me off. What is it and how can I get rid of it?

My parameters are:
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite:0
Nitrate:0
PH 8.2
SG 1.025
Phosphate: .5 ppm

even the invertebrates arent immune

 

[ESSELO]

hey

what's your photo period? how long are the lights on?

 

[Marcellina]

I put the coralife 50/50 36 W one for an hour in the morning then I add the daylight ones for 11 hrs then I turn off the daylights and leave the coralife on for an hour b4 turning them off.

You think the lights can be causing this?

Its not cyano is it?

 

[ESSELO]

phosphate is a little high. is the tank by a window by any chance?

 

[Davidl919]

Looks like beggining of red slime algea, Shorten the light cycle.

 

[Marcellina]

red slime algae! That doesnt sound so good!

I thought that the phosphate was a bit high too. What can I do to control it? I already do weekly water changes.

Tank is not by a window and all the windows in that particular room have the blinds closed all the time

 

[ESSELO]

shorten light cycle gradually and try a poly filter maybe.

 

[Marcellina]

I already use a poly filter and I also have chempure.

Should I use something for the phosphate? Like phosban?

 

[Quang]

is your snail eating it?

 

[Marcellina]

I have nassarius snails that stay in the sand. I have quite a few of the dwarf ceriths but they dont do much bc they are small. I use to have 6 big snails now am down to 2 bc my hermits killed the rest. Not sure what type, I think maybe turban? Thats what the shell looks like. They just stay on the backwall and dont really do much.

Should I get one or two turbos? I only have a 29G

 

[ZANYMASTER]

Could be the dreaded Dino-flagellates,noting eats that.High po4's are the main culprit.

 

[Marcellina]

Now I am nervous. If it is Dino flagellates wouldnt my turban snails have died from ingesting it?

I use Chemipure and I also have a bag with 3 tbsps of carbon - overkill I know but it doesnt hurt.

I might feed alittle much and the lights are on probably longer than they should be.

If it is dino how do I get rid of it?

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

Please post your water parameters re cal, alk and mag.

 

[Marcellina]

Alk : 9 dKH (161.1)
Calcium 340
Phosphate: .5
Ammonia: 0
Nitrate 2.5
Nitrite 0.5
PH 8.2
AG 1.025

I dont have a Magnesium test need to get one.

My nitrate and nitrite are slightly elevated since last night, when they were 0.

 

[Marcellina]

I know I probably leave the lights on longer than I should. I was realizing I leave them on about 13+ hours. :Yikes:

But could it be that the lights are not high enough? Another reefer is telling me that I might need higher lights thats why im getting this brown dirty algae?

i have 36 W daylight and 50/50 Coralife 36 W

 

[morphiii]

I don't see much on the rocks. If you can get to the back wall, scrape it off and suck it out of the tank.

Increase flow to the back wall would help.

 

[steve614]

i dont think nassarius snails eat algae

 

[Wes]

Lighting doesn't matter if your nutrients are in check. Use some phosphate remover and reduce feeding/bioload

 

[Marcellina]

The dustbunnies are on the back wall of the tank, the rocks just look brown and dirty. Maybe they are supposed to look like that?
lol They werent that color when I put them in there.

Nassarius snails eat the detritus and leftover food in the sand, they are sand sifters. I just added 3 turbos and 6 other small/medium algae eating snails.

I just put in some phosphate remover in the middle chamber last night and going to go a bit lighter on my feeding.

Will it go away on its own or should I scrub the fuzzy spots and vacuum? The inside of my 'cave' has fuzzy undersides. I dont want to really scrub the rock bc wouldnt it get rid of some good stuff as well?

 

[marki24]

vodka dosing helps with all of that. I recommend reading up on it before starting it. dont want your fish to be drunk