# rusty algea



## mauls (Mar 25, 2004)

hey guys, i've had my tank up for 3 weeks to a month and i get this real bad rusty colored algea everywhere, and i have to scrub the glass and clean everything in the tank with a tooth brush.

A lady at a LFS suggested a powerhead to keep the water moving, she said if there is no current that algea forms.

also is this algea harmful

let me know your imput thanks mauls


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## Alexraptor (Jan 30, 2003)

sounds to me like Diatom Algae, not harmful


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## Handikapped (Nov 5, 2004)

i get the brown algae that your talking about its not harmful just real ugly....hope you enjoy cleaning it out


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## mauls (Mar 25, 2004)

Handikapped said:


> i get the brown algae that your talking about its not harmful just real ugly....hope you enjoy cleaning it out
> [snapback]949336[/snapback]​


haha yes its a real BLAST!!!!

=p thanks guys on the input, i will keep that crap clean


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## mauls (Mar 25, 2004)

wait i forgot to ask, anybody know how to prevent this crap? i scrubbed down the whole tank last week and its starting to form again.

The tank is not by any windows or anything so im clueless

help, thanks mauls


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## nismo driver (Jan 27, 2004)

i get some of that algea but my tank gets alot of sunlight so i fiugre thats the main cause, i found that circulation does help but its really hard to have good circulation in the entire tank with out having areas of way too much circulation...


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## nismo driver (Jan 27, 2004)

mauls said:


> wait i forgot to ask, anybody know how to prevent this crap? i scrubbed down the whole tank last week and its starting to form again.
> 
> The tank is not by any windows or anything so im clueless
> 
> ...


do you use RO/DI water? i think i get it because i use tap water. before i get flamed for using tap, it a FOWLR tank, i know i should still use ro/di but cant afford a ro unit yet...

i recently had to move my tank and used it as a chance to clean out as much algea as i could, but it really only helped for about a week until it started growing back again. at one point th algea used to grow much much more, im not sure what changed butit doesnt grow as bad as it used to..


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## rchan11 (May 6, 2004)

Cut down on lighting will help.


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## mauls (Mar 25, 2004)

> do you use RO/DI water? i think i get it because i use tap water. before i get flamed for using tap, it a FOWLR tank, i know i should still use ro/di but cant afford a ro unit yet...
> 
> i recently had to move my tank and used it as a chance to clean out as much algea as i could, but it really only helped for about a week until it started growing back again. at one point th algea used to grow much much more, im not sure what changed butit doesnt grow as bad as it used to..
> [snapback]953205[/snapback]​


no i dont use RO/DI water, honestly i dont know much about it or how it hooks up, so i just use tap water, and thast prolly why i get it.

Also i will try on cutting down on the light.

Thanks guys for all your input, i will do what u suggested and see what happens.


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## Mike122019 (Feb 14, 2005)

Yea Ro water cuts it down alot I almost have none in the tank I used RO water and the one I used tap I had alot, I restarted the one with tap water cause it sucks and now im using RO water in both.


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## Piranha Guy (Oct 22, 2003)

I use ro and it does not help one bit


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## mauls (Mar 25, 2004)

Piranha Guy said:


> I use ro and it does not help one bit
> [snapback]954324[/snapback]​


so you have alot of that diatom algea even with ro water?

dang im going to try the reduced lighting technique after i clean the tank real good and see how that goes.


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## Piranha Guy (Oct 22, 2003)

Yea i cant get rid of it, I have used ro water since the start of the tank and am only running the lights for 7 hours a day. I mean the corals need night to live so I dont know what to do. Any ideas let me know.


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## fredweezy (May 27, 2004)

How bout some turbo snails or a bad ass tang? Would those help?


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## fredweezy (May 27, 2004)

I think I am getting the same sh*t in my tank...


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## mauls (Mar 25, 2004)

fredweezy said:


> I think I am getting the same sh*t in my tank...
> [snapback]955708[/snapback]​


yea thats what i have, it took over my whole tank once, but i cleaned everything and it was good for a week or so, now its comming back again!!

o well, theres a snail in there but thats too much work for him haha, i need like 15 of them!


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## fredweezy (May 27, 2004)

The snails I got today probly won't last through out the night. I am getting a Sohal Tang next week and hopefully he will take care of it and not kill everybody else in the meanwhile. Also I am going to add straight distilled water from now on when doing water changes.


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## mauls (Mar 25, 2004)

fredweezy said:


> The snails I got today probly won't last through out the night. I am getting a Sohal Tang next week and hopefully he will take care of it and not kill everybody else in the meanwhile. Also I am going to add straight distilled water from now on when doing water changes.
> [snapback]958070[/snapback]​


question about distilled water, you mix the salt just like you would with normal water right?

sorry for the dumb question, i've jsut never used distilled water, and i wanted to start using it.


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## Piranha Guy (Oct 22, 2003)

yea you mix it like anyother water


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## nismo driver (Jan 27, 2004)

fredweezy said:


> The snails I got today probly won't last through out the night. I am getting a Sohal Tang next week and hopefully he will take care of it and not kill everybody else in the meanwhile. Also I am going to add straight distilled water from now on when doing water changes.
> [snapback]958070[/snapback]​


belive it or not but a 125 is kind of small for a shoal tang and you already have a pretty decent bio load in there.. but good luck they are awesome looking tangs


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## fredweezy (May 27, 2004)

The 125 is temp for the Sohal. He is only 3.5" and Tangs are slow growers, I figure I can get away with it for a little while. I also realize the bio load in there is substancial, thats why im hooking up another wet/dry although my parameters are perfect, I'm getting the Sohal on Friday, I'll post pics.


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## mauls (Mar 25, 2004)

Ok, almost a month later, diatom algea is GONE!!! thats a good sign, I started using R/O water and i think that helped, now i see green algea starting to form, is thish algea harmful? or will the snails knock it out? I know reducing my lighting will fix this, any other suggestions?

Thanks mauls!


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## Jebus (Feb 29, 2004)

I found that when i had excess nitrates it caused brown algae.


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## spec-v (Feb 27, 2005)

adding a phosphate sponge might help as well any good Lfs should have some :nod:


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## mauls (Mar 25, 2004)

Jebus said:


> I found that when i had excess nitrates it caused brown algae.
> [snapback]977606[/snapback]​


yea, i got past that, now im getting green algea.

ANd i'll look into a phospate sponge.

Thanks!


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