Algae growing fast

[kais]

Hi all,

I'm new here and must salute the creator of this website. It's really HELPFUL! Wish I've found this website earlier cos I can visit Achillers Tang nice marine tank (hse warming).

Anyway my 4 ft marine tank is 2 mths old with MH (10K x 2), Red Sea Skimmer, Sump system, Teco Chiller. However, my tank is overcome with the growing of brown algae. Pls advise on remedy solution (w/o use of Chemical).

Thks,

Kais

[TTBoy]

Is that a sea apple in your tank?

[kais]

Yup, it move from one end of the tank to another during the night.

[Achilles Tang]

Hi Kais...

Welcome to SRC!

Uhhh... your posted pix is too big... I will edit your post and repost your resized pix. In future, try to keep your photo width within 700 pixels.

Nice tank... but you may want to consider that sea apple as it's extremely toxic should it die or get terribly stressed.

[Tanzy]

Brown algae? Don't see any. Where are they growing? Sand or LR? The powerhead looks surprisingly free from any algae.

[dodo]

4give me for asking....your tank actually very clean wat wea is the algae u were talking abt?

if u come n see my tank...i thk u will faint manz

[kais]

Ops e above pix is too big. Attached another side of the tank in smaller size.

[anakjoh]

I don't see much brown algae. Beautiful fox coral u have there.

I was told the sea apple is most dangerous when disturbed or dying because it will release toxins in the form of white grains that will pollute the water and kill any fish that eats them.

In KL, it costs RM20 each.

[kais]

e algae appeared on the side of e tank. I hav to remove the algae almost twice a week.

I do not know tt apple is such extreme, cos my wife like it and I brought it. Hopely it's does not release toxic.

[Achilles Tang]

Ok... now you know!

Anyway... if you have brown algae on the glass, it's probably a form of cyanobacteria. Usually harmless, just ugly. Just don't get the red thick matty kind!

[Tanzy]

The sea apple is a time bomb, just make sure it doesn't go off. If it gets caught on the powerhead intake, it might release toxins. The eggs it releases are poisonous.

Brown stuff on the glass is probably diatoms or dinoflagellates. Do you find that the brown algae is not there when the lights just come on but slowly build up when the lights are on, then the cycle repeats itself daily. If it is, then it's dinoflagellate, very hard to combat, worse than cyanobacteria but not half as harmful.

[anakjoh]

It's normal then, I have to clean my glass every 3 days. Surely, u have seen some tanks with worse problems.

Check yr water parameter n keep those "plant" algae. They will absorb excess nitrates which otherwise will only encourage further undesirable algae growth.

[anakjoh]

BTW I have this coral I believe it's briareum viridis, still in it's juvenile stage (is that the right term?). It is overgrown (60% - the purple base is only a trace now)with again I believe dinoflagellate. I wonder will dipping in FW help to kill the algae first b4 the coral?

[BlueTerror]

Whats the name of the green vine plant? I have some in my tank n its growing really fast. Also, wats the red branch thing on top right?

[Tanzy]

BTW I have this coral I believe it's briareum viridis, still in it's juvenile stage (is that the right term?). It is overgrown (60% - the purple base is only a trace now)with again I believe dinoflagellate. I wonder will dipping in FW help to kill the algae first b4 the coral?

Freshwater dips won't do anything to algae. You'll have to find other ways to control it. The usual stuff like phosphate, nitrates and high DOC will be it's fuel. Decrease those with more aggressive water change plus more efficient nutrient export.

[Wei]

Hi kais,

remove the sea apple. I got a friend whose sea apple remain in his tank for 2 yr plus without problem. Then 1 day, the sea apple release its eggs into the water. The fishes ate it & died within hours. Pollute the tank water, sea apple too stress, release toxin & bloom! Whole tank wipe out!

Wei

[dodo]

oh goodness...i thk tat's the worst thing ever could happen to a marine aquarist.

if sea apple is like a time bomb, y do LFS sells them, especially nowadays. There seems to be a bloom in availability of sea apple.

Anyway back to the topic, i thk your algae problem is well within managable/curable range...like wat Tanzy says...frequent water changes, chk water for traces of NO3,PO4 and good skimming

[Wei]

cos theres a lot of newbies/pple who dun know, find it beautiful & buy it. So, there is a demand. Sometime, the exporter side just dump them in to match the kg of livestock ordered. So, no choice, the lfs had to sell them or incur losses.

Wei

[KingFish]

Woah... Sea Apple is such a hazard and people are selling it anyway

However, at least one online aquariums I visited commented that it is reef safe, that's odd isn't it? They should know better.

Think you guys just saved me a whole lot of trouble, my wife likes it too and I was intending to buy it just to please her.

[Valleyman]

Which one is the apple ? the blue one ?

Kais-which model is yr powerhead ? What's the flowrate ?

[dodo]

Which one is the apple ? the blue one ?

Kais-which model is yr powerhead ? What's the flowrate ?

the one below the big leather coral

i guess his PH is a Eheim PH...flow rate 1000L/Hr

[BlueTerror]

Whats the round spiky fan like thing under your sea apple?

[kais]

I'm using Ehim PH, 3000 - 3500 l/h. Any recommeded way to get rid of the APPLE...

[kais]

There is some misunderstanding, I have 3 PH, 2 in the tank and 1 in the sump tank. The Ehim PH (3500l/h) is in sump and the other 2 Astro brand (1800 & 1000 l/h) is fitted to the main tank.

[Tanzy]

Pluck out the sea apple without squeezing too hard then sell it too hapless newbie

or throw at the person you dislike most(LFS owner)

or flush it down the toilet to make Newater

or bag it up nice and throw away.

Wash your hands thoroughly after handling it.