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View Full Version : My first algae outbreak - diatoms? Tank is 1.5 years old...Maroon/purple hair algae?


clownhunter
04/21/2014, 01:31 PM
Hello all.

Im having some trouble I.D this algae or could it be diatoms.
Tank has been up running for 1.5years now.

I cured my rock for 3months in a brute can and when first started to cycle the tank I didnt really have a huge diatom bloom. Now fast forward over a year - for the last month I have been getting this brown/gold stuff all over sandbed and rock and glass... I can blow it off the sandbed but it just comes right back. Lights go out it disappears but just comes back in morning. I have done 3 days lights out. Algae/diatoms just came back a week later. I do 5hrs of daylight and then 4hrs of actinics. No air bubbles and it does NOT appear to be snotty but I could just not be letting it grow to long to be Dinos? ALSO in the back corner I did notice brown sand with like maroon/purple hair growing as well... IDK

72 gallon tank fowlr (for now)
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 10-20
Phosphate - 0.25
Sal 1.024
Ph - 8

20% water changes every 2 weeks - Distilled water 0TDS
But just today I got an RODI unit so will see if that helps any??
Also just order phosban and some GFO maybe that will help?
Also running 4bags of chemipure elite in the sump..

Gundo5000
04/21/2014, 01:36 PM
Looks like you may be lacking adequate circulation/flow in the tank.

clownhunter
04/21/2014, 01:40 PM
The maroon/purpleish hair algae is growing right in front of a powerhead.
I do have an extra powerhead I can add - good idea.
Should I get some more snails?

Cymonous
04/21/2014, 01:58 PM
Do larger water changes. The GFO should help some as well. How many powerheads do you have? I see the one on the left and I think there is another on the right?

clownhunter
04/21/2014, 02:03 PM
Thanks for reply guys!
I have two powerheads.
One on the left at the mid mark.
and One on the right on the bottom behind the rock work so nothing collects behind there.

Left - I wanna say 700gph
Right - I wanna say 400gph

Rocko1
04/21/2014, 02:16 PM
I'm having the same issue, I'm running 2 tunze 6095 alternating back and forth with the 18 volt chip is that to low for a 50 breeder

Cymonous
04/21/2014, 02:18 PM
So, you're at about 15x your DT volume. I would say the next step is to try adjusting your powerheads some. The one on the left moved closer to the front and pointing at the middle of the front glass.