just bad luck in this tank

[ClownFishGuy6]

So I fixed my green algae problem by cleaning all the algae then getting my clean up crew in order and now they can handle things on there own. But now for some reason there's brown algae but it's like hair brown algae. How do I fix this.

[SammyL]

What are your parameters?

[Jeff4777]

What is your water source?

[ClownFishGuy6]

Tap water.
How do I find my parameters btw

[jbm421]

I had a hair algae problem of all colors once lol. Picked up a sea hare and the thing ate every bit of all of it. Just don't let it starve after he cleans it all up in a few days haha.

[Dkuhlmann]

I suggest you start reading everything on this link before you go any further

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1031074

By being asked the questions and your answer of How do you find your parameters, and the fact that you're using tap water and then wonder why you're having an algae bloom, you've shown that you have much to learn and that link is the place to start.

After you have researched it for yourself and if you have any questions, by all means come back and ask them here. That way all of your questions are all in one place. Do not make a million threads because cross information will become important and a pain to do with having to link to other threads.

[shifty51008]

I suggest you start reading everything on this link before you go any further

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1031074

By being asked the questions and your answer of How do you find your parameters, and the fact that you're using tap water and then wonder why you're having an algae bloom, you've shown that you have much to learn and that link is the place to start.

After you have researched it for yourself and if you have any questions, by all means come back and ask them here. That way all of your questions are all in one place. Do not make a million threads because cross information will become important and a pain to do with having to link to other threads.

+1

You really need to start testing your water with good test kits and use rodi water. By useing tap water your adding most likely alot of stuff algae feeds on.

[ClownFishGuy6]

Ok and I'm only 13 chill

[timnem70]

Doesn't matter how old you are. If you are taking on the responsibility to have live creatures in your care, you really need to research how to keep them happy and healthy. This is a great hobby but even greater responsibility. We are patient and want you to succeed but only if you are serious.

[shifty51008]

Were not yelling at you, were telling you why your haveing the issues and how to fix them. Age doesnt matter

[Jeff4777]

Tap water.
How do I find my parameters btw

Well.. There you go. Its best to use RODI. Good luck

[Dkuhlmann]

It makes no difference how old you are. You need to read the one thread http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1031074 until you do you're wasting your time and ours because you are asking different questions in many different threads when you have only one or two problems. I already told you what they were but you keep opening up new threads. Stop and go read the thread. And don't play the don't pick on me because I'm only 13 crap. You have decided to take on keeping livestock so it's up to you to be mature and take care of them. We have many members here that are your age and they do just fine.

[Sk8r]

I was 6 when I started my first tank. Welcome and good luck. You do need the alkalinity test, plus a bottle of buffer. Keep that reading at 8.3. YOu also do need a ro/di filter. Spendy to get, but the filter replacements aren't bad. And you also are going to have this algae problem as long as a) you use tapwater instead of ro/di and b) you have too much phosphate in your tank. A GFO reactor will solve that---about 50.00. You might get a used one on line. Phosphate comes from sand, rock and tapwater. Eventually what arrived with sand and rock will soak out and sand and rock will be phosphate free, but not when you're still using tapwater, which brings more in. HOpe that helps you figure what's going on. I recommend you get at least that alkalinity test kit and the buffer: everybody needs that. You also have a refractometer (salinity) and your ammonia/nitrate test strips, right? Those are the really critical tests. If you ultimately go for corals, that's where other tests some in. No use getting a phosphate test: with your algae problem, it's pretty certain you have that.

[ClownFishGuy6]

Yes I have the test strips and the thing that checks your salinity

[chimmike]

test strips are insufficient, to say the least.........but you're already starting off on the wrong foot using tap water. You'll never be able to export the nutrients you're putting in the tank to begin with.

I used to get gallon jugs filled at those self-serve stations at grocery stores with distilled water. That may be as close as you can get to RO/DI without buying an RO/DI setup.

[RobTheReefer]

Add seven tangs and 3 mandarins per gallon and you should be good.


(kidding)

[shifty51008]

I would get at the min. Api test kits for ammonia and nitrate. And if you want corals then get the cal, alk, mag, and phosphate kits.

Api is a cheap but fairly decent test kit. And dont get the api test strips, they are imo worthless. The only test kit api doesnt make is mag so you will have to get salifert or red sea kits for that.

As for water stop useing tap water and at least buy ro water. You can get it from a water machine at walmart for about .39 a gal.

[Reef Frog]

Yea man gotta do your research! RC is awesome and there is a ton of other good information out there. But try some old school - the public library. They may have *books* on saltwater & reef aquarium keeping. This may seem silly & antiquated but a good book is still hard to beat in many ways. With the right book you'll have all the basic info in one place and RC can build on your knowledge from there.

Glad some people your age are still interested in this stuff. Im friends with local fish store owner who's been operating since the early 1980s. He was telling me aquarium keeping of any kind for people your age group/generation are really low. He said it's hard to compete against Instagram & Grand Theft Auto. What's your opinion on that?

[jmeehan]

I wish my 13y/o was interested in my hobby. I encourage you to stick with it and learn as much as you can about the basics. You can get a lot of great info on this and other forums but you also get an equal amount of nonsense on forums as well. You will do great if you remember that the animals in your tank are relying on you!

[ClownFishGuy6]

I have had a fish tank since I was like 3 I think. My dad put it in my room so I have something to do at like this age. He helped me maintain it until about 2 years ago when he thought I was ready to start cleaning and fully taking care of it instead of me only being able to feed them because I wasn't very responsible he waited until I was old enough to start doing things myself. And then I ended up here.

[eddiereefs]

Just do water changes with poland spring distilled water from shop rite. How often do u do water changes? Go get urself an api nitrate test kit. What salt are u using?

[CStrickland]

Here's a good algae id guide with pics and tips to kill diff kinds.
https://www.reefcleaners.org/nuisance-algae-id-guide
If yours is diatoms it will clear up if you switch to distilled water. Make sure it says "distilled" to get the pure kind, the regular Poland spring for drinking isn't as good. They're about the same price, just check the label.

[ClownFishGuy6]

Alright thanks this will be a big help with many things

[chilli_reef]

You'll be OK kiddo.
Just read read read and remember.....anything you do in the salt water hobby requires lots of patience.

[CStrickland]

Ps I just saw ur thread asking about CUC, that same link has great info about what cabs and snails eat too. It's a good place to learn about cucs

[ClownFishGuy6]

I saw that and I am going to look into buying some of the things I need

[Buffcole]

Go to your LFS and get some salt water from them until you can buy a RO/DI system. Do not add tap water. Please use prime in it if you are. I would suggest doing a 50% water change with salt water from a LFS every week until you think you have replaced it all.

[exsequor]

My first tanks at 12 (28 now) I read several books including one by Sprung. Went on here at read at advice of LFS owner (reef central has been around since like 2000 or so?) I know I joined R.C. at first in like 01'.

First tank was 37 gallon marineland eclipse on blackforest, CO well water doing damsel behavioral experiments on acclimation aggression trends / cycles that got me to regionals in science fair. Didn't have any damsels die, even though I used high mineral well water, the PH was right, and I just did a lot of cleaning lol.

Quit the hobby for a couple years and then got into a at 15-16 years old.. 75 gallon FOWLR and kept a Kole tang on the same water for 8 months, it died, I bought a RO/DI and kept a niger trigger by itself without a lot of rock because I couldn't afford it. I remember finally getting a CPR_backPak skimmer and being stoked lol.

First reef tank was a 6.5 gallon hex started at 19, used all distilled because of small size, and used small P.C.s and VHO's actinics and did great for 2.5 years until I went through a life period where I abaonded the tank for a vacation to my home state of Cali for extended period, and some other self growth I needed (which i regret in the hobby sense, but don't regret at all in the overall life sense).


Just got back into the hobby now Im a bit older at 28 and that I am a father, family sort of man now, with two small businesses as a career, I certainly have the financially means that gives me support I didn't have before. That, and I'm closing on a house, and i hate moving tanks, so I don't plan to move these two out of three reefs I've got for a long time after this next move. Right now I've got a 45 gallon reef, 5.5 gallon fluval spec v reef, a 10 gallon reef at the shop, and we're working on a 40b reef at the shop showroom as well. Cool to be able to have tanks at home and at work. The customers and employees really dig them as well.

Anyways the point of telling my story is make a push into this hobby. If you're really mature enough, definitely stick with it all along, t hat way it isn't so "expensive" after a certain point, so you don't have to rebuy certain thing so much. But I don't regret getting in and out of the hobby so many times, and I know plenty of other folks do successfully, it's called life, but I am excited for the future, and keeping reef tanks on the very long term 10+ years just seems so exciting at this stage in life.

Good luck, there's a lot to learn, but also enjoy i mo