What will eat this brown algae...

[MikeP471612]

I have brown algae growing on my substrate and LR. Part if the problem is flow so I'm buying a power head to help with that. All I have for algae control is a large turbo snail. My problem right now is the brown stuff but I want to try and buy something to help not just with the brown stuff but overall as well. I was thinking a tuxedo urchin or a hermit crab or two. Any thoughts or suggestions?

Thanks

[techrach]

if you have no nitrates and phospates you will have no brown algae. Nothing that I know of will eat it. If you tank in new it is natural during and right after the cycle and it will go away if your nitrates and phospates are in check.

[pitt_prodigy]

Had that problem a while back. I siphoned it off and did water changes until the nitrates got back in check and now its gone. Flow will help to keep it away as well. Try to go lighter on your feedings too. These are all things that i figured out by trial and error. Good luck.

[kass03]

I just started my aquapod 5 weeks ago and it went through the brown algae phase.
I got some astrea snails, hermits, and nassarius snails and it cleared up. The astreas did eat it. Snails will usually eat the brown algae but not red cyano.
I usually prefer turbos but they were too big for the aquapod and the 1 I put in there kept crawling in the back sump lol.
I do use them in my bigger tanks.

If you only have 1 snail in your 30 I would suggest a clean up crew. Also more water changes can help.

kass

[MikeP471612]

The tank is a few months old now and I did go through a brown algae phase but it cleared up. This algae is different, it's thicker and stringy in some spots. I feed my fish every other day to help the nitrates stay in check since it is a smaller tank. I have the turbo and a banded shrimp for clean up now I will add a nassarius snail when I find one and something else for clean up. The LFS is stocked with tuxedo urchins and hermits but what should I get? I'm leaning toward a hermit because he would be more interesting to watch I think but I'm also afraid for the lives of my snails. Overall I want to buy the best clean up crew for my tank. I don't have room for much more livestock so I really want to make the right decision.

Thanks

[dots]

It will go away eventually. Is it red?

have the right snails, cerith, nasarus, turbo, astrea
good flow in a FOWLR usually low
Use RO/DI water
Feed once a day
keep all your levels good

Buy bigger snails, and get the red legged hermits only and they will leave them alone

most important Patience

[MikeP471612]

It is not red (though I don't know if it will turn red at some point) it went from light brown to dark brown to really dark brown (almost black). I was in a LFS the other day and noticed the same algae in most of their tanks. So I'm thinking mine might not be a new tank thing.

Thanks for all the help so far.

[MCary]

If its diatoms, which it probably is, then its a normal early tank bloom. Small amounts may continue indefinately. Most of your snails are diatom grazers and diatoms are their major food source. Get about 50 astrea snails and they'll have it cleaned off in a couple days.

This is my tank just after adding astrea snails:

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b223/mwcary/Picture014.jpg

This is the tank a couple days later:

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b223/mwcary/Picture015.jpg

You need to use RO water to keep from introducing soluable silica and keep phosphates in check also.

Mike

[bajabum]

I am familiar with this algae progression. It is not a good sign, but easy to fix. I siphon it off with an air line tube and dispose of the algae and return most of the cleaned water. Algae removal is your best method for removing the phosphate/nitrate or silica cantaminate. Red cyno is phosphate, brown (diatoms) - silica, the dark brown/black I have not identified yet, but it appears to indicate toxic conditions. Mine strated in my oldest tank while I was on vacation so I suspect my standin fed to much or there was contamination in the food, possibly added tap water.

Keep lights on to encourage growth and remove daily will eliminate the compound stimulating growth.

[MikeP471612]

Thanks for the help everybody. And Welcome to RC bajabum.

[kass03]

You can get some hermits but they will sometimes kill snails for their shells so have some extra shells.

Get more snails be it turbos or astrea. 1 snail certainly is'nt enough.
Turbos and astreas eat algae and nassarius stir up the sand.
Only drawback from astreas is that sometimes when they fall they can't upright themselves.

I had the brown new tank syndrome algae which sounds like yours in my 12 gal aquapod and put in 5 astreas, 5 nassarius, and some hermits.
The astreas cleaned the rocks and glass in a few days and the others took care of the sand.

kass