Brown coating showed up overnight!!!

[Eddie]

Ok here is the deal.

 

I have a 10g eclipse system with an actinic and a daylight NO.  I have 1 clown fish and 2lb of live rock.

 

This is a one and a half week old tank. I purchased 2lb of live rock last night. and when i got home from work today the floor of my aquarium has brown stuff all over it. also my tank temp jump up to 82 because i fiddled with the heater.

 

1. Is this bad?

2. How do i get rid of it if its bad?

3. what is it ?

[Fishiebusiness]

Sounds like a diatom bloom also known as brown algae. It is quite normal in new tanks. It will fade naturally in time, but to speed up the process, use only good quality water (RO/DI). Most snails will also eat it quickly. 6 astrea snails made quick work of all the brown algae in my tank.

[Korbin]

Thats normal.  My tank went from green feathery algae, to slimey red algae, to slimey green algae, and now its starting to get corraline all in one month.

 

And theres always some brown stuff in there somewhere.   It just needs time to be kept in check by snails and other algae.

[Kapelakin]

Also, keep your water circulation up in all parts of the tank to discourage its taking hold.

[Sahin]

Yes the brown stuff is diatoms.  Its usually present in fresh setups.  The way tyo get rid of them is to reduce nitrates, phosphates and silicates.  As mentioned use of DI/RO water will help prevent diatoms.

 

In my tank addition of 8 astrea snails helped rid of a plague of this stuff.  My tank was basically covered everywhere.

 

Kapelakin is spot on about the water flow.  I only now get a little buildup where the water flow is lowest.   But i leave it alone as it provides food for the various snails and other critters.

 

Hope this helps.

[lizbeth]

No one mentioned having a clownfish in a tank that's cycling. You are adding more live rock that unless it's very well cured will kick off another cycle in an already new unsettled tank.

 

Watch you cycle levels carefully. You may have to do water changes to keep the clownfish safe.

[Crakeur]

the tank is still cycling.  I'd keep my eye on that fish if I were you.

[HuBu]

hehehe diatoms and keep an eye on that clownfish...you can try gettin some more LR.

[byrself]

a phosphate sponge might help... also, don't add snails yet.. tank needs to cycle

 

brown diatom blooms are common, and no need for alarm... it will pass in time.  just looks like crap..

 

a skimmer would help to with the diatoms if you have one.. hope this helps you dude..