!@#$ Algea

[natrate]

Does everyone have to continuously clean algea off the glass/sand or is it just me? My tank is a couple months old and I'm going crazy with this brown algea. My water source is nutri-seawater and deionized water for top-offs. I don't have any fish so over-feeding isn't an issue. I do water changes every week. Is there some magical solution to eliminate algae or is it just something I have to deal with in this hobby? When I set up the tank, I took everything out of the back. I put in Kent Marine Nitrate Sponge to try to reduce the algea growth.

 

12 gal Nano Cube DX

13 lbs. Live Rock

10 lbs. Live Sand

1 Turbo Snail

1 Margarita Snail

2 Bumble Bee Snails

2 Nassarus Snails

5 Blue Legged Hermits

2 Red Legged Hermits

[Travis]

Did you check your phosephate levels? That may be the problem.

[djp183]

I fought algae for the first six months. Then the tank sort of got in a 'rhythm' and now I only scrape a light green film off my glass every couple of days. Putting macroalgae in my sump to absorb nutrients really helped. I don't know how the cube is set-up but maybee you could put some cheato and a light in the back compartment? Like Travis, I do think phosphates could be a problem - I use phosphate sponge in a little bag to controll it ( I also run carbon ).

[BKtomodachi]

Check silicates as well.

 

What photoperiod are you running?

[PhilB]

"Brown algae" sounds like diatoms. As BKtomodachi noted, diatoms need silicate to grow. I would suspect that the nutri-seawater or the di water has silicates. You can test both, and if you find it, add a silicate remover to your sump or change your brand of water.