algae in my 2.5 gal

[cjm033]

i have had live sand in my tank for about 3 or 4 days so far with my bumblebee gobie doing fine but today wheni got hme from school my sand had alot of brown stuff onit (i am pretty sure its brown algae almost positive actually) but i was wondering if i shoul dget something to eat the algae maby a turbo snail or something (the only snails they sell around here are trubos but there small aboout 1/2 an inch,i might be able to fine hermits but i doubt it theyve only had them like 1 time are there any kinda shrimps i could get?) i was planning on getting a snail or something for algae control in another week but the algae has covered about 1/3 of the sand not like through it but almost lake a slight graze over it if you know what im talking about its not even a mm deep thanks for your help,Chris

[printerdown01]

If you really look around I bet you could get 2 trochus or 2 astrea in Verginia . These will both do a decent job... Do you have any rock, or just sand in the tank? Also, is your tank finished cycling...? If not you might want to find another home for your goby in the mean time! He probably won't make the cycle!! The algae that you are looking at is most likely a mixture of diatoms and cyano (heavy on the diatoms side). This is almost impossible to avoid in a new tank... The only thing you can really do is pick up a couple of snails. I guess turbos would work if you had NO other choice (even margaritas will be smaller than turbos).

[reiple]

the diatom is normal (the brown algae). a lot of reefers dislike it so much and go to such intense algae removal schemes. just wide them off the glass. if you still get diatoms then perhaps you need more light. after cycling diatoms will recur if you use non-RO top off water (I do. the diatoms are a signal that my Catalaphylia Jardenei will surive. thats the Elegance Corals).

 

if you can live with it, a little diatom is not harmful.

[Korbin]

My tank did that when it was new too. I could actually control how much brown algae was on the sand bed by how much food I put in the tank. It will come and go until other types of algae take over. (hopefully not hair or bubble algae).