Hello everyone,

I'm starting to get a little more brown algae than I care to deal with. What is the best method for dealing with this issue? Are there brown algae eaters that can help with this?

Is it a diatom bloom, or something else? Got any pics to help with IDing it? Is this a new or established tank?

thanks for the reply. I will get a pick out tomorrow. The tank is several months old. I usually get a little of this stuff on the bottom part of the glass. I just wipe it off each day when I clean the film off the tank. Now this stuff is discoloring my crushed coral on the sides of the tank

Sounds like diatoms, but I'll wait on the pic to say for sure and offer advice.

possible solutions really depend on identification. "Brown Algae" could be hair algae, cyanobacteria or Dinoflagellates. Once we have a pic, we might be able to help with ideas for eradication,

Does this help at all?

that looks like Diatoms to me. they SHOULD go away on their own unless you tank is still cycling. if you did not go through a complete cycle ... that can happen by adding to much to fast.

Additionally, You could run some GFO, it removes silicate too.

Ummmm - not to be a jerk or anything (because we're nice here at Talking Reef) but that is a major fish load for a tank that has only been set up a few months. Livestock should be added slowly, to allow the biological filtration of the tank to reach a level where it can handle the bio-load. It usually takes a FULL YEAR for a tank to mature.

IMO, you're tank is going through another cycle. Have you checked the water parameters recently?

Danamck,

Thanks for the email response. My tank cycled in May 07, and all my starter fish survived the process. This issue seems to be limited to back corners of the tank, and that is a bit confusing. I check my water at least once weekly and perform a 10% water changes every 3 weeks. I clean/change out my filters regularly. On a side note, my cardinals successfully mated and I stil have surviving fry (they are 1/2 the size of dime right now).

Danamck,

Thanks for the email response. My tank cycled in May 07, and all my starter fish survived the process. This issue seems to be limited to back corners of the tank, and that is a bit confusing. I check my water at least once weekly and perform a 10% water changes every 3 weeks. I clean/change out my filters regularly. On a side note, my cardinals successfully mated and I stil have surviving fry (they are 1/2 the size of dime right now).

OK - 6/7 months is very different than a few months!

Try increasing the water flow in those areas that are getting the diatom blooms. I would still check the water parameters, particularly nitrates, phosphates and silica - all potential causes of diatom blooms.