Black algea in new set up

[nevereverhome]

Hi,I'm new to the forum and thought you guys could help. Just started a fowlr 54 g. corner thr rock cured in the tank. I have a sailfin tang a blue damsel and a niger trigger some snails and crabs also some kind of huge feather duster coming out of the rock all are healthy.The problem is I have an outbreak of a silky black algea on the substrate and some tips of the live rock did water changes sucked some of it up but now its spotty not on the glass or tubing just substrate,any ideas what this is and what is causing, also a solution Don't want to start dumping in chemicals if I don't have to. I have a fluval 404 and two power heads and a protein skimmer any help would be appreciated Thanks kevin

 

[bkv1997]

Some cycle is to be expected when starting a new tank.

However you might want to check your Phosphate levels, sounds like they are probably high.

You also might want to talk to Chris on the forums, I know he had the exact same thing in a 55 gallon FOWLR. Only time I have personally seen this stuff.
I think he cured it with a phosbane reactor, but not sure.

Hope this helps.
Brandon

 

[nevereverhome]

Black algea

thanks for the reply, any suggestions on bio to put in the filter,right now I have carbon,ceramic bio rings and some base rock from the keys that the local fish guy said he used, I had a 55 with just fish and alittle lr for a few years with the same set up and never got that black algea maybe its from the live rock? should I take some of the pieces out? it's funny it was only in one spot until I vacuumed the bed, and stired it up.All the inhabitants are very healthy so I don't think it's toxic it just looks ugly thanks again kevin

 

[jhnrb]

several things, check your carbon, should be a marine or reef grade carbon and rinse very good before use, any residue powder can coat things, make sure you have good water motion throughout, introduce some substrait stirrers. you did not say what your water parameters are. most likely phosphate as stated, or nitrates, or something off of the live rock. more information needed to really help in any meaningful method. above suggestions are just that to give you things to check out. but with a full complement of water parameters more precise advise could be provided. good luck and welcome to the forum. your water should smell like the ocean, fresh sea water, if it smells fowl, stinks, or dosnt smell right, you need to increase circulation and increase your water changes until the cycling completes and the rock has a chance to clean itself with help from the cleanup crew. just something else to check.

 

[minireefer]

You might add a bag of rowaphos(sorry my spelling is horid) or other type of phosphate remove to one ogfthe fluval trays and check the sponges while your at it