Brown slime Algae and Phosphates

[sen5241b]

My Nitrates are consistently at approx. 10ppm. My lights are on 7 or 8 hours a day and now some bright-brown slime is growing on the sand. What is it?! Also, the LR is looking somewhat green.

I'm told that testing for phosphates is a waste of time (the chem-tests detect inorganic phosphate and are useless). What is the cause of my algae? The nitrates and light? Maybe I need to bring my invisible phosphates under control.

I've heard the "rowaphos" although pricey, it works like magic --anyone used it?

 

[yote]

You have organic phosphates.Thats what the algae like.
Rowa-phos is good,so is phos-ban,and phos-guard.About the difference is price.

 

[Bifferwine]

Running any of the phosphate removal media that Yote mentioned will help.

 

[SSalty]

What kind of water are you using?
How much flow do you have in your tank?
How often are you doing water changes?

 

[sen5241b]

I'm using RO (from WholeFoods) and Oceanic. I have the 260 GPH pump and a Koralia 1 which should probably be directed more on the rock. (I can blast visible detritus off the LR every day with the baster). Doing two 20% water changes a month or more often if nitrates rise above 10ppm. All water goes through a simple piece of floss, chemi-pure and a ball of chaeto in my small fuge.

 

[yote]

You may need to up your water changes to 20% a week.Also get more flow inside the tank.You want to keep the crud from settling out of the water.Keep it suspended so that your filter can do its job and change the floss once a week.

 

[sen5241b]

You may need to up your water changes to 20% a week.Also get more flow inside the tank.You want to keep the crud from settling out of the water.Keep it suspended so that your filter can do its job and change the floss once a week.

But what is the brown algae? It looks very much like cyanobacteria the way it grows on the sand but its a light brown. I've seen red and green cyano but brown?

 

[yote]

Cyano can be brown.Can even be blue.