Can't get rid of Algae!!

[reefraiser]

My cycle has been done for about two weeks and ever since I've had this brown algae. I think it's diatom but I'm not positive. It is very easy to scrape off, but regrows and fills the 75 gal tank within a day. It looks like dust with a few strings attached. I have done many water changes, bought new lights and tons of snails/hermit crabs. This algae will not go away. I don't know what to do.:frustrat: I have an anemone in the tank so I cant just shut off the lights or anything. I've tried siphoning and I scrub the walls almost everyday. It's getting ridiculous. Please help me!!

 

[Oscarsdad608]

The diatoms will go away and so will your anemone in a new tank like that. Oh and it won't be in a good way. What type is it, and what kind of lights do you have?

 

[reefraiser]

I have two 65 watt daylights and two 65 watt actinics (blue and pink) I forget what the specifics are. It's a 75 gallon and it's been running for 2-3 months and i just transferred my anemone from my old tank to it. It seems to be doing well.

 

[reefraiser]

O and its a bubble tip

 

[RyanG]

Well that would be new tank syndrom, it will come back again a few times until your tank is mature. I personally dont think that your nem will thrive possibley not even survive in the new tank. Watch it closely.

After the diatoms you will probably end up with hairl algae or cyano bacteria. Again all part of setting up a new system.

 

[Altohombre]

yeah diatoms suck bad, best thing you can do is water changes. You can also buy Sera Silicate Clear which helps rid your tank of silicates which cause diatoms. A phosphate remover will also help a little.

 

[yote]

Like has already been said,your pretty much stuck with the diatoms for a while.But you'll wake up one morning,and they be completely gone.So no worries there.
The anemone on the other hand,you dont have anywhere near enough light for it to survive.It'll slowly starve to death,then you'll be right back into bad water conditions and algae outbreaks.

 

[Bifferwine]

Diatoms are a normal stage of a new tank. Everyone will get diatom outbreaks in the beginning, and as the tank matures, they will become more and more infrequent until they stop altogether. The diatoms themselves are harmless, and you'll just need to wait it out. If you don't already, get some nassarius snails to keep the sandbed stirred up. That will at least reduce the diatoms on the substrate.

And I agree, that's not nearly enough light for an anemone. And when an anemone dies in a tank, it as the potential to crash the tank and kill everything else in it.

 

[reefraiser]

Actually I thought that too. I was wondering what lights I should move up to if it's a 75 gal. I'm really confused on that part. What do you think I should have?

 

[Bifferwine]

For a 75 gallon tank, look into getting a set of T5s. Current Nova Extreme and Current Nova Extreme Pro are probably the least expensive of the good-quality sets. You will be able to keep an anemone and anything else you want under T5s.

 

[reefraiser]

Thanks!