Algae question?

[Sdeluca10]

I’ve attached a couple of photos. The concern is the brown algae that grows on the sand. The ph is perfect at 8.4, the nitrite is 0 the nitrate is no more than 15. Alk is a little on the lower side at 135-140.
I’m not sure what’s causing the algae.
I do water changes, no improvement.
Clean rock and sand with toothbrush, it grows back.
I brush it off the sand and it’s back within a couple hours.
Corals and fish seem to be doing just fine but what is the reason for the algae and what can I do to control it.

 

[DylanCameron]

Could be diatoms. A couple questions:
-PO4 levels?
-Do you have any critters that turn over the sandbed, such as a conch or a Valencienna goby?
- Do you use RO/DI water for water changes?

 

[MikeG]

Also age of the tank

 

[Sdeluca10]

Also age of the

Also age of the tank

Truthfully the tank is only a few months old. It feels older because I added over 150 lbs of cured live rock from a fellow reefers tank to start. I also added water and some filter media from other tanks (to get this tank going).
I’ve since see. Copepods in the macro in the refugium, brittle stars in the rocks. All corals/fish and inverts seem to be doing as well as I could as for. Only thing that is concerning is the aforementioned eyesore of the brown algae that keeps appearing.
I intend to add a gold head sleeper goby and want to add about 10-15 nassarius snails.
I’m not sure if anyone else has other suggestions on bottom disturbing fish/inverts.

 

[theone]

lights? how intense? how long?

 

[MarkSzy]

Low phosphates can be your problem, what is that level?

 

[Sdeluca10]

Low phosphates can be your problem, what is that level?

Unfortunately I don’t have a way to test for phosphates.

 

[Sdeluca10]

Low phosphates can be your problem, what is that level?

Reef breeder photon V2. About 9 hours. They max at 65%

 

[MikeG]

Unfortunately I don’t have a way to test for phosphates.

You definately want to find a way to test for phosphate, order a tester or find someone close by that has one.

 

[MarkSzy]

Unfortunately I don’t have a way to test for phosphates.

Your LFS can most likely test for you, in not they will have a kit for sure.

 

[Sdeluca10]

You definately want to find a way to test for phosphate, order a tester or find someone close by that has one.

Let me ask this. I have kits for nitrate, calcium, PH. Other than just using normals “test strips for alk, I would say I still need
Kits for alk, magnesium, and phosphate.
It seems Hanna is the best (however at 60 bucks per kit) I’m trying to get by without the best of the best. What does everyone else recommend and use for testing all of their parameters?

 

[MikeG]

Let me ask this. I have kits for nitrate, calcium, PH. Other than just using normals “test strips for alk, I would say I still need
Kits for alk, magnesium, and phosphate.
It seems Hanna is the best (however at 60 bucks per kit) I’m trying to get by without the best of the best. What does everyone else recommend and use for testing all of their parameters?

I would recommend either buying decent test kits or contact LFS to see if they can test for you. For nitrate and phosphate I use Hanna kits. Refills are cheaper once you have the tester. For alk, Ca and Mag I have a trident and then double check with test kits occasionally. For Ca I think I use salifert, for Mg currently using Red sea but have also used Salifert (both are titration kits). For alk I am currently using a crappy API kit but as long as it gives me the same reading as my trident then I believe the results.

 

[Duds]

I use Salifert for everything but am thinking of trying out some Hanna checkers. I have the salinity checker and I love it thinking about the alk, nitrate and phosphate next.

 

[BiGGiePauls33]

I use a Hanna for most of things as I have alkalinity, calcium, high range nitrate and ulr phosphorus. Used to use hanne phosphate though. Magnesium is Aqua Forest but do use the slew of salifert sometime to compare.