best for controlling algae?

[reefNewbie]

whats best for cleaning the reddish brown algae on the substrate and bottom of glass? I just added my MH light and all of a sudden my tank looks like a bowl of salad! lol I need some more snails or something that i will eat all this crap!

 

[nymedic]

You definitely need a clean up crew. But you may have a phosphate problem.. Do you use tap water for your water changes? If you do try using a phosphate pad then using phosguard. If you have been using tap water , I would recommend frequent water changes of 20% every 2 weeks for the next 3 -4 cycles. Try buying your water from a lfs that sells RO water. Mine sells it with the salt already added.... GOOD LUCK I hope that helps :lol:

 

[reefNewbie]

yea, i use RO water from my LFS.

 

[LFS42]

Sound like an outbreak of cyano-bacteria.
Chemi-Clean (Boydd Enterprises) will clean it up real good.
The stuff does miracles and will not harm corals.
But, it does make a mess of a protien skimmer.
Jeff

 

[reefNewbie]

you sure, cause it just reall came up after adding the MH light?

 

[reefNewbie]

Does anyone else have any suggestions. Its really making my tank look gross. Its coverint the LR and the substrate also on bottoms of the glass sides. I have 10 blue legged hermit crabs and 5 turbo snails. What should i add to get rid of this junk? or should i do as LFS42 said and try some chemi-clean?

 

[SPC]

Tony, have you done a search on cyano on this board yet. This is a problem that 99% of reefers have at one time or another and there have been many threads on this subject.
IMO a clean up crew will not help this problem. You will need to syphon it out while performing water changes. This stuff is feeding off excess nutrients, until you solve that problem you will not be able to eliminate this stuff. Think of it this way, if you add more clean up critters then they will be adding to the excess nutrient problems through their waste.
Steve