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Hammy 
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 Topic: Dark Brown Algae
Posted: December 18 2010 at 9:57pm |
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I have some really dark brown algae growing on a piece of live rock. I don't know where its coming from. All my parameters seem to be ok. I know pictures would help but can't get it to upload right now. Any ideas on how to get rid of this stuff. It's not very fast growing but isn't shrinking either.
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fishoutawater
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Posted: December 19 2010 at 10:02am |
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hopefully it isn't brown wafer algae, or lobophora?
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Hammy
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Posted: December 19 2010 at 11:28am |
What are those two things and what are they caused from
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SGH360
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Posted: December 19 2010 at 4:45pm |
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what are you water parameters? do you have a picture? sounds like diatoms building on top of each other
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fishoutawater
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Posted: December 19 2010 at 6:12pm |
http://media.photobucket.com/image/brown%20wafer%20algae%20pics/SSS555/P1010560.jpg
Hopefully that is a link to a pic of it. Brown wafer algae is a common name, I think lobophora is scientific. The only things that will eat it are naso tangs, and sally lightfoot crabs. It can grow right over and smother coral. Almost impossible to starve out or manually remove.
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Hammy
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Posted: December 19 2010 at 6:30pm |
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That looks like what it is. So the only thing I can do is get a sally lightfoot crab or a naso tang? The tank is only a 24 gal nano, so I don't think a naso tang will do too good. Maybe I could get one to get rid of this stuff then find someone with a bigger tank.
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fishoutawater
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Posted: December 19 2010 at 10:24pm |
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Maybe just pull the rock out and aggressively clean, scrape, chisel it all off? You wrote it was only on one rock, right?
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Hammy
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Posted: December 19 2010 at 10:47pm |
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yea its only on one rock but its under some other rocks so it might be hard to get it out. I guess I willget a creb and see what happens. If all else fails I will take it out and scrub it off as a last ditch effort.
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Mark Peterson
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Posted: December 20 2010 at 8:51am |
Hold on a minute, if you please. Let's not jump to conclusions here without seeing a pic and having a little more discussion. The algae in that pic has never been a problem in any tank I've ever seen, and I've seen plenty of tanks. I've seen it start but never last. If this covering coral problem is something that fishoutawater has had personal experience with, we definitely need to consider the possibility but need to see the tank first and find out what fish, snails, crabs and coral are currently in the tank. If you would like to email the pics to [email protected], I'll post them here.This algae comes in on LR but tank conditions or predators, meaning animals that eat algae, usually eliminate it. Something in the tank may already be a possible solution, if this is indeed a problem. The reason I approach it this way is because there are so many things that grow in our little reefs and 99.9% of them are good. Each organism has it's place in a healthy ecosystem, even algae.  Algae is often an indicator of other things going on in the tank. Is there any trouble with other forms of algae in this tank? It's important to narrow this down first, so you don't spend money and time trying something that doesn't work or ignores the root of an even bigger problem.
Edited by Mark Peterson - December 20 2010 at 9:05am
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Hammy
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Posted: December 20 2010 at 4:32pm |
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Hammy
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Posted: December 20 2010 at 4:33pm |
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Hammy
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Posted: December 20 2010 at 4:33pm |
Top Picture is with the flash on and bottom is with the flash off
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vadryn
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Posted: December 20 2010 at 5:34pm |
Sally Lightfoot was a family favorite in my tank. You shouldn't need an excuse to get one of those. 
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Mark Peterson
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Posted: December 20 2010 at 7:08pm |
Sorry, what I meant was a full tank pic please. fish list  snails all crabs Coral The thing about a 24 gal reef aquarium is it's limited size. Too little space for
so many things we would like to add. Hammy wisely understood this concept regarding the Naso Tang. Without seeing this tank we cannot
know how quickly a Sally Lightfoot Crab would clean up any algae, become hungry and
start eating something it should not.
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Hammy
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Posted: December 20 2010 at 8:57pm |
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Hammy
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Posted: December 20 2010 at 8:58pm |
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The tank has a damsel, clown, and wrasse. Hermit crabs and snails, an emerald crab, cleaner shrimp. Corals are a few acans, hammer, zoanthids, chalice, and a few others
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fishoutawater
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Posted: December 20 2010 at 11:52pm |
I learned about this algae because two tanks that I maintain have it in them. In one of them, a 210 reef, I have had to watch it steadily grow right over dozens of zooanthids, as well as a couple of sps. I have tried to remove it manually, which was futile, drastically reduced feedings over several months, aggressively skimmed, stepped up water changes, and added several cleanup crew members. Assorted snails, urchins, crabs(no sally lightfoots). There are several threads on other boards as well about this algae. Which is where I found out about the sally's and naso's.
Upon introducing a naso, he started eating that algae within ten minutes of being put into the tank. Unfortunately the naso did not last long and we are waiting for a replacement. I am visiting the tank tomorrow and will take some more pics so you can see what can happen. From your pics, it looks like the same algae as in your tank. Personally, I would take that rock out and clean/cook/scrape the **** out of it. I know it's a pain, but a 24 gal shouldn't take that long to restack. Wait till you see the pics tomorrow.
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Mark Peterson
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Posted: December 21 2010 at 2:16pm |
Great. thanks for the pic. I can totally agree with Mike/fishoutawater except for one thing. I hate having to get in and remove rock to clean it. That kills other stuff on the rock, removes it from the water which kills life in the rock, but I know there are times when it's needed. My motto is why spend time messing with rock and aquascaping when some animal will take care of the problem. As I look at that pic again, I see a lot of rock sitting on the sand. Since a change in the reefscape is needed any, it wouldn't hurt to remove that rock. I will trade you for another rock. I would like to add that to my tank. What about it? I should mention that I see a tank that has way too few herbivores. There is a very good chance that some snails may like the algae. The snails are sorely needed anyway. I would definitely consider either more Emerald Crabs, a Sally Lightfoot or even try a Pacific Turbo Snail to see if it would eat that algae. Problem is, it would take some time to get to the brown Lobophora because there is so much other tasty algae to eat first.  One other thing, what are the Alk and Ca levels in this tankwater? It looks like there may be a need to check those levels.
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Mark Peterson
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Posted: December 21 2010 at 2:18pm |
BTW, Naso Tangs and their cousins the Unicorn Tangs, love all kinds of hard brown algae.
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fishoutawater
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Posted: December 21 2010 at 8:17pm |
Here is what can happen,... I would pull the rock, and beef up your cleanup crew.
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