Brown stuff all over

I am getting a lot of brown film on my glass and a lot on the sands. what is it and how do i get rid of it?? I have a 20 gall with 20lbs. rock and 20 snails, a handfull of hemits. But they don't seem to be able to get a hold of it. I srape it off the glass suck it off the rocks... next day it is all back... also is it toxic i have lost quite a few fish lately. I do water changes about every week.

Edited by cheekyfellow

Tell us about your tank.  How long set up, what's in it as far as livestock goes, lighting, water parameters, etc.

I agree with Andrew - diatom bloom but if it is, it's too early for fish.

Is it slimey, and gooey?  or just small brown floaties that dissolve when you scrape them off.

Get some Macro!

With RO water you shouldn't have to worry about phosphates being introduced from top off or water changes (as long as your salt mix doesn't have any), but there are other things that can up your phosphates like feeding.

How long has it been since the fish died?  Did they all die close to the same time? Did you take them out when they died?  Did you find out what caused the fish to die?

I would say cut down on your feeding to at least half for a few weeks and see if the brown algae starts to clear.  If you are not already you might want to do more frequent water changes to get the nutrients out of the water that the algae is feeding off of.

Algae is the most efficient of biological filtration. The reason that N compounds are nil is the algae is eating all of it.

What other algae is growing in the tank?

More snails are needed to eat that brown algae which is the result of extra nutrients from pollution due to death and overfeeding, and not enough of other types of biological filtration.

Where did the LR come from and did you start the tank with any LS and Macroalgae or have you added any since?

Don't you wish there was a simple solution, like 'eat more yogert'

My best answer is that you have to keep taking it out until it stops growing.

I think nuisance algae of any kind is a result of too much nutrient in water.  So, the general solutions include:

Decrease the amount of nutrient added to the water:
    Cut down on the feed
    Make sure your bioload is one that your tank can handle, reduce the number of
         fish if necessary
    Make sure to use RO/DI water for water change and topoff

Increase nutrient export
    Frequent water change.  I'm a big fan of vacuuming the sand bed with each water
         change if the sand bed is shallow.  This is controversial though.
    Good protein skimmer
    Culture macroalgae in sumps/refugiums and harvest them regularly


As for diatom algae, they also like silicate.  So, make sure that you use aragonite sands.


If you need macroalgae, just let me know.   I have plenty to give away.


   


Edited by dkle

Depends on your fish? Some fish love to eat macro algae. From your earlier reply, I think you could have some in your main display.

now i have read that the use of carbon would help as well as macro algea. I have the bio wheel filter with the cartridge that hase carbon in it.... If i where to put the bag or carbon in the filter would i use it in addition to the cartridge that is in there? or would i remove that and just put some cut to fit media and then the bag of carbon.. or would this really be more efficient than the cartridge?

oh i tested the phosphate.... 0

Edited by cheekyfellow

Activated Carbon by itself will do little to help rid a tank of an undesirable algae. 

Yet this algae you describe may simply be a natural occurance. For coral, you have only one Xenia frag  I'm figuring the tank is still in its early phase of growth. Did you know that Coral are easier to keep than fish. Especially in a new tank, fish tend to die easier. Coral and algae are part of an effective filtration method. Filtration is the most important part of a marine aquarium.

It would help us help you get to the solution if you could tell us more about how you set up the tank:

Amount and depth of sand?

Any LS used?

Amount and condition of LR?

Where was the LR purchased?

Circulation pumps, how many and types?

Edited by Mark Peterson