Algae

[KidNano]

I definitely have an algae issue. I'm pretty sure it's because of the water i've been using from my lfs but I was curious about this particular algae. you know how some established tanks have some really cool almost plate like algae on their returns? I want that eventually so I haven't scrubed them but I'm not sure this is what I'm looking for.

Is this just diatoms? It's only on my front two returns which are directly under the lights. Should I scrub this off?
Thanks.

 

[The Kapenta Kid]

I work on the principle that no organism is removed from my tanks unless it poses a real danger or inconvenience to the tank as a whole--or is grossly unsightly.
The red-brown stuff looks like diatoms to me. I'd leave it unless it starts to clog up the works. It probably provides food or refuge to something.

 

[KidNano]

Thanks Kapenta Kid.

seriously though????? No one else has anything to say about this? Give me something like. "Cris don't be an idiot. clean that crap off." Or "it's good for the tank and keeps algae off other places so don't worry about it stupid." I know there are plenty of people in this place with opinions so lets have some.

thanks in advance.

 

[reefman23]

Well... how much macroalgae do you have growing in your fuge? Personally, I would remove as much as I could. Some of it appears to me some sort of macroalgae or plant. I think with time, your fuge with have enough micro and macroalgae to compete for nutirents in order to choke out algae growth such as that.

Does that help? I'm not too knowledgable about algae problems... not really my strong point.

Jesse

 

[johnanddawn]

everyone has some algae at some point or to some extent - search any forum and you will see the most often asked question is what do i do about algae? the answer is as the the two before me said:
jesse's answer - try to find the source of the nutients and reduce them with a better fuge, skimmer, or water changes
kapentas answer - remove anything that is unsightly or distracting and let nature do its thing with the rest
both of these combined is your answer. balance out the system with more corals, algae in the fuge, nutrient export with a skimmer, maybe even chem means like phosban and/or carbon, and then if it still there and it bothers you get in there and clean it. pop that thing off and clean it with a toothbrush and when/if it comes back do it again

 

[KidNano]

Thanks guys.... I don't really have an algae problem as my crabs and snails take care of most of it. The Macro in my sump has really started growing the last couple weeks. It's easily doubled in size. I was worried about that for a while as it wasn't growing. Anyway..... These two link return lines are the only place in the tank that my snails and crabs can't reach so Algae grows and grows. And they are directly under the light.

I was mostly just curious about the type of Algae. Like Jesse said it almost looks like a macro. They are plants or something. Getting really bushy now.

It's also interesting because I'm not getting much algae in my fuge below. I think there is too much flow going through it.

Thanks though.