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Thread: Brown Algae Growth ? Next Steps ?

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  1. #1

    Join Date
    Apr 2020
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    USA
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    Brown Algae Growth ? Next Steps ?

    OK.. still learning the ropes here so I could use from guidance or confirmation.

    I'm running a RAIN2 algae scrubber.
    I installed in early April and to date all my scrubber cleanings has been a thick green algae.
    Today, the algae growth was a brown color

    I have all 4 lights connected and have had all 4 connected for some time ( maybe > 1 month ? )
    Last week's algae growth was green algae.
    I clean my algae scrubber every 7 days
    Lights are on 18 hours per day

    The one change I have made over the past week:
    My phosphates have always read 0. This made sense since I was using GFO on my reactor and controlling my phosphates. I have been slowly reducing the amount of my GFO to get to a point where my phosphates would register. My phosphates are now .05
    My nitrates have been stable at 25ppm.

    Would this be the cause of the brown algae growth?
    I did read online that brown algae growth was a sign of too much nutrients in the water.

    I cleaned the algae screen today and removed the algae.

    Should I do anything different at this point ( increase/decrease lighting schedule? unplug any of the lights? ) or just stay the course ?

    Click image for larger version

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  2. #2
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    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
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    This is typical when nutrients come down; it still filters and absorbs a lot. This is not brown slime from high nutrients; this is just brown growth from lower nutrients.

    You can feed more if you want. Double the feeding for a week and watch the growth thicken up again.

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