I’m fairly new, tank is 3-4 months old.
It’s a Red Sea reefer 200, so 43 gal display and 10 gal sump.
I have snails, hermits and a shrimp along with corals that I’ve started collecting. I don’t currently have any fish - got excited and introduced velvet to my tank, so I’m about halfway through a 76 day fishless period.
My phosphates are a little high, currently at .15 but as high as .19 over the past few weeks. Nitrates are better at around 5-7z
I’ve had a green film algae cover the rocks, which is fine, but more recently I’m getting a recurring brown algae covering the sand bed. (Hoping it’s diatoms and not Dino’s, but have a microscope on the way to check).
But I’m just not sure why the phosphates stay a little high, and I’ve read this can cause the brown algae outbreak.
- Could it be due to no fish in the tank?
- I feed the shrimp and snails maybe a half of a mini block of baby brine every other day, so I don’t think over feeding is the issue.
- I run the standard filter sock and sponge for filters, and have added a UV filter in the sump. I’ve also just tosssd a handful of clean chaeto in to the sump. I also run a media bag of charcoal.
- Should I consider adding a protein skimmer to help things?
Thanks!
It’s a Red Sea reefer 200, so 43 gal display and 10 gal sump.
I have snails, hermits and a shrimp along with corals that I’ve started collecting. I don’t currently have any fish - got excited and introduced velvet to my tank, so I’m about halfway through a 76 day fishless period.
My phosphates are a little high, currently at .15 but as high as .19 over the past few weeks. Nitrates are better at around 5-7z
I’ve had a green film algae cover the rocks, which is fine, but more recently I’m getting a recurring brown algae covering the sand bed. (Hoping it’s diatoms and not Dino’s, but have a microscope on the way to check).
But I’m just not sure why the phosphates stay a little high, and I’ve read this can cause the brown algae outbreak.
- Could it be due to no fish in the tank?
- I feed the shrimp and snails maybe a half of a mini block of baby brine every other day, so I don’t think over feeding is the issue.
- I run the standard filter sock and sponge for filters, and have added a UV filter in the sump. I’ve also just tosssd a handful of clean chaeto in to the sump. I also run a media bag of charcoal.
- Should I consider adding a protein skimmer to help things?
Thanks!