Brown algae on glass after new addition and other questions

So I was checking my water parameters and my phosphates weren't 0 but everything else looked good for adding coral. So I got a rock with about 5-6 mushroom corals on it and added it to the tank. The next day I got a bit of brown algae on the tank right next to the new rock. I cleaned it off the glass and today the same thing.

I'm worried I took it a step too far and messed up my tank. I'm working on getting my phosphates down to 0 but the supplies to do that are at least a week away. I've also got some hair algae forming in spots and I'm working on it too.

I think I need to build a small refugium into this 12 gallon bio cube. My ammonia, nitrate, and nitrate are all staying at 0 and my fish are happy. I'm also going to reduce feedings.

Lastly, when I was trying to find an ideal placement for the mushroom coral one of them came off the rock. Can I somehow reattach it somehow? It floated away somewhere in the tank, if I can't find it will it die and cause an ammonia spike?

I've got so many questions, we'll go with those for now.

 

Mushrooms sometimes do float off, if you find it just stick in a tiny container of rubble or tie to a small piece of rubble.

A dying mushroom will not cause a decline in water quality.

If this is a newly set up system it is not uncommon for many new tanks to go through different algae stages including an initial outbreak of Diatoms. Just keep those phosphates in line, use RO/DI water even if you have to buy bottled water and do not over feed.

 

I think my problem may be over feeding. The tank was previously set up by the previous owner for around 3-4 months and I had it set up for a little over a week before I saw any of the brown algae on the glass. I had it coming up for two days and today I got very little on the glass, so maybe that's progress? I've got some phosban coming along with some purigen to help clean up the tank a little better. I'm looking into an InTank style media basket, and I'm seriously contemplating turning the second chamber in the back of my bio cube into a mini fuge with some cheato but I'm looking for more info on the lighting for that.

I'm making progress I feel and learning lots. But best of all I'm having fun and enjoying the tank.

 

What water are you using?
for frags like mushrooms, i bought one of those body wash things at walmart for $.70 and cut it up into little squares. put that over a frag and rubberband it to your plug or rock and leave for 2-5 days. It should reattach.

 

my philosophy on feeding.........if you think you are feeding enough........YOU ARE FEEDING WAY too much!!!!!!!!

as Coralline said.........fairly normal process. Do you know how old your bulbs are...........was the tank just up 3 months prior? If it is biocube, then most likely PC bulbs and you will want to replace in the next couple months........every 6 months or so wiht pc. However best thing is what you are doing.....cut back feedings and working on phosphates. How long are your lights on?

 

be careful with over treating your tank, it will certainly go through stages of different algae like Corailline mentioned,clean the walls with a pot scrubbing brush as needed and I wait until full polyp expansion because I believe some of your corals may consume and benefit from what becomes water borne.

Remember this, the only thing that will happen fast is DISASTER... If you stress too much you will never enjoy the fruit of your labor...

 

its possible that whoever you got the shrooms from glued it to the rock and the glue failed. It is my opinion that if you put it in a low flow area or in an isolation tank maybe lightly tie to a rock allow it to attach on its own it would be fine...

 

The tank was brand new around 3 months ago. What are PC bulbs? The bulbs in the tank as advertised by JBJ are "Includes (2) 24 watt CF lamps with a durable (Fulham - UL Approved) remote electronic ballast w/ disconnect cable. Offered with our powerful 50/50 lamps for marine tanks." One bulb is blue the other is white.

I'm using water I buy pre-mixed from my LFS. I'll eventually mix my own but for now it's easier for me to just buy it pre-mixed. I know they use RO/DI water to mix it but as for salt I don't know. I also get my RO/DI water for top off's from them.

I'll see if I can find that detached mushroom coral. The rock it was on currently has 5-6 others on it that seem happy. I had it in a area with too high of flow but moved it and they really opened up.

I have the lights on for around 10 hours a day currently. I can scale that back if need be.

I haven't treated the tank with anything yet, the only thing it has is a good CUC and the filter in the back. Currently it's got the sponge filters in the first chamber, carbon in the second, and I put some ceramic bio media in the third so the water flows through it before being pumped out through the return pump.

I think I'm definately feeding too much. I only feed my freshwater tank once every other day and they're totally healthy so I may try the same schedule with my marine tank.

My cleaner shrimp molted his skin/shell overnight last night and my understanding is that's a healthy thing right? I know they do it normally but I don't think it's done out of stress.

How would I know when to replace the bulbs in the tank? Is it done as routine maint. like changing the battery in a smoke detector? They may not be bad but it's better to change them just in case?

 

right about the shrimp

i think most people swap out there T5s around the 9 month mark, and most swap out 1 bulb at a time so its less of a change, but I'd refer to a T5er on that