first cycle - algea death - now coming back with avengence

sry guys i did search algea control - but little findings

I am having trouble with my new tank (also im new to the marines - had cichlids for years) after my first tank finished cycling the algae died off really fast (40g tank - now at 0-25ppm phoshate from test kit, in the middle i can only guess from colour) trying DSB but think the sand is a little course after adding live sand, I have only just added 2 tomato's after 5 weeks not that there have seem to be the course of my lattest algea bloom.

Added 10 turbo snails (don't seem to do much), 6 mirco hares and 10 bristle worms at 4 weeks in to the initial cycle stage to help with bloom, but now at 6 weeks im getting a lot of brown algea forming again, thinking my lighting schedule could be helping the situation since im running LED's at 11 hour cycles (spend a lot of time in my office so like to watch lol).

Note: Nitrate about 0, Nitrites about the same, 0 ammonia. water temp at @ 26 degreesish, also have a in-tank skimmer at the moment and power head.

How can i minimise the new algea growth, should i do more WC'es and cut back on lighting or add maybe a yellow or blue tang (do won't a blue tang at some point) to help with clean up or am I just still freakin and let the tank run a bit longer?

Sorry for the long winded question - just trying to get my head around the processes. or should i be looking at a better water source to coinicide with my WC's

Ay advice or crits will be appricated.

Thanks Bretto

Hi Brett

You pretty much have the answers mate, algae needs phosphates and light .....add these in high values and algae grows well.

To reduce it run the lighting less and reduce the phosphates...feed them less or what ever works, just trial and error really. I find that with each new tank (less than 4 months) algae always grows mad to start with while all your parameters find a happy balance, you will notice this level out over time.

Of course the regular water changes and good tank maintenance always assist as well.

Don't buy fish to try to manage it, wait until you sort it through your regular maintenance, good practice and as your tank matures naturally.....buy fish because you want them in my opinion...

Personally I love the look of algae...the more the better, but hey I keep 12+ tangs so they love it too....

Just my 20¢ worth..

Tangs as such will work to a degree as will most snails, but turbos have a habit of not being able to right them selves and may die, also hermits eat the diatoms, little yellow claws are the best.
If it is golden brown to normal brown,it is a diatom bloom and they can come and go for ages and are good for the aquariums eco system and in the ocean they are an essential part of phytoplankton.
You said you added sand; if so you may have added some silica and diatoms feed on this. The brown algae, if it is diatoms, the husk, which is the brown algae in appearance is left over after their blooms, is a natural silica-crude silicon, it’s their left over shells in clusters that you see as algae, this is because they multiply A sexually.
They attach due to very little mobility and shed as they multiply, that is most likely the brown colouration in your aquarium.
To help reduce them, using RO water helps reduce metals,nitrates and inorganic nutrients to name a few that comes from tap water.You could reduce the phosphate components of phosphorus and orthophosphate that comes from waste, left over foods and dead spots onto general nutrients that encourage their growth to a degree as well.
The main thing is,as ignobolis said is water changes or just wait, but I wouldn’t change your lighting, that will affect other photosynthetic life.
I would do regular small water changes of say 15 percent of your aquarium and sumps water amount over all each week any way, this will help with far more then just algae blooms.
The water changes will also reduce the silica they are feeding on like water born silica already in the water and the silica that comes from microbe acidity as they oxidise the nitrogen cycle to nitrate and in the bed with the silica in it that they are most likely on and feeding upon the silica.
Give it time and other small tank inhabitants will eat them and a balance will form.The best way i use to reduce algae in the aquarium,is to have other algae external-remote to the aquarium,they will take out the food sources and starve out the diatoms,hair alage and cyano bacteria.
Do you have a pic of the algae, try to always put up a pic of what you are curious about, it helps a lot!

thanks guys

great advice and exactly what i needed to know, thanks so much.

Bretto