Need help getting rid of this brown slime .

[Alan600]

I BEEN HAVING THIS PROBLEM ALMOST FOR A MONTH NOW . It's this brown slime and it's got to the point it's covered some of my frags In brown slime . I DONT KNOW WHAT IT IS OR WHAT IT COULD BE . I've DONE BUNCH OF WATER CHANGES TO SEE IF IT COMES OUT IT GOES AWAY FOR TWO DAYS AND COMES BACK . ALL MY WATER PARAMETERS ARE GOOD ALK 9.3 dkh CAL 450 MAG 1450 temp 77 phosphate 0 nitrate 0 . IF ANYBODY HAS EXPERIENCE THIS OR IS DEALING WITH CAN YOU PLZ HELP ME OUT !!

 

[Alan600]

Dose any one know what this is ???

 

[Chris-tico]

that looks like diatoms..

how old is the tank?

 

[Alan600]

It's 3 years old

 

[Alan600]

My lfs said it was ph problem but I fixed that and it's been 2 weeks and it keeps coming back

 

[Chris-tico]

when i started cycling my tank i got of those. but my turbo ate it.!

 

[NanaReefer]

Possible Cyanobacteria. Found in a range of colors. Causes are the same. Improper lighting spectrums, to much lighting, excess nutrients, improper flow, high phosphates.

 

[Waters]

Possible Cyanobacteria. Found in a range of colors. Causes are the same. Improper lighting spectrums, to much lighting, excess nutrients, improper flow, high phosphates.

I agree....probably a combination of Cyano and diatoms. Has anything changed since it started showing up? Flow, lighting, feeding patterns, water changes, etc. I have just started seeing some cyano for the first time (tank is over a year old) and traced it to an accumulation of detritus that slowly built up in the dead spots. I increased the flow and started siphoning the bed almost daily (while also switching to a wet skim and reducing feedings) and I almost have it totally gone. The whole process took several weeks though. I also show 0 nitrates and phosphates.....unfortunately the cyano is using it up before it can be recorded. I would also verify that your water change and top off water is nitrate/phosphate free.

 

[Alan600]

This is my first time in three years it shows up I mean I gotten it be for but quick water change and it's gone . I've use chemi clean to see if it goes away but nothing .i was thinking about just changing the sand to see if that gets rid of the problem . I been testing my water at home and at my lfs for phosphates and nitrates and they show 0 I just can't figure it out . I have a 40 gal b with two 850 koralia powerhead is that enough flow ??

 

[Alan600]

I run t5 with ati bulbs two blue + and two coral + . I run the blues from 2 to 9 and the coral plus from 3to 8 is that too much lighting

 

[sureal00]

phosphates can show 0 cause it's being sucked up by cyano.

 

[Alan600]

So how can I test them I would have to get rid of cyano first

 

[Waters]

IMO, phosphate testes are useless. If you have algae, you have phosphates....if you don't have algae, then I wouldn't worry about your phosphate levels. The amount of flow that you have should be ok....the location of the flow may not be though. Do you have any dead spots where detritus collects? That is normally where cyano will show up. I don't think it is your sand leaching anything.....if the tank has been set up for 3 years it would have already leached any phosphates I would think.

 

[Alan600]

Well I have on top and the other one on the bottom opposite side . My rock is turning brown do you know what that can be ? I don't have any algae growing in my tank or the rock . I don't think I have any dead spot everything seems to be getting flow

 

[Waters]

It may just be diatoms.......what kind of a clean up crew do you have? I would throw some snails in there....they will help keep your rocks clean.

 

[Alan600]

I really don't have a clean up crew I have about 3 snails . What can be a good clean up crew ???

 

[Waters]

While I have never used them, a lot of people recommend Reef Cleaners| Clean up Crews and Macroalgae - Reef Cleaners. They can build a custom clean up crew for you based on your tank size and what you have growing. If you don't want to order from them, you can at least get an idea of what inverts will help.