Brown Sand Bed Only with Lights On and Low Nutrients. What to do?

[Patrick Cox]

I ended up with Brooke in my tank so I had to remove all fish for 6 weeks. My tank was about a year old at the time and seemed healthy. Now, after adding back the 3 fish that survived and feeding the tank again, my sand bed is covered with a brown algae that seems to disappear at night. There is also what looks like some cyano on the rocks. I tested my nutrients and they are extremely low. Phosphate was 0.08 and Nitrate was 0.1. Previously my Phosphate was running around 0.2 and Nitrate was around 15. I guess I should have fed the tank more during fallow period. So, my questions are...

1) Any idea what this is?

2) What should I be doing about it?

Thanks!

 

[steveschuerger]

Sounds like Dinos. If you have actual cyano you can treat that with chemiclean . Use a cheap microscope to ID possible Dinos and check the R2R threads for possible treatment.. Definitely get the nutrients up esp. the nitrate.

 

[Justfebreezeit]

Tank is just readjusting to the influx of nutrients that weren't there while fallow.

Id be patient with it

 

[Patrick Cox]

Sounds like Dinos. If you have actual cyano you can treat that with chemiclean . Use a cheap microscope to ID possible Dinos and check the R2R threads for possible treatment.. Definitely get the nutrients up esp. the nitrate.

I have a friend who is checking with a microscope so I will know more today. What is the best way to increase nutrients? I only have 3 fish at the moment and the tank is 150 gallons. Thanks.

 

[steveschuerger]

I have a friend who is checking with a microscope so I will know more today. What is the best way to increase nutrients? I only have 3 fish at the moment and the tank is 150 gallons. Thanks.

Neo Nitro is an option. I haven’t used it mysel but I heard it works pretty well.