Brownish algae growing on sand after 7 years ?
- Thread starter BluePuffer
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Breakthecycle2
2500 Club Member
How much flow do you have? What kind of lighting? How long are they on? Phosphates and nitrate readings? Thats cyano, more then likely one of the questions I asked you in the root of the problem.
Fairly common. I started seeing this when my tank was around 6 years old. In my case, if I stir up the top layer of the sand bed it disappears for a few hours, but comes back if the lights are on. Without analyzing it under a microscope, I can't say exactly what it is.
Did you change salt mix fairly recently? I ask because I had this start up when I switched to RC which has added organics, but can't say for sure if it was this change that started this issue.
Just a theory, but it may be sustained by phosphate released by bacterial action in a calcareous sand bed.
Did you change salt mix fairly recently? I ask because I had this start up when I switched to RC which has added organics, but can't say for sure if it was this change that started this issue.
Just a theory, but it may be sustained by phosphate released by bacterial action in a calcareous sand bed.
Breakthecycle2
2500 Club Member
Looks like cyano too.
So brownish cyano like this exist?
I thought it was more reddish (or green).
What is strange is when i put a pump on it, it disappear like dust but come back later with the lights on, so I thougt it was dino...
Maybe I have a mix of cyano, dino and diatoms ...
Blue puffer seems to have the same algaes (brown with air bubbles)
My algaes came, I think, a little time after I put my sand (1 month ago), first on the sand then everywhere...
My tank is young (8 months)...
If someone has some advice to fix this problem, i ll be glad to hear!!!
Thanks!!!
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Cyano tends to form 'mats', but there are many different types so can't rule it out.
If it's powdery or dusty, could it be diatoms? Have you added any new equipment to the tank that may have silcates ?
OP
OP
BluePuffer
New Member
Thanks all- Nano Sapiens hi the nail on the head I believe-
Phosphate is a little high and that's not helping at all- I thought it was odd to happen all of a sudden but then I also just did a water change with a new salt mix so that probably didn't help either-
It doesn't appear to be harming anything and the corals are all open and growing well- Fish are fine so I will do another 60 Gall water change , add my phosphate buffer and stir out the sand-
What are everyone's thoughts on removing some of the substrate as well? I am thinking that I have too deep a sand bed which is what I wanted for wrasses a few years ago but at this point I think it's causing more issues than not?
Lastly I need to pull some of my rocks that are infested with aptasia as well- let them dry out and then put them back into my sump to give them life again-- it's the only way I see it helping ;-)
Thoughts?
Phosphate is a little high and that's not helping at all- I thought it was odd to happen all of a sudden but then I also just did a water change with a new salt mix so that probably didn't help either-
It doesn't appear to be harming anything and the corals are all open and growing well- Fish are fine so I will do another 60 Gall water change , add my phosphate buffer and stir out the sand-
What are everyone's thoughts on removing some of the substrate as well? I am thinking that I have too deep a sand bed which is what I wanted for wrasses a few years ago but at this point I think it's causing more issues than not?
Lastly I need to pull some of my rocks that are infested with aptasia as well- let them dry out and then put them back into my sump to give them life again-- it's the only way I see it helping ;-)
Thoughts?
Unless you are doing a true DSB or have animals that need deeper sand, then I find it more manageable to have ~1".
Consider that letting your LR dry out will also kill the benficial bacteria that we rely upon for nitrification/denitrification as well as the periphyton, etc. I have used a thick kalk slurry in a syringe to spot treat/kill off a few here and there, but there are biological controls that can be tried for heavy infestations.
Consider that letting your LR dry out will also kill the benficial bacteria that we rely upon for nitrification/denitrification as well as the periphyton, etc. I have used a thick kalk slurry in a syringe to spot treat/kill off a few here and there, but there are biological controls that can be tried for heavy infestations.
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