Orange looking sand

[Boycethefirst]

My main display tank is experiencing orangish looking sand only when the lights are on. The tank has been running for almost a year now and the sand has been getting darker and darker orange. The sand that’s in the tank is Fiji pink and it was a bright white but now it’s no longer white but the lights turn off then it’s white again. I’ve used chemi clean twice in the tank thinking it’s cyano but the sand doesn’t have a film just a hint of orange. The lights that I’m using are kessil 360s and normally I keep it on the blue lights because when I change it to white then it looks ugly. My nitrates are 3ppm and phosphate around .10 ppm. Any help would be appreciated thanks!

 

[dmy535]

How old is your tank?

 

[Spieg]

Not sure but dinoflagellates tend to go away when lights are off and then return when lights come on.

 

[fishhead1973]

My main display tank is experiencing orangish looking sand only when the lights are on. The tank has been running for almost a year now and the sand has been getting darker and darker orange. The sand that’s in the tank is Fiji pink and it was a bright white but now it’s no longer white but the lights turn off then it’s white again. I’ve used chemi clean twice in the tank thinking it’s cyano but the sand doesn’t have a film just a hint of orange. The lights that I’m using are kessil 360s and normally I keep it on the blue lights because when I change it to white then it looks ugly. My nitrates are 3ppm and phosphate around .10 ppm. Any help would be appreciated thanks!

 

[fishhead1973]

If you have a good protein Skimmer I would try carbon dosing. Half of what
it calls for. My tank has never looked no better no algae no where. Or you can try some phosban or turbo snails love that stuff.