Purple splotches in Sandbed

[KJones90s]

Newer tank, about a month or month and a half.
Do I need to be removing this or to be worried?
All water tests show I’m in the proper parameters with the exception of .25 ammonium.
Will do a water change to combat that but what is this stuff????
It’s only presently located in my refugium by the way.

 

[KJones90s]

Any help is appreciated [emoji51]

 

[Robert88]

Dont quote me and hopefully someone else will chime in but looks like coralline algae. Which is a good thing. Signs of a healthy system.

 

[tehmadreefer]

Hard to say for sure but could be the beginning of cyano based on a new tank and your params a bit out of whack. Prescense of ammonia and lack of po4 and kno3.

 

[tehmadreefer]

Or an imbalance since your po4 is based an the api test and no way to tell what it actually is.

 

[KJones90s]

Dont quote me and hopefully someone else will chime in but looks like coralline algae. Which is a good thing. Signs of a healthy system.

Tanks only been up and running for about a month or so, I thought coraline algae takes a while to grow...

 

[Robert88]

Tanks only been up and running for about a month or so, I thought coraline algae takes a while to grow...

Was there any on any live rock u put in the tank or in the refugium?

 

[KJones90s]

Was there any on any live rock u put in the tank or in the refugium?

There is a piece of live rock in the display tank.
None in the refugium.

 

[Eve]

Tanks only been up and running for about a month or so, I thought coraline algae takes a while to grow...

Hehe I love this subject. Coralline algae can come at anytime, it all depends in what you are working with.

 

[Eve]

Newer tank, about a month or month and a half.
Do I need to be removing this or to be worried?
All water tests show I’m in the proper parameters with the exception of .25 ammonium.
Will do a water change to combat that but what is this stuff????
It’s only presently located in my refugium by the way.

Are you sure is purple? Not red? Is it anywhere else other than the sand??

 

[erk]

That is cyano. Most likely forming in low flow regions of your tank. Since your tank is only a month old, I wouldn't stress too much. I would increase flow to those regions. As the tank stabilizes, the cyano should go away without any effort on your part. If you still have cyano at 6 months, then you need to start evaluating your options.

As for the coralline comment, no, that isn't coralline. Coralline doesn't grow on the sand like that. It will grow on individual grains over the entirety of the sand bed, not select spots. Also, if there is no coralline on your rocks, there is definitely none on the sand.

 

[Eve]

That is cyano. Most likely forming in low flow regions of your tank. Since your tank is only a month old, I wouldn't stress too much. I would increase flow to those regions. As the tank stabilizes, the cyano should go away without any effort on your part. If you still have cyano at 6 months, then you need to start evaluating your options.

As for the coralline comment, no, that isn't coralline. Coralline doesn't grow on the sand like that. It will grow on individual grains over the entirety of the sand bed, not select spots. Also, if there is no coralline on your rocks, there is definitely none on the sand.

Also to me looks like it could be cyano.

 

[Robert88]

To address the comment that coralline algae doesnt grow on sand. Im fairly certain it can. Especially if its aragonite sand bed. Id trust these reefers over me tho! If its slimy to touch wont be coralline most liekly cyano as these guys stated.

 

[erk]

To address the comment that coralline algae doesnt grow on sand. Im fairly certain it can. Especially if its aragonite sand bed. Id trust these reefers over me tho! If its slimy to touch wont be coralline most liekly cyano as these guys stated.

Coralline can certainly grow on sand, but it doesn't grow in a single splotch like shown in the OPs pics. It grows over the entire sand bed. I have it on my sand bed. As I stated in my previous post, coralline will populate each grain that is exposed to the light.

In the OPs case, the cyano is more than likely being caused by lack of flow since the tank is only a month old. Not enough nutrient build up to cause cyano, hence the reason it is only showing up in secluded regions.

 

[KJones90s]

Are you sure is purple? Not red? Is it anywhere else other than the sand??

Nowhere but the sand.
Looks purple to me but I’m looking from the top down.
Could be red...

 

[Eve]

Coralline can certainly grow on sand, but it doesn't grow in a single splotch like shown in the OPs pics. It grows over the entire sand bed. I have it on my sand bed. As I stated in my previous post, coralline will populate each grain that is exposed to the light.

In the OPs case, the cyano is more than likely being caused by lack of flow since the tank is only a month old. Not enough nutrient build up to cause cyano, hence the reason it is only showing up in secluded regions.

Agree with you!

 

[lapin]

I too vote for cyano. I have it in all my tanks. Likes light, not a lot of flow and new tanks. Nothing to worry about. Just siphon it out when you do water changes. Dim your lights if you dont need them for coral. It will always be in your tank but may not be able to grow when your tank becomes mature.

 

[erk]

Nowhere but the sand.
Looks purple to me but I’m looking from the top down.
Could be red...

Cyano comes in many colors. Rust, red, purple, green, blue, etc.

 

[tehmadreefer]

Also his tank is far from stable and has parameter issues. So cyano, def not coralline.

 

[KJones90s]

Did a siphon and the cyano hasn’t returned.