What is it ?

[noo2usa]

I'm having rust colored spots appearing all over my sand. Everything is testing good. Only thing that isn't ideal is nitrates which are at 20. What is it and what can I do?

 

[Troylee]

Sounds like diatoms....

 

[noo2usa]

what can I do about it?

 

[butts182]

water change first step

 

[blacktang]

also try vacuuming the sand bed to help reduce nitrates

 

[_Alex_]

how much flow do you have in the tank? sounds like stuff is seteling and not being hung in the water column long enough to be taken out by the filters and skimmer.

 

[Fish Fanatic]

Believe it or not I add vodka to my tank to reduce my nitrates and it works just fine.

 

[drainbamage]

Believe it or not I add vodka to my tank to reduce my nitrates and it works just fine.

you're adding vodka? I thought you were running skimmerless currently? Be careful, very easy to crash your tank with no way of removal of the vodka-fed bacteria.

 

[Anthony Calfo]

+ 1 for diatoms, and if they happen after the initial 2-4 month tank break in (really the first 1-2 months in a healthy series of algal succession), look for nutrients (inadequate water flow catching up and/or pumps needing cleaning and/or lack of adequate nutrient export/skimming/water changes)