What is this on my sandbed?

ReefRusty

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So I may had put my foot in it when I said I've yet to get any form of algae.

But can anyone tell me what this is and would a blackout reduce this? Only on the sandbed, brown sand almost.

Guessing its the beginning of the ugly stage? Running LIGHT with all blues,UV on 100% and 5% on whites.
Temp 25.7c
Salinity 1.025
Alk 7.5
20210205_122058.jpg

Nitrate 5
Ammonia 0
Tank has been fully cycled for 5 -6 weeks now.

All corals appear to be happy.

Is there anything that can reduce this or eliminate it? I did a water change 4 days ago and vacume the sandbed which seemed to reduce it. However has come back.
 

Hincapiej4

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Yea, it's diatoms. Nothing you can do..once the silicates are gone, it'll go away. Don't force it with gfo or you'll get worse stuff.

You can get maybe a diamond goby or a fighting conch to help clean. Or do it manually (in your case with a tank this young, that's what I'd do) and sift the sand yourself daily.
 
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ReefRusty

ReefRusty

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It's a little early i think for coral, might wanna slow down a tiny bit
Yeah stopped with the 4 corals a couple hammers and Goni, all doing well and have already grown in last 4 weeks. 5 trochus snails working overtime.

Oh and phosphate were at 0.02 a week ago.
 
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ReefRusty

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So noticed its only on the sandbed where the light hits, appears under the rock where its shaded there is pure white sand..
 

brandon429

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Cut light intensity down 30% corals w be fine it may help, 30% overall it’ll take a week to register to see if helps

clean white reflective surfaces forming bioslicks and cycling through primary producers/ good sign for new tanks maturing keep up the removal work, it’s like a new garden open to dandelions
 
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ReefRusty

ReefRusty

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clean white reflective surfaces forming bioslicks and cycling through primary producers/ good sign for new tanks maturing keep up the removal work, it’s like a new garden open to dandelions
Haha well said. Yes have reduced overall intensity to 35% from 50% due for another WC on sunday, everything else is in check, have bewn slowly increasing my Alk however by .1 every 2 days over last week and a bit. Was at 6.2 early last week.
 
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