What is this Growing in my Sand.

J

Joe Reborn

Premium Member
Well its a Brown color and only growing on my sand atm. I treated for Red Slime with Chemiclean and it did nothing (also left lights off for the 48 hours while treating). So if anyone can help me out and point me in the right direction to clean this up. I have a 75gal with a 30gal sump, for water movement i have a MP40ES and MP10ES both are turned up about 80% speed. Skimmer is a SWC160 Cone. I Run GFO/Carbon off a BRS Dual Reactor. Lighting is T5HO 6-54W, 2 ATI AquaBlue Special, 3 ATI Blue+, 1 ATI Purple+ and bulbs were changed in July. Tank was setup Aug. 3, 2010. Have 4 Tangs about 1/2 grown (Regal, Scopas, Yellow, and 2 Spot Bristle Tooth Tang) also have a Pair of Young Clowns and a Manderin Goby. ALK= 10.62, Cal.= 460, Mag=~1300 (only one i haven't tested since but can). Let me know if i left anything out. Thanks
IMAG0159.jpg
alt="">
 
Looks like diatoms , hard to tell from picture. They are Brown as described. Feed on organics in water. Sent from my C771 using Tapatalk
 
I kept vacuuming mine out, got phosphates low as possible. They are common in tanks.

Sent from my C771 using Tapatalk
 
If they are diatoms, like I said hard to tell from pic. Sounds like diatoms. Mine were on sand and glass. I ran gfo to get phosphates down. Now I just run good carbon. Don't get cheap carbon. I run chemi-pure, in my reactor.

Sent from my C771 using Tapatalk
 
That's low. Now, I also understand that you can have low phosphate reading, and have phosphate source. Phosphates being eaten, so you have low reading.

Sent from my C771 using Tapatalk
 
Well i run GFO to absorb the Phosphates. About 8 months ago i was getting a reading of .7-.9ppm on Phosphates and i added the BRS Reactor and since it has kept the Phosphates low.
 
Then I am at a loss. Sorry. I tried to help.maybe someone with more knowledge will help you out.

Sent from my C771 using Tapatalk
 
How old is the tank? Diatoms are very common in new tanks, or when new plastic equipment or new rock/sand are added. They die off on their own after a few weeks.
 
More water movement in that area could improve things. Also, sometimes you have to do 2 treatments, one after the other, of ChemiClean to get rid of cyanobacteria. But cyano, in my experience, shows to be in sheets that lift up from the sand, while diatoms do not. I have a smattering of diatoms on the sand in my tank. I would rather have that than cyano. And diatoms, I have read, out compete cyano for nutrients.

David
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top