Help, I have a major brown algae outbreak!

[debdeb]

I am wondering if this could be caused by my sand bed being too deep, but not deep enough for a "deep sand bed". The sand bed is between 2 1/2" to 3 1/2" deep. After reading about this being a problem, we've started to take out some sand every water change. But since we can't move the live rock without some major destruction, we can only get what is in front. I am wondering if stirring up the sand while we are taking some of it out has caused my nitrates to go up and all of this brown gunk on my glass. I hate the idea of breaking down the tank to clean it all. I guess the next best thing is to do water changes more often (I usually do about 20% every other week). I only use RO/DI water and Reef Crystals. Any ideas?
Here are some details:
37g (7 months old)
45 lbs live rock & 15 lbs of base rock (which is getting covered with coralline nicely)
aragonite sand seeded with live sand (about 3" deep)
195 watts of PC lights (65W actinic, 130W 6500K)
Eheim 2227 wet/dry (running w/Chemipure & media right now) cleaned every month
2 powerheads
Seaclone 100 skimmer
1 Clarkii clown - 1 1/2"
1 Lyretail hawkfish - 2"
1 Flametail blennie - 1 1/2"
6 astrea snails
10 or 12 blue & scarlet hermits
1 emerald crab
1 CB shrimp
1 Flowerpot coral - softball size
1 Blastomussa (I think) coral - 4 heads
1 Elegance coral - 4" x 6"
1 Green star - baseball size
1 Colt coral - about 4"
1 Finger Leather (sinularia) - large (about 10" tall and wide)
1 small Xenia
assorted ricordia and mushrooms
I feed the tank every other day with a variety of flake, frozen and liquid foods. I don't think I'm overfeeding, they seem to eat it all.
temp 79
ph 8.3
sg 1.023
ammonia - 0
nitrite - 0
nitrate - 80 :scared:
phos - 0
calcium - 500
Does anyone see what could be going on? Is it from stirring up the sand bed? I'm getting frustrated and I don't want to start adding chemicals. Help please.

 

[dmjordan]

the top layer of your sandbed is where all of the micro organism and bacteria live. stirring up the sand bed is just looking for trouble IMO.

 

[mandarin w]

I have never heard that a 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 inch sand bed is a problem. I guess I need to take down my 180, and both of my 75's and the 29 has to go too. Even though the 75's and the 29 have been set up for over three years.
No really, where did you read this? Was it a post? Alot of times, someone will have an issue with thier tank, Just because they had a problem, does not mean you will, No two tanks are identacal. So a problem in one may never manifest itself in yours.
If It NOT BROKEN, DON'T FIX IT. Basically takeing the sand off the top while doing water changes, You let the monster out of the basement!!! Once loose It is hard to catch him and get him back in. You will need to wait it out. DO NOT DO ANYTHING ELSE TO YOUR TANK,
Just do you water changes everyweek for a while, watch you feeding as you already do. and Change out your carbon filtration often. I would not use it for more than two weeks for now. At least until things start becoming more stable.
GOOD LUCK. And in the future, after you read somthing, ask the site. Then wait a few weeks and ask again. Especially if your tank is not is danger at that moment. And don't do anymore pre-emtive strikes.

 

[debdeb]

Thanks Mandarin for the advice. The info I rec'd was from a post I had read. I honestly don't remember if it was this forum or not. I was scolded for not having my sand at either a 1" to 1 1/2" depth or over 5", anything inbetween was trouble. I'll just let time take it's course and hopefully this will go away soon.
One more question (for now anyway), does it look like I need more clean-up crew? I really don't have any sand sifters. I have a lot of the mushrooms & the Elegance coral on the sand bed now so there is very little open sand. I've read about cerith snails being sand sifters, is that true? Would that help?

 

[mandarin w]

Try to wait for a week, let things settle down before you put anything in there. I say this because more snails, more anything means more bio load. And for the moment Your tank has more than enough to deal with. After a week or so go grab some snails. But do to many at once. Got to take it easy on your tank. do two or three. few days later grab a couple more.
Just remember, so many people on these sites, Maybe well meaning, know this way worked for them. so everyone else should do it this way. If they don't, then they are wrong. The books are guidelines. and in general it is a starting point for many. But as soon as the water hits the rock and sand. It becomes it's own separte.being. Your tank will do what it does.
As I stated earlier, I have several tanks set up. I have had people ask me why do I have three different reef tanks, But all three tanks are different. I set up everyone of them exactly the same. Same brand salt. Same brand of sand. and mostly the same rock style. And not one of them can I maintain the same. If I do this for this tank, I will have problems. but if I do the same thing over on the other tank, I have overwhelming success. As long as your test come out ok, You fish are healthy and everything looks happy. You are doing it right.