Brown Algae Outbreak on Sand? Please Help!
- Thread starter soldier0117
- Start date
fishy head
Member
Originally Posted by fishy head
have you tried any thing to help the sand, like some Nassarius Snails. for more info on them , click here also, you can get a lawnmower blenny, they are fun to watch and great for cleaning up your algae. i also had a bad algae problem in my sand, it will take some time before it cleans up.
good luck, i am sure your tank will be fine
oooooo, i did not know that you have Nassarius Snails, for phosphate control i used Blue life phosphate control,,,,a lot of $$$, but it is worth it. my lfs said it was the best stuff on the market. when i purchased it all i added was 6 drops, and in 4 days my tank never looked better.
have you tried any thing to help the sand, like some Nassarius Snails. for more info on them , click here also, you can get a lawnmower blenny, they are fun to watch and great for cleaning up your algae. i also had a bad algae problem in my sand, it will take some time before it cleans up.
good luck, i am sure your tank will be fine
oooooo, i did not know that you have Nassarius Snails, for phosphate control i used Blue life phosphate control,,,,a lot of $$$, but it is worth it. my lfs said it was the best stuff on the market. when i purchased it all i added was 6 drops, and in 4 days my tank never looked better.
soldier0117
Member
I have a test kit by aquarium pharmaceuticals. The brand with doctor fish on it. What is a good brand to get for phospate test and what is the desired phospate level? Also what is a cheap but decent RO unit that also does DI?
soldier0117
Member
What I'd give for all this brown algae to turn into coralline, I actually had that growing on my rocks before I changed the gravel to sand. This is so annoying.
soldier0117
Member
bump
soldier0117
Member
bump
mandarin w
Member
In my opinion, when you took out the CC and added the sand and put everything back into your tank, you started the tank on another cycle.That is what the numbers look like, Also stiring up the sand bed is a no no. The sand bed will develope several layers of bacteria, each with their own purpose. By stiring up the sand bed you mix everything up and kill what is trying to develope. I would in your case, get the live stock out to a safe place, and let the tank finish cycleing. I wouldn't keep doing water changes, You may be taking your good bacteria as fast as it can grow. Just let it settle down, and do what it does by itself. The diatoms probly came from the release of alot of nitrates went taking the CC out of the tank. Got released into the water colume and then settled on the new sand bed. If you keep stiring things up and mess with it, it may not settle down. Just treat it as if you just set it up.
mochabob
Member
What size is your tank? How long are the lights on every day?
do a 10% water change about every 2 to 3 days until the ammonia and the nitrites are at 0. I had the same problem after adding new sand it started to turn brown but it will clear up. don't completely clean your filter because you are getting rid of the good bacteria.
do a 10% water change about every 2 to 3 days until the ammonia and the nitrites are at 0. I had the same problem after adding new sand it started to turn brown but it will clear up. don't completely clean your filter because you are getting rid of the good bacteria.
mandarin w
Member
I would say no, do not do a water change. You just took out you CC that put a lot of nitrate in your water. You put some dry sand and "bagged Live Sand" Which in reality if you think about it. Just how is that sand staying alive. The sand may have been live when they packaged it, But just as Live Rock will have die off in shipping, So will this sand. Plus there is now circulation, nothing to keep the bio bacteria alive. It was shipped, in what a hot truck in the summer. That would kill the bacteria, Was it shipped during the winter, So it probley good too cold. When was that bag packaged. Last week, month, year. You have no way of knowing. I guarantee you If you get live sand from anyone, put it in a plastic bag. and throw it in you closet for a month or longer. The sand will not longer be Live Sand. Now with that said, You took out your cc, and replaced it with sand. Just sand. There may have been some bacteria still on the live rock, But I would venture to say, that with all the nitrates released into the water while takeing out the cc. You probley set you tank into a spin. It just needs time to take care of itself. Get the livestock out of the tank, and let the tank cycle. Once it has cycled, then you can do a water change. Meanwhile do not disturb the sand again, Put a few powerhead in for good circulation, and flow, and let time heal it. Just like a sore, it will take a lot longer to heal if you keep picking at it.
mandarin w
Member
I've had them do that to me too. I just posted Randy Farley page on chemisty. And it was just the page to figure out how to fix the alk, calcuim, ph, and magnizium levels in our tank. A very nice page to have. You put in your tank water volume, what your levels are now. and it figure out what the levels should be and tells you several ways to fix your levels. In my opion a must have for any hobbist.