pinkish color on top of sand ? what is it

[newfishliny]

my tanks been running for six months ( reef ) I went through all the diatoms ect . everything is very good now and readings.
but in the last 10 days the top of my sand bed in several area's have this pinkish tint on top, and once in awhile on glass, is it coraline alage , maybe Im do for a water change that should help or what causes this ever so often ???
90gal TANK / USE ONLY DISTILLED WATER
THANKS
NEW FISH
Don

 

[tigerlover]

I had the same, exept mine was purple, my reef crabs ate it, if you have the same its coralline algea and thats a good thing!

 

[newfishliny]

Originally posted by Tigerlover
I had the same, exept mine was purple, my reef crabs ate it, if you have the same its coralline algea and thats a good thing!
Yes but on the rocks its fine , but then on the sand bed there is another reason , most good tanks i see have a clean sand bed but have good growth on the rocks
new fish

 

[sammystingray]

I don't have a clue without looking at it, but I will say that coraline can surely grow on sand.....glass, rocks, pumps, coral skeletons....why not sand? let me get a pic to show you something..........hold on...........

 

[sammystingray]

Alright, well the picture didn't come out as clear as I wanted.....I guess it's harder to take a photo of sand than I thought. I wanted to show you that certain grains were coated in coraline. I believe it doesn't really cover and stay because the sand is constantly moved and turned over by water movement and creatures. In real life you can see the pink sand grains MUCH better, but after 50 trys, I just couldn't get them to show well. I have heard it said more than once that coraline won't grow on sand, and it just isn't true. My seahorse tank had little movement of water, and the sand wasn't full of creatures. I also had a pump sitting on the bottom that blew across the sand......there was a straight line of purple coraline going across the sand in a line from the pump. The common coraline really loves water movement, and since water movement blows sand all around into piles.....folks generally have to keep the water movement across the sand to a level that leaves the sand in place.....I think this plays a big role along with the sand grains never facing the same way up.....it will definately grow on sand......perhaps you can see a few pink grains here, but the pic really didn't show them like I wanted......there are little pink grains across my tank that are easy to see in real life.

 

[michaeltx]

or does it look more like this. its slowly subsiding though LOL
Mike

 

[newfishliny]

Originally posted by MichaelTX
or does it look more like this. its slowly subsiding though LOL
Mike
no not really its like a lite spray of pinkish on the sand bed, almost like spraying with spray paint and its that dust like after you paint and it gets over everything.
thanks
new fish

 

[michaeltx]

mine started out like a dusting and slowly over about a week period turned toi the picture above. does it look like it is trapping bubbles?
Mike

 

[j21kickster]

i would say it is the start of a cyano outbreak

 

[sammystingray]

There must be a reason why coraline doesn't want to grow on sand like it does everywhere else.........perhaps another topic...someone must know. It really hardly ever does....now I am curious as well. If you find the info you are looking for, please share......I do have grains that are coraline covered, so I know it will "take" to sand, but it never really grows across two grains?? I always figured that the sand moving messed it up, but perhaps there is a better reason??

 

[michaeltx]

it might have something to do with the makeup of the sand to much calcium in to adhere to or something.. all I do know is the only place that I can get good growth is on my power heads go figure LOL
Mike

 

[newfishliny]

Originally posted by MichaelTX
it might have something to do with the makeup of the sand to much calcium in to adhere to or something.. all I do know is the only place that I can get good growth is on my power heads go figure LOL
Mike
Michael,
I just did a 10 gallon water change , it was do anyway . I also at the same time suck up the top of the sand bed. I will see if it comes back. But also it can be to much calcium , I was good last week in the readings , as someone said it might be a cyno break , no its not that , my readings are to good and also I use distilled water in my tank only, very good water movement ect.
but it is true that it gets on the power heads , but I belive thats common.
thanks
new fish
Don

 

[michaeltx]

Michael,I just did a 10 gallon water change , it was do anyway . I also at the same time suck up the top of the sand bed. I will see if it comes back. But also it can be to much calcium , I was good last week in the readings , as someone said it might be a cyno break , no its not that , my readings are to good and also I use distilled water in my tank only, very good water movement ect.
but it is true that it gets on the power heads , but I belive thats common.
thanks
new fish
I ques I should said who that was to it wasnt towards your problem but to sammtstingray about the coraline algae not growing on the sand... sorry
[QOUTE]There must be a reason why coraline doesn't want to grow on sand like it does everywhere else.........perhaps another topic...someone must know. It really hardly ever does....now I am curious as well. If you find the info you are looking for, please share......I do have grains that are coraline covered, so I know it will "take" to sand, but it never really grows across two grains?? I always figured that the sand moving messed it up, but perhaps there is a better reason??[/QOUTE]
cyno can grow even though your normal readings are good I dont think calcium levels have anything to do with this though if you are doing a phosphate readings you could still have high phosphates that are being held by it. cyno will start as a pinkish colored spray sometimes it does get any worse but in my case I moved everything from my 50 to a 100 gallon and had a cyno outbrek that started as you were sayin with a pink dusting and slowly got worse from there.
Mike

 

[newfishliny]

mike , I cant see any reaason for phosphates because I use distilled water for the past 3 months and before that it was tap.
and my water was hell with all kinds of out breaks , now my tank is going great and coral sand fish are healthy***** but the issue on the pink just bothers me and its not that bad , I will wait and see ****** thanks for the the replys and everyone else *****8
happy easter to all
new fish LINY
Don

 

[michaeltx]

test your distilled for phosphates distilled isnt the same as ro water distilled is usually carbon filter and heated to extreme temps to purify the water but wont necessarily take everything out. they could still be there.
Mike

 

[attml]

Sammy,
I didn't read all of the post so if someone said this already my apologies. My guess is that coralline only grows in favorable conditions for it's growth (i.e - right light, flow etc.) Sand is constantly stirred up by fish, sand coverd other sand particles powerheads move it around etc... and never receives consistant conditions long enough to get good coralline growth. Just a guess but a possiblity?

 

[newfishliny]

Originally posted by MichaelTX
test your distilled for phosphates distilled isnt the same as ro water distilled is usually carbon filter and heated to extreme temps to purify the water but wont necessarily take everything out. they could still be there.
Mike
michael , you should look up about distilled water , its as pure as you can get and more **** read the many web sites about it and also carbon is not even mention ***** distilled is used for medical ect and others , I HAVE TESTED FOR BOTH PHOSPHATES AND SILICATES O O O ,
The reason I am useing it , I get it wholesale at my retail Hardware store I order 50 gals a month, in one gallon jugs.
I fell the reason must people on this site donot discuss it , the cost and the pain in the **** filling it up in 1 gallons ect.
Everyone speaks about RO RO thats because thats whats sold
and its the thing to do .IMO there is alot of waste for every gallon made , 50 gals of waste for ten gallons of pure and also the filter changes . I do have one but at this time I am not hooking it up
There is a system out there that doesnt use waste water , I think its called kold , and filter water as you need , yes you need to replace filters. well enough from me for now . good talking
new fish
Don

 

[michaeltx]

it depends on the source water. some distilled water its as pure as you would think its supposed to be mainly because of the processing of it. a good distilled water should be free of everything but there are some that just are labeled that way. some of the water(cant remember what brand) says it carbon filtered then distilled thats why comment .
test your distilled for phosphates distilled isnt the same as ro water distilled is usually carbon filter and heated to extreme temps to purify the water but wont necessarily take everything out. they could still be there.

I was using that water for a long time and had a lot of problems after testing it I was adding phosphates everytime I topped off. if your source water testes clean and all great you got a good source.
another idea is the foods or over feeding [BOLD]can[/BOLD] introduce it to the tank. let me know if you figure out what it is for sure.
Mike

 

[newfishliny]

Originally posted by MichaelTX
it depends on the source water. some distilled water its as pure as you would think its supposed to be mainly because of the processing of it. a good distilled water should be free of everything but there are some that just are labeled that way. some of the water(cant remember what brand) says it carbon filtered then distilled thats why comment .
I was using that water for a long time and had a lot of problems after testing it I was adding phosphates everytime I topped off. if your source water testes clean and all great you got a good source.
another idea is the foods or over feeding [BOLD]can[/BOLD] introduce it to the tank. let me know if you figure out what it is for sure.
Mike

HEY MIKE the distilled water is polland springs and i will test it and call them up on there readings , just curious.ALSO your right I think I over feed my tank. some times three cubes of brine shrimp / and dry alage sheets. if you use the sheets it seems it gets in the skimmer, thats good it collects the stuff but it slows down the skimmer and i have to clean it alot more. I going to try to put less in the tank. I have six fish the rest corals and cleaners
Right now my tank is so clean its a mirror , I am going to do every two weeks a 5 gallon water change instead of ten a month and keep up with the glass and alage. Now my tank looks like in the lfs stores , sometimes you see crystal clean tanks , I didnt know they have guys cleaning it everday for appearence.
well take care
new fish
Don