Red Spots in sand

[bradttu]

What is this stuff? Good or bad? My tank has been up for 1 week now.
Any suggestions??????

 

[bradttu]

Everything is good with my tests so far. ph is 8.2, everything else is 0, salinity is 1.023, and temp is 78

 

[fishtails]

Your tank is going through an algea bloom...It happens to all tanks while cycling(or that I know of)....It'll go away in a month or so.......

 

[bradttu]

English please!!! I have read that brown is part of the cycle process. What about the red spots????? Is all of this normal or do I have something else happening?

 

[fishtails]

Sorry.....The red algea sure does look like red hair algea(cynaobacteria)....It is also normal in a new tank.....What is your phosphate test kit reading? Do you use tap-water or RO? I believe it's just part of your cycle......

 

[dindi]

I have the same thing and my tank (it is red slime algea aka cynobacteria) was done cycling years ago, I have read it is caused by high phoshates (PO4) and I do have high PO4 at .25 can't seem to get it lower, any suggestions. I also read that antibiotics are in order but I do not want to do that. Anyone?

 

[bradttu]

Originally posted by Fishtails
Sorry.....The red algea sure does look like red hair algea(cynaobacteria)....It is also normal in a new tank.....What is your phosphate test kit reading? Do you use tap-water or RO? I believe it's just part of your cycle......
I am using RO water. I do not have the ability to test phosphates this moment. I guess I can go and buy a test kit in the morning. What causes phosphates to rise?? Can I buy a substance to lower them???
Thanks!

 

[dindi]

Yes you can buy a PO4 reduction medium, I haven't found one to work and I also use RO water which I test before adding to my tanks. We need some help here

 

[zibnata]

I have the same red stuff.I just got a Phophate test kit today and it read 0.1 so I don't think thats my problem. I just upgaded lights and added 15 lbs. of LR . Maybe thats my problem. And yes there is stuff to remove phosphates .Do a search on Phos-Zorb . There is also pads you put directly in tank.

 

[dindi]

Used it all to no avail, phosphate sponge, phoshater silicate sponge, water changes, hand removed algea, no luck

 

[dindi]

I don't overfeed, I have the ecosystem filtration with more calurpa than the average joe,(want some?) I don't have many fish in all 3 of my tanks, zero in my 10 gal, only mushrooms and liver rock/sand, in my 20 one sea apple and a polyp rock with 10lbs of LR and 40 blacksand which is live, a maroon clown and thats it, my 75 gal is 2 years old with 1 clown surgeon and a coral beauty and 2 small fish with a huge cleanup crew in all tanks. In all 3 the PO4 is the exact same at .25. |Now the red slime is in all three. What else are we to do?

 

[sarahmorton2003]

IMO If it is red slime use Chemi-Clean...also do the suggested water change 20% after treatment. It works and you can get it from your LFS for about $13

 

[col]

Hey Bradttu
If your tank is 1 week old and levels are 0, then it may not be cycling properly.
Are you using the Live rock to cycle? Whatever happens you want an ammonia reading to start with.

 

[bradttu]

I have 40# LR and 60# LS. My levels rose up a little bit and now they are back down to ALMOST 0. I can't really tell the difference. It is right between 0 and the respective 1st mark on the test kit. My fist ammonia reading was .25 and it stayed that way until Friday when it read 0. As of 5 minutes ago it was still 0.
I am just going to sit back for a while and see what happens.

 

[col]

Did the Nitrites rise and fall?

 

[bradttu]

nitrates did, nitrites has stayed at 0 since day one.

 

[col]

you have never had nitrites?

 

[bradttu]

According to my test kit I haven't. The nitrite test is extremely easy to read, so I know I haven't read it wrong.

 

[col]

This will have nothing to do with the initial cyano question, but if you have not had a nitrite spike then I doubt if your tank will cycle fully, maybe just a mini cycle. Maybe problems when you add livestock.

 

[barracuda]

I would suggest you to force your tank to go for another cycle. Just put a 1-2 raw coctail shrimp in it untill ammo will go up, then start monitoring ammo/nitrite/nitrate.
It's better to do it now, before you have added any livestock.
Just a suggestion though.