rust on live sand

[julie]

I've started noticing a rust color film on my live sand. It is not so bad in the am, but as the lights are on longer, it gets a lot
worse. My tank is a little over a year old. any suggestions?

 

[finland]

Sounds like a diatom bloom. How's your cleanup crew? Try doing a search here.. There have been a few posts about it lately.

 

[pmauro]

It is completely normal and is part of the cycle, it will look nasty for a while, get a good cleanup crew. Did you use tap water ? if so your phosphates may be high and feeding the diatoms. if that is the case you can try a phosphate sponge like kents phosphate sponge and it will help reduce the problems

 

[beth]

Sounds like it may be cyanobacteria.

 

[pmauro]

Beth can you expound on what cyanobacteria is ?

 

[nm reef]

Sounds like a diatom bloom to me....is this a fairly new system....maybe just completed or nearly completed cycle? Its a common part of the process of establishing a reef.....if your cycle is complete then consider adding a few snails and possibly hermits to help reduce the diatoms....what they don't munch will fade away in time.....insure you use a good source of top-off and try to reduce phosphates...in time diatoms will go away its nothing to get concerned over...just a natural part of the process.

 

[julie]

I have my own ro/di machine and I thought I had a good clean-up
crew. I have a 200 gallon with 40 gallon sump tank. I recently did use the phosphate sponge for some hair algae bloom.

 

[pmauro]

I guess like me you will just have to ride it out. At least the cleanup crew will be well fed

 

[julie]

pmauro,
What kind of clean-up crew do you have in your tank?
Could the diatoms also be caused by the need for new light bulbs?

 

[pmauro]

I have a bunch of blue legged and scarlet hermits, turbo and astria snails and I just ordered 100 more of each along with 5 emerald crabs. I will add starfish later. I think the fact that you have diatoms is the sign that you have good lighting, not the lack of good lighting.