Starting Over--Brown Growth on New Sand

Corvus

Member
Hi Folks!

After finally getting control of my algae problem after one year (my LFS was selling RO water with 0.34 phosphates!), I decided to start over. Scrubbed my old rock, put new sand in my 40 breeder, added some new rock, and now have water with 0.00 phosphates.

Am thinking of adding clean up critters before I reintroduce my corals (a friend was babysitting the corals), but I noticed that a "brown substance" seems to be forming on my brand new sand bed!! Could this be algae? But from where? I placed brand new sand in the tank and, again, the water tests 0.00 phosphates (gotta love Phosphate-E).

When I stir up the sand the brown stuff does not appear to be algae, but within two days of my moving the sand around the brown stuff returns.

Any ideas?

Thanks,

C.
 

Corvus

Member
It sounds like Diatoms IMO. The link below might help.

https://www.reefcleaners.org/nuisance-algae-id-guide

Thank you, Frisbee. That's what it appears to be. I have a clean-up crew arriving in the mail tomorrow, so I guess that will help. I'm guessing it will take a while for the snails to do their job.

After a year of fighting hair algae and high phosphates, I guess it's only fitting that SOMETHING caused some problems for me. LOL

Well, at least I did not give up! Thanks again for the response and the link!

Cheers,

C.
 
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