Sand browning...help

[Woja222]

Ok so Im starting to have an issue with what I believe is algae growing on my sand bed. I have a sifter goby and I vaccum my sand when I do water changes. Takes care of it for a couple days then it's back. I understand a little is proably normal but I just want to make sure it's not going to get out of control.

[ReeferBill]

Post a picture! If its red it is cyanbacteria if it is brown it is diatoms..

[Woja222]

heres a picture. Kinda sucks because its with my phone

[Gonzalex]

You vacume your sand? How big is your tank?

[Woja222]

Its a 72 gallon bowfront

[ReeferBill]

How long has your tank been set up ? Looks like a normal cycle type of algea that will go away on its own , just needs time.:wave:

[Woja222]

It's been up and running for almost three months but It's pretty well fully stocked. Several corals, 8 fish, 1 shrimp, about 13 hermits, and about 23 snails. Just recently survived a bacteria bloom about a week about from what I think was just overfeeding.

[Neogenocide]

What are you water parameters at?

[Woja222]

I'm using API tests so a little hard to be exact but I come up with
pH 8.2 ish
Temp around 76F
Nitrate 0
Phosphate 0
dKh 11 ish
Cal 430 ish
Also am running a liginite carbon reactor and plan on doing phosban soon. Will Rowaphos help with my sand problem?

[Jerdel]

I have the same issue but mine is much worse. Been up and running for 3-4 months now. Starts turning brown as soon as the lights come on, goes away when lights go out.

[Decon Frost]

Usually its to much food or wrong (quality) food)

You probably feed more then twice a week, and probably with dry food...

Change it to a different food and don't feed more than twice a week

(I fix 100 of these issues a day by just letting peeps reduce feeding an change the food)

There are lots of topics about food...

Serious ONLY twice a week.

[Woja222]

Ok so what's good to feed? I feed green and red flakes for the yellow tang, hippo tang, foxface, green chromis, and two ocellaris clowns, and mysis to the goby and scooter dragonet but some of the others pic at the mysis too. I usually spot feed every other day.

[Decon Frost]

Well, that depends.. If your tank is not overstocked... then I would only feed Live Food twice a week.. Like 3 pieces of myses or artemia the fish...

And I would only add this as candy. The fish will find there own food. BUT usually people will add way to many fish for the bioload of the tank..

Thats why we feed extra. Because our tanks can not sustain the needs of all the fish.

So we have to add food... I won't advise this of course.. because to many fish is the problem, not the need for food.

Of course I also have to many fish... I want something to look at.

So Now we have to find a balance between the food and the filtration system and the need for food.

I am no fan of any kind of dry food... I just don't like it.. after years of experience. I have seen to many tanks bloom in algae after starting with dry food. It has to much crap in it. BUT there are some natural dryed algae that we can add.. This is tricky because usually they are filled with additives that I again don't like. (we don't know exactly what is in there)

So I usually advise a natural dryed algae that comes in sheets.. And I mash it up to small pieces.

I add this once, sometimes twice a week.. (reduce life food when starting with dryed food!!!!!) But still I don't like it...

If this is again a problem... (again getting the algae) Then we have a serious problem. Your tank is not able to handle the bioload of the fish and the food...

Next solution is to filter more.. And this will cost money.

Its all in the balance...
Problems mostly start with to many fish that NEED to much food... So you can figure out what to do in your tank....

[Woja222]

Filtration should not be a problem. I use 100 micron socks on the overflow and a reef dynamics 135 skimmer and several corals to soak up what's floating around. I'd be afraid to stop feeding flakes bc most of the fish only eat the flakes and don't touch the mysis. I feed a pinch of crushed up flakes and half a cube of mysis every other day and spot feed with a turkey baster to make sure it gets eaten instead of landing on the sandbed/rocks.

[Chris27]

What your seeing on the sand is completely normal in a tank it's age. It's only been a few months, things are still going on in there. While not definitive by any means, folks usually stop seeing that kind of stuff after 8 months - year. Vacuuming the sand is a good idea, as is the goby, in time it will go away never to be seen again.

As for feeding, do a little research on what you can feed your tank. Frozen food that is well rinsed before adding it to the tank is very good for the livestock. A good varied diet will surely be a welcomed edition by your fish. Also, given that you have a couple of herbivorous fish (tang / fox) you'll want to add a good bit of seaweed daily. The metabolism of those fish is incredibly fast, and they need to eat very frequently to stay healthy.

[jfingers8]

In this hobby you are most likely to battle some sort of algae one time or another. Feed your fish everyday. Just control the amount you feed and everything will eventually balance out. I know I wouldn't like to eat once every 3 or 4 days. I have 5 tanks and most of them are pretty much free of algae. Like I said your eventually going to battle something. It really urkes me when people starve there fish to try and keep there tank clean. There is algae all over the ocean. It's part of nature you can't avoid it. You can only control it.

[AlfieReef]

Normal algae due to tank in the process of maturing, you'll be fine just keep them in check and don't feed the tank too much nutrients.