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View Full Version : Brown algae on new sand ?


kipper1012
09/13/2013, 01:05 PM
I purchaed a used 180 2 months ago with a massive gha problem. Two days ago I removed all the CC and replaced it with 180 lbs of caribsea oolite live sand and today I noticed brown algae forming on the sand.

What should I do ? I don't want it to get out of hand.
And what can I do to get my nitrates and phosphates down ?

Here are the tank specs

30 gal water changes every 2weeks with ro/di water

sl 1.024, Ph 8.2, amonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 30 phosphate 5.0 Cal 460

I am running a BRS dual carbon and gfo reactor also have a ball of cheato I the sump with light on opposite DT lights

Return pump is a magdeive 12 And flow in the tank is from one mp40

and I am running the lights "80 3 watt Led's" 7 hrs per day

james30ct
09/13/2013, 02:40 PM
Keep scrubbing the rocks, siphoning sand, and doing water changes.

kipper1012
09/13/2013, 02:54 PM
There is nothing on the rocks just the sand and it is like sugar fine if I try to vacumne it I think it will just suck up the sand with the water .

MCary
09/13/2013, 05:32 PM
It's diatoms. Perfectly natural for a new setup. It will eventually go away as the tank matures. However, they are a natural food source. Some snails will clean it up very fast.

ddropski
09/14/2013, 01:22 AM
also many other things can bring about diatoms.. like ammonia...ph ... ect

mikecc67548
09/14/2013, 02:30 AM
Diatoms are cool looking