Silicates from my Sand?

[mrg02d]

Hello all,
I was at my LFS and mentioned I am having an issue with brown whispy/filmy algae on the sides of my tank and on some corals (YIKES I HAVE Acroporas!). The guy immediately suggested silicates. Now I am wondering where the silicates are coming from. I just thought about it and realized my sand is not aragonite sand (or at least looks nothing like it). It was sold as live reef sand. It looks like quartz sand. Very white/clear. This is no doubt silica based. Could it be leaching silicates?

Now, how do I go about controlling it? There are NO other types of algae except coralline. Not even cyano or hair algae. I have a large clump of chaeto that is growing wild, so I guess its using up the nitrates and phosphates. So I am left convinced I have silicates and that it could be from my sand. (Almost a year old now). Could also be rocks I guess, some fiji rock in there.

Should I replace my sand bed? Or should I run a huge amount of GFO? My fluval 305 has three baskets with two slots each for media. I can buy their Clearmax which is supposed to have some impact on silicates (or so they claim). Each bag says it treats 150g and my tank is only 20g, but I am running two right now and see only a mild impact on the film algae. Would It be a good idea to max out the fluval with clearmax (or some other cheaper brand of GFO)?

Thanks guys!
Matt

 

[cmor1701d]

DO NOT replace the sand bed. Diatoms (if that's what you have) are normal and come and go.

GFO is used to reduce PO4 (phosphates) and has no effect on silicates.

Check out Silica SAND article by Rob Toonen
and
Beaches - Products of Waves and Sand from the USGS

Partial water changes are the best thing you can do whenever you have a problem. Try doing a few this weekend (20%/day) to see how things go.

 

[mrg02d]

Hello,
I truly dont know what I have, but doesnt look like diatoms. None if this stuff forms on the sand, but does form on the sides of the tank, some of the rocks, and some of the coral bases. It forms where there is high flow. It remains in place despite some VERY turbulent conditions! I have nearly 50 times turnover in my tank and the stuff forms where the water is the craziest.

ANy ideas what this crazy stuff is?
Matt

 

[cmor1701d]

Matt.

Can you post a pic or 2?

 

[mrg02d]

Hello here are some pictures of the stuff...

Good to see that my sand isnt a problem...I was really not looking forward to replacing the sand!
Thanks!
Matt

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

GFO is used to reduce PO4 (phosphates) and has no effect on silicates.

I thought GFO bound up silicates also.

 

[mrg02d]

I also thought that GFO fixed silicates. Anyways, any ideas what that algae is I am dealing with? It doesnt seem to follow the rules.

My chaeto is growing crazy, yet this stuff lives on. It EVEN grows ON the chaeto!? It loves the high flow areas.
No other algae survives (none of the bad ones anyways).
What a turd it is...

Matt

 

[thincat]

tagging along!

 

[mrg02d]

Maybe the silicate removal is minimal at best, but enough that the manufacturer adds that to its description to get us to buy it?

Aside from GFO, how else does one remove silicates on a more permanent basis? I guess I need to figure out where it is coming from. Could a RO/DI water TDS of 1 indicate my filters need changing? It used to be zero, but recently went to 1.

Matt

 

[cmor1701d]

GFO to the best of my knowledge removes phosphates, arsenic and heavy metals. Now silicates bind to a metal, so GFO may help remove it.

The DI generally gets repleced when your TDS gets to 2-5. I'm at 2 now so I will be replacing it today.

Dont forget:
Rule # 2. Don't add anything (supplements/chemicals/minerals)you don't test for first.
Have you tested for silicates in the water?

You might want to read SILICA IN REEF AQUARIUMS by RANDY HOLMES-FARLEY, Ph.D.

I'm not sure what is growing. Scrape the glass as you would normally (magnet or scraper). Your glass looks like what mine does after a week of not scraping it. The magnet takes care of that. Then I scrape the glass when I do a PWC.

 

[mrg02d]

I have not tested for silicates. I need to get a test. I just assumed it to be silicates since the crap looks a lot like diatoms to me. Nitrates and phosphates are zero, and very well could be, since I am growing a large mass of chaeto and running clearmax while having zero other algae occurances.

If it wasnt for that dusty junk and the scratches all over the acrylic, my tank would look flawless. Very sterile.

Since you have the stuff too, and your tank IS flawless, any idea what is feeding it? Could it be lighting periods as well? I cut back my light by 2 hours (8hours now) and am going for a blue tank. Doesnt algae like the yellow end of the spectrum rather than blue?

Thanks!
Matt

 

[cmor1701d]

My tank if far from flawless. Scraping the glass of algea is a weekly maintenance item. If I didn't scrape the glass you would not be able to see the livestock through the coralline and alagae growth.
I use the magnet to do light cleanings between the pwc time scraping.
Are you not cleaning the glass regularly?

 

[mrg02d]

I clean the glass each day with a mag-float and then clean the "edges" once a week with a plastic blade. (Areas the mag-float cant clean due to curvature).

I guess I didnt realize this "stuff" is normal? I just see it growing near my acros since they are in a very high flow, turbulent spot in my tank and I freak out. (reading how sensitive acros are to algae growing on them).

Matt

 

[CaptainAhab]

I thought GFO bound up silicates also.

it does

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-11/rhf/index.php

 

[thincat]

add more snails to your tank.