whats wrong with my tank?

[Ladybus301]

Hi, I have had my tank going for 10 weeks. Its fully cycled and I have fish. It is a 54 gallon corner tank. Right now I have 2 damsels., 2 clowns and a blenny. . My problem is my sand. It is covered in brown stuff. I dont even know if its algae. It almost seems like it has bubbles in it. M



My nitrites, ammonia, and nitrate are all good.Would anyone out there know whats wrong or how I get rid of it.

 

[Marc118]

You dont have a clean up crew?

 

[melosu58]

If it`s brown then it could be this

http://www.fantasyreef.com/showthread.php?t=1843

If it has a reddish tint to it it could be

http://www.fantasyreef.com/showthread.php?t=690

If it did not have air bubbles I would say it was diatoms.

 

[roka64]

I agree, bubbles could possibly mean cyano. Can you get a pic?

 

[Devilishturtles]

Diatoms can also grow bubbles too, though it isn't as common. If it's light brown and sorta powdery, I'd say diatoms. Thicker and more slimy, I'd guess cyano.

 

[lando]

NO3 and PO4 levels?

 

[Ladybus301]

I think it is cyano

I think from reading some articles that it is cyano. not sure what to do. one fish store told me to just stir the sand but it doesnt seem to help. another tried to sell me something to dose my tank, but i didnt cuz i wasnt sure. it seems kinda of hairy and it has bubbles
any idea if it is cyano what i can do? also its only on my sand, nowhere else. I dont have a camera, cant get a pic.

 

[MT79]

Manually removing as much as you can is a good palce to start. Decreasing the amount of time your lights are on, or keeping them off for a day or two will help reduce the amount of algae present. Since this is a new tank, it may just need some time to mature. Your bio-load is pretty high for a younger tank. The algae blooms may go away with time. For now using RO/DI water, not overfeeding or overstocking, and keeping NO3 and PO4 down will prevent/limit future out breaks. Running a PO4 reducer will help as well. They are a little costly, but well worth it. The media, like Rowaphos for example, last fairly long(months) and works great. I would highly recommmend using it, especially in a new tank.

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

The media, like Rowaphos for example, last fairly long(months) and works great. I would highly recommmend using it, especially in a new tank.

Thumbs up on the RowsPhos sponges. I had a tad bit of Phosphates in my tank when I started. I bought a package of the square RowaPhos sponges (like these here... http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merc...=PROD&Product_Code=ROWA-728630&Category_Code=
)

and put them in my HOB canister. Problem solved. I haven't had to run them again since, but they worked like a champ.

I didn't notice any response about your nitrate or phosphate levels though. If you haven't tested your levels, buy test kits before you do anything and figure out what's in your water. If your nitrate and phosphate levels are high, until you lower them both you're fighting an uphill battle.

 

[ewelch]

I bought phosban and a nylon bag to add to a HOB filter and it lowered my phos great. If possible get a test kit for phos and test. Test your top off water source as well. A healthy cleanup crew can quickly assist in getting things cleaned up. (snails, bluelegged hermits, scarlet hermits, etc.) They are fun to watch as well.
Finding the source of your phosphates with testing and eliminating it will ultimately solve your problem.

 

[Ladybus301]

Thanks for all the help. I havent tested my water for phosphate but my nitrates are good. I have 5 snails and 3 hermit crabs now With all your advice hopefully Ill be able to get things cleared up. Thanks again!!

 

[roka64]

In my experience phosphates are hard to detect if there is cyano present. I believe it feeds off of it so fast that there are only slight readings, if any.

 

[Snotman]

Am I wrong to perminantly have a baggy of RowaPhos on the go? I dont have Phos probs but roka's last post concerned me as I do get Cyano.

 

[roka64]

Am I wrong to perminantly have a baggy of RowaPhos on the go? I dont have Phos probs but roka's last post concerned me as I do get Cyano.

How often do you change your RowaPhos? I'm not familiar with that brand and how long or what indicators show it is time for rinsing or a change. Keep in mind nitrAtes can be the cause of cyano.

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

Am I wrong to perminantly have a baggy of RowaPhos on the go? I dont have Phos probs but roka's last post concerned me as I do get Cyano.

I don't think running it permanently would hurt anything, but it isn't the cheapest stuff in the world. Seems like it'd be an expensive "just in case" thing, when you might not even need it to start with.

 

[MT79]

Am I wrong to perminantly have a baggy of RowaPhos on the go?

No, I think it's a great product. As Kurt_N said it will not hurt anything to run a ferric oxide PO4 reducer 24/7. Start at half the recommended amount, and monitor the tank, at first. It will actually help clear up the water even if your using GAC, and a skimmer IME, and prevent nuisance algae growth. If you are having cyano issues I would recommend you start using Rowaphos or a similar ferric oxide PO4 binder at least temporarily. PO4 is hard to detect, as Roka pointed out. A good test kit is needed and even they can be deceiving. PO4 and nitrate both contribute to algae problems. Not overfeeding or overstocking, doing regular PWC's, and checking your source water for PO4/NO3 will limit future outbreaks. FWIW Sometimes even RO/DI units will not remove all the PO4. HTH