Brown "Dust" in my tank???

[derek_drennan]

Hey all,
Okay, so I have had my 25G reef tank set up for about 1.5 years or so. It’s been through its ups and downs, but overall it is looking great. My question to all of you is, what is this brown stuff that is sitting on top of my sand. It is not algae or fungus or anything like that. It honestly appears to be dust, meaning that it is really light and that I can place current on it and it will blow away (eventually ending up elsewhere in my tank). Does anyone else have this in their tanks? Is in a problem? Is something that I am doing causing the formation of it? How do I get rid of it?

Any information would be great appreciated!

Thanks,
Derek

 

[Anonymous]

What kind of water are you using?

It sounds like diatoms--single celled organisms that feed on silicates which are usually introduced from make-up water. The brown stuff are the dead diatoms.

High quality water will most likely fix your problem. A Hi-S RO system (high silicate Reverse osmosis) or an RO/DI system is worth it's weight in gold.

Ty

 

[derek_drennan]

Really, I thought diatoms were only found on the glass. Interesting idea, I will try to use better water and see what happens. Thanks for the info.

Derek

Anyone else have any ideas?

 

[Jimmy G]

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by newtothegame:
<strong>Hey all,
. My question to all of you is, what is this brown stuff that is sitting on top of my sand. It is not algae or fungus or anything like that. It honestly appears to be dust, meaning that it is really light and that I can place current on it and it will blow away (eventually ending up elsewhere in my tank). Does anyone else have this in their tanks?
Any information would be great appreciated!

Thanks,
Derek</strong><hr></blockquote>

Interesting. I have noticed the same stuff you are describing and it is all located in the same small section of my 125 Gall tank. The only difference is mine is a very light green color. I do NOT believe that it is Diatoms. It is more like a "Dust" as you described. Diatoms (Cyanobacteria) forms in a sheet I believe. Just an FYI I have never used anything but RO/DI water in my tank which is a little over a year old. I am going to try to siphon it out during my next water change. My guess is that it is Detritus which has built up in my and possibly your tank. HTH

 

[Mouse]

Sounds like silt to me, detreus build up. Try to syphon it outm or get a cuke.