sand is turning brown...why?

[tim000]

I have a 15g tall w/ a 175MH running for 12hrs. the tank has been running for 15 days. and now my sand is turning brown along w/ brown algae on the glass?

why? thanks!

 

[Clark]

Diatomic algae - this is a normal occurance in a new saltwater setup..

It should go away in about a month, most likely never to return!

Hang in there!

 

[tim000]

cool thanks,,,,I remember it in my old reef I just never knew what it was called :wink:

 

[CraigLampe]

this can also begin to be brown varieties of algae which you can keep under better control if you lower your phosphate level,
-have any idea what this level is??

I have to place phosphate remover in my tank ever month or so for about a week

(actually if I did it that regularly I would be amazed, kind of hit/miss!)

 

[tim000]

thanks for the replies so far, can someone refresh me on why an aquarium builds up to much phosphates? and what I can do to prevent it...
thanks

 

[4angel]

Tim phosphates enter that tank through a variety of ways food, aditives, but most PO4 enter the tank through your tap water. If you use an RO or a tap water pureifire you can minimize the introduction of PO4 a great deal. Assuming you are using tap water for your tank, I would suggest you buy a PO4 test kit and take a sample of your tap.
_________________
Honda X4

 

[tim000]

well I use RO water and only feed once aday, is there anything I can do to get rid of this brown algae. I stir up the sand bed till its all white and then go to class for 2hrs come back and it has grown more all over again. what the hell :evil:

any suggestions?

is it because my tank isnt cycled totally yet?

thanks

 

[jeffsdesigns]

Time....

 

[Anonymous]

Patience. Your tank is gonna look like a cesspool for the first 3 months or so as different algae species bloom and crash. Let it run it's course. The best thing you could possibly do is simply ignore the tank for the next 3 months other than the occasional water change.

 

[Robf]

Patience. Your tank is gonna look like a cesspool for the first 3 months or so as different algae species bloom and crash. Let it run it's course. The best thing you could possibly do is simply ignore the tank for the next 3 months other than the occasional water change.

Strange... it only took me 6 years to figure that one out I moved my tank constantly while finishing up university, and received alot of experience in tank set-up in the process.

MickAv8r's advice echoes my personal experience perfectly. Let it do it's thing with minimal intervention, other than maintenance and scheduled water changes, and it will balance itself out.

R.