Algae on sand

breaknrun911 · Dec 13, 2013

Evening all. I am beginning to develop some brown algae in my substrate. What would be a good addition to my tank to help resolve that? I heard sand sifters can die if nutrition is depleted. Which can cause a huge nitrate spike. I don't really want hermits but I need something.
Thanks in advance

Tradewinds · Dec 13, 2013

How big is your tank? I have had great success with a diamond goby keeping my sand clean.

breaknrun911 · Dec 13, 2013

24x24x12 30gal rimless frag tank

boehm742 · Dec 13, 2013

How old is the tank?

breaknrun911 · Dec 13, 2013

December 22 will be its first bday

breaknrun911 · Dec 13, 2013

All of a sudden it just started to bloom on the sand

jayhawk · Dec 13, 2013

I wouldn't be fixated on the addition of a clean up crew. The root cause is likely phosphates. Once phos's are cleaned up sand shifters can polish and stir the sand. They will live off the scraps and detritus of the other livestock. Just my two cents.

ReefHero · Dec 13, 2013

Get some sand sifting snails maybe....and what's your po4 and rodi situation?

breaknrun911 · Dec 13, 2013

My LFS rodi was tested with a TDS meter and it came out at 7. Phos I haven't tested it yet. Just did a h2o change I will be testing here shortly once h2o is fully circulated

ReefHero · Dec 13, 2013

breaknrun911 said:
My LFS rodi was tested with a TDS meter and it came out at 7. Phos I haven't tested it yet. Just did a h2o change I will be testing here shortly once h2o is fully circulated

7?!? If that is ppm tds reading then that is a little bit high for rodi water.....

breaknrun911 · Dec 13, 2013

It is it should be 0 but according to them as long as it's single digits it's so-so they were working on the problem today

ReefHero · Dec 13, 2013

breaknrun911 said:
It is it should be 0 but according to them as long as it's single digits it's so-so they were working on the problem today

Should be zero......
Anyways that could be your issue.... Only way to know is test.

breaknrun911 · Dec 13, 2013

Definatley

ReefHero · Dec 13, 2013

breaknrun911 said:
Definatley

You should have bought a RODI unit from BRS during their Black Friday sale!!
How much you pay for rodi from Lfs?

breaknrun911 · Dec 13, 2013

I don't. Lol I've been going there for so long I don't have to but they charge .50 for fresh and 1.00 for salt per gallon

Flameback Pair · Dec 14, 2013

Have you considered taking out the sand? Or tripple your flow?

breaknrun911 · Dec 14, 2013

Well I did just realize that I took out my purigen and the sand has never done that when the purigen is in the filter. I just threw it back in. Hope it makes a turn around. I have had a bare bottom tank in the past and wasn't really a fan of it. Right now I'm pushing roughly 1100 gallons and hour three my tank. I don't really know how much more I can really stretch as far as flow.