Brown algae on my sandbed

[Evanpolyps]

So theres this brown algae on my sandbed. I thought it was dinos bc when i first got it it had a stringy look to it with a bubble at the tip. But after a while it lost the stringy like appearances. Now it looks a like a mat of brown substance. Ive tried everything i can to get rid of it. Ive tried a 3 day black out, dosing bacteria, adding H202 in small amounts(1ml per day) for like 4 days but i stopped bc i was forgetting to dose it, tried bring oxygen up by pump micro bubbles in and none of it has worked. I always just came back the next day or few hours. It always disappears during the night but come back when the light come back on. Its looks the worst when its at the end of my photo period. Everything in my tank is happy except the occasional snails dying but besides that it doesnt seem to bother anything except me.
Can i please get some advice on this
Photo is take with the yellow filter so you guys can see it better.
Thanks in advance

 

[Billldg]

How old is the tank? What are your parameters?

 

[Evanpolyps]

How old is the tank?

this tank is around 1 year and a half but it was neglected for a long time until recently i started it back up with a big water change

 

[Billldg]

this tank is around 1 year and a half but it was neglected for a long time until recently i started it back up with a big water change

What are you parameters?

 

[NanoDJS]

Skimmer ?

 

[Evanpolyps]

Skimmer ?

Yes skimmer skims very black liquid out

 

[Evanpolyps]

What are you parameters?

Im not to sure ill do a test but i know i have very high nitrates prob in the 40 range. Ive been trying to bring it down since i started the tank again. When i tested my water prob a month or 2 ago it was around 180ppm but i think its down to the range of 80-40 now from my recent testing

 

[Evanpolyps]

Im not to sure ill do a test but i know i have very high nitrates prob in the 40 range. Ive been trying to bring it down since i started the tank again. When i tested my water prob a month or 2 ago it was around 180ppm but i think its down to the range of 80-40 now from my recent testing

Do you think that is why?

 

[Jason mack]

Has the tank been running with 0 p04 and 0 no3 ...it looks like dinos but without seeing it under a microscope it will be hard too tell ...if you can take a sample too your lfs if they have one or buy a cheap kids one ..make some photos and post here ...in the meantime you can try adding more flow too your sandbed .....

 

[Billldg]

It could be a good reason. I would start by getting your nitrates down to at least 20 ppm. Are your phosphates high also?
Don't bring them down overnight as that can cause other issues.

 

[Evanpolyps]

It could be a good reason. I would start by getting your nitrates down to at least 20 ppm. Are your phosphates high also?

My phosphates are below 1ppm

 

[Evanpolyps]

Has the tank been running with 0 p04 and 0 no3 ...it looks like dinos but without seeing it under a microscope it will be hard too tell ...if you can take a sample too your lfs if they have one or buy a cheap kids one ..make some photos and post here ...in the meantime you can try adding more flow too your sandbed .....

I havent ID it but i was pretty sure it was dinos bc i read every where that usually if it dissapears at night and come back at the end of the photo period its most likely dinos

 

[Jason mack]

If you can do a 15 -20 % water change this will help getting nitrates down ....if you did a 50 % wc it should in theory reduce them by 50 %

 

[Evanpolyps]

Has the tank been running with 0 p04 and 0 no3 ...it looks like dinos but without seeing it under a microscope it will be hard too tell ...if you can take a sample too your lfs if they have one or buy a cheap kids one ..make some photos and post here ...in the meantime you can try adding more flow too your sandbed .....

Also it has not been running parameters of 0. My nitrates are high. But ive tried bringing it higher but not doing waterchanges and feeding alot

 

[Billldg]

I agree with @Jason mack, I would start with some solid water changes.

 

[Evanpolyps]

If you can do a 15 -20 % water change this will help getting nitrates down ....if you did a 50 % wc it should in theory reduce them by 50 %

Ive been really scared to do waterchanged bc everytime i do like 10-15gal water change it come back worst
My tank is 60 gallons

 

[tsouth]

What is your water source?

 

[Jason mack]

I havent ID it but i was pretty sure it was dinos bc i read every where that usually if it dissapears at night and come back at the end of the photo period its most likely dinos

It certainly looks like what I had ...and I had high no3 and po4 when I had mine ....
Ok so heres what I'd do ....add a UV light too your display 1 w per 3gal ....start adding phytoplankton and copepods too your tank....I wouldn't worry so much with po4 at 0.1 with high nitrates its beter too have enough phosphate... do a water change and try and get your no3 down and under control ...because there are more sorts of dinos its beter too know which you have because they can all need a different approach too rid them ...

 

[Evanpolyps]

What is your water source?

Rodi unit from aquaticlife. I changed out the 4 cartridges like a month ago. I know my tap is around 40tds

 

[Evanpolyps]

It certainly looks like what I had ...and I had high no3 and po4 when I had mine ....
Ok so heres what I'd do ....add a UV light too your display 1 w per 3gal ....start adding phytoplankton and copepods too your tank....I wouldn't worry so much with po4 at 0.1 with high nitrates its beter too have enough phosphate... do a water change and try and get your no3 down and under control ...

Sorry i left a part out ive been running a 36w jebao UV sterilizer for about 2 weeks now and it hasnt done much