Brown Dust on Glass

[Rmckoy]

Phosphate is 0.01 and nitrate is 0.63

How are you testing nitrates that low ?
As long as it’s stable and it’s working

 

[Reef.]

How are you testing nitrates that low ?
As long as it’s stable and it’s working

I know the salifert test kit goes low, you look through the side instead of from top, then divide by 10.

 

[Kasasah]

Hello,

I have to clean my glass everyday due to this brown dust that builds up, is this normal? I've seen people saying they clean their glass once a month or every week or even every couple of days so I imagine it's not too much of an issue. I notice this brown dust is 10 x worse when the lights are out, are they diatoms? My sand bed has little spots of brown throughout the day but when the lights are out these seem to venture towards to glass, kinda makes me worried that it might be dinos.

Are you using RO/DI filtered water? This algae is diatoms, and diatoms consume silicates. If you have an over abundance of silica in your water source even after RO/DI, I'd recommend silica buster by spectra pure. If you don't have an RO/DI water filter, or a source to buy that grade of filtered water, that is your first steps.

This is one of the most important parts of keeping a healthy reef aquarium. Where your water comes from is the foundation of the ecosystem you're building. You want it to be as pure as possible.

My tank is a year old, and I get zero diatoms. I only run a refugium with no skimmer, or even filter socks while feeding six times a day.