Brown sand
- Thread starter Pete1433
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Did I do something to upset everyone?
One minute I was getting lots of advice and then, after I took some pictures - nobody has replied??
The brown sand is improving, (I think due to the extra sand goby I added), but at the same time as that happened, all this hairy algae with bubbles in appeared?
One minute I was getting lots of advice and then, after I took some pictures - nobody has replied??
The brown sand is improving, (I think due to the extra sand goby I added), but at the same time as that happened, all this hairy algae with bubbles in appeared?
I think people stopped replying because they had nothing else to add.
The strings are definitely not diatoms. The one in the sand might, not sure. You could let it grow more to see what shapes it takes. Diatoms looks like brown dust.
It might be cyanobacteria, in which case it usually grows as a gelatinous mat, or it might be dinoflagellates, with which I've zero experience, but I do know that dinos are something to worry about, contrary to all other cases. They are toxic.
The strings looks more like dinos to me, but dinos and cyano are hard to differentiate.
Do you know your nitrates and phosphates levels? I think people sometimes correlate dinos with ultra low nutrient systems. Then again, I've zero experience with dinos and haven't read much about them.
Search for dinos in the forum, start with this thread and good luck!
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/dinoflagellates-–-are-you-tired-of-battling-altogether.293318/
The strings are definitely not diatoms. The one in the sand might, not sure. You could let it grow more to see what shapes it takes. Diatoms looks like brown dust.
It might be cyanobacteria, in which case it usually grows as a gelatinous mat, or it might be dinoflagellates, with which I've zero experience, but I do know that dinos are something to worry about, contrary to all other cases. They are toxic.
The strings looks more like dinos to me, but dinos and cyano are hard to differentiate.
Do you know your nitrates and phosphates levels? I think people sometimes correlate dinos with ultra low nutrient systems. Then again, I've zero experience with dinos and haven't read much about them.
Search for dinos in the forum, start with this thread and good luck!
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/dinoflagellates-–-are-you-tired-of-battling-altogether.293318/
Thanks very much, my phosphate is at around 0.03 and nitrate around 2. I'll do that research and thank you for getting back to me, I genuinely thought that I might have said something offencive but couldn't work out, for the life of me, what!
P-Dub
The ocean is open to all, merciful to none.
Hey, Pete. We haven't forgotten about you. I believe that you do, in fact, have cyano and perhaps dino's as has been suggested. Happy that the goby is helping. I think @Atu has provided sound advice and I concur that your parameters are just fine.
I think that you should be in the implementation phase of tackling your issue. At this point, it is time to slowly, one by one, implement suggestions to tackle your identified problems and then see what happens. Give things some time to respond and note that response as successful or not and then move on the next possible solution. You certainly can implement multiple recommendations/solutions at the same time and observe the response. I always propose doing things slowly. It is the large changes that usually cause more problems than the one we are trying to correct for. So go slow and report back.
I think that you should be in the implementation phase of tackling your issue. At this point, it is time to slowly, one by one, implement suggestions to tackle your identified problems and then see what happens. Give things some time to respond and note that response as successful or not and then move on the next possible solution. You certainly can implement multiple recommendations/solutions at the same time and observe the response. I always propose doing things slowly. It is the large changes that usually cause more problems than the one we are trying to correct for. So go slow and report back.
Well it seems that I now have the solution (and the cause) to my issues.
I have spoken to Lyndsay at Jasons Aquatics with regards to this, and he has worked out the cause of my algae:
I have recently built a new sump for my system, something that I neglected to mention in this thread - I didn't see the relevance of it, as I had simply swapped all the water and contents, (chaeto etc), over from the old one with no new additions.
Lyndsay, being aware of the new sump, hit the mark straight away - the algae is a response to the extra silica from all the silicone that I used to build the compartments in the new sump!
I appreciate that excess silica was mentioned in replies here, in particular in the reply from Indiana Reefin, but I didn't twig that it could have come from the new sump - Doh!
So it seems that the answer, is to just ignore it and it will go away when the new silica gets exhausted.
Phew!
So thank you to everyone for your input and especially Lyndsay for working out the cause.
Lyndsay is one of the owners at Jasons Aquatics whom I mentioned earlier, the person who has been instrumental in assisting me from the start, from where I get my RO water, and who advised me against disturbing my sand bed.
He is still adamant that to do so would crash my tank and has asked me to emphasize it here for anyone else reading this thread in the future.
My sand bed is nearly 2 inches deep and therefore, in his opinion, far too deep to disturb.
Thanks again for everyone's help and assistance.
Pete.
I have spoken to Lyndsay at Jasons Aquatics with regards to this, and he has worked out the cause of my algae:
I have recently built a new sump for my system, something that I neglected to mention in this thread - I didn't see the relevance of it, as I had simply swapped all the water and contents, (chaeto etc), over from the old one with no new additions.
Lyndsay, being aware of the new sump, hit the mark straight away - the algae is a response to the extra silica from all the silicone that I used to build the compartments in the new sump!
I appreciate that excess silica was mentioned in replies here, in particular in the reply from Indiana Reefin, but I didn't twig that it could have come from the new sump - Doh!
So it seems that the answer, is to just ignore it and it will go away when the new silica gets exhausted.
Phew!
So thank you to everyone for your input and especially Lyndsay for working out the cause.
Lyndsay is one of the owners at Jasons Aquatics whom I mentioned earlier, the person who has been instrumental in assisting me from the start, from where I get my RO water, and who advised me against disturbing my sand bed.
He is still adamant that to do so would crash my tank and has asked me to emphasize it here for anyone else reading this thread in the future.
My sand bed is nearly 2 inches deep and therefore, in his opinion, far too deep to disturb.
Thanks again for everyone's help and assistance.
Pete.
P-Dub
The ocean is open to all, merciful to none.
A couple of things. First, I'm not certain that I can believe what Lindsay states regarding silica leaching from the use of RTV silicone used in the aquarium hobby. I have done a couple of hours of cursory research and have yet to see any reference to show that there is any form of soluble silicon dioxide leached from silicone sealant. At the temperatures present in an aquarium, I would find it highly unlikely that anything would leach to an appreciable level to affect the water chemistry or increase the level of soluble silica in any aquarium from cured silicone. I could be wrong and would definitely love to see some references to research to indicate that this is even possible let alone, in fact, does occur. By Lindsay's logic and in the absence of citeable research, you are more likely to have silica leach from the aquarium glass which has higher concentrations of silica than silicone, for certain. Whether it is soluble or not is undetermined in both cases. Again, I would really like to see the research used to back this claim. It could be there but I can't find it and certainly, I would not tell you that it is the source of silica in your system, if, in fact, that is the actual reason for your current condition. I'd be far more inclined to believe the source water is your primary culprit barring any other unreported changes like the fish food or a change in the salt mix, for example. I personally would procure a quality RO/DI unit and know that you are responsible for the quality of source water.
Second, regarding the sand bed, you had originally stated that you were cleaning the sand bed regularly when you first started the tank. Continuing to do so would decidedly not crash your tank, particularly at a "nearly 2-inches deep" sand bed. If you have a long established, true deep sand bed on the other hand, then this could occur. Consequently, the reason to clean the bed in small sections, at regular intervals as I and Atu recommended and Atu expanded on the reasoning. Additionally, I noted that even a DSB benefits from regular cleaning the top portion, that being the first 1-2 inches. Which brings me to the caveat that your "nearly 2 inches deep" sand bed does qualify as a DSB and certainly not "far too deep" or susceptible to a tank crash if disturbed, particularly if cleaned as recommended or as you had been doing and kept on doing from the startup. If this were the case all those sand sifting gobies, starfish, snails, etc. would be causing tanks to crash all over this forum. The DSB, SSB, and BB tank debate/discussion will rage on and you will have varying levels of success with whatever method you employ. Personally, I see no need for a DSB unless you are attempting to keep organisms that specifically need a DSB. There are just too many possible downsides to them IMHO. SSB's are pretty but impractical for me and my very high flow SPS tank. I could probably benefit from an increase in nutrients if I were to have a SSB but it is just not feasible and I prefer the simplicity of a BB tank.
We all have opinions and often they are based on our own personal anecdotal evidence. I'm not bagging on the folks at Jasons Aquatics and they definitely appear to want your tank to be successful and thriving but... When you receive information from ANYONE, definitely myself included, do a ton of research and find what claims current science, conventional wisdom, and available research backs along with the type and setup of your system and what you are trying to keep thriving and you will find your own reefing path. I can't stress this enough, no two tanks are the same, and therefore no two solutions will necessarily reveal themselves as successful in your system. We all are just doing our best to experiment an find success with our own particular system.
Keep us posted on the progress and if you could get Lindsay to cite the research to indicate silica leaching and you share it here, it would be very much appreciated.
P-Dub
The ocean is open to all, merciful to none.
As an aside, I found this in my search. I found it quite interesting...
https://www.advancedaquarist.com/2003/1/aafeature1
https://www.advancedaquarist.com/2003/1/aafeature1
Mastiffsrule
Where ever you go, there you are, so be nice 2 you
Hi @Pete1433
Never worry about that. Keep posting and asking. Sometimes all you need is a bump to get you back up to the top of the list. Personally I would feel horrible if someone asked questions and I bailed. At minimum I would say I am not sure. I am bad about following thread. Mainly because this is my first real forum and I get confused about the watch thread I have. Once I saw the post up front I remember your issue.
And @Atu and @P-Dub giving lot more than I can offer. Nice. My tank is 10 so last time I saw diatoms was when Clinton was in office, or was it Obama.
I want to clarified that I did not recommend for, or against, a sand cleaning schedule. I simply explained why some people choose not to, some do, and some stir only sections of it.
I sometimes do the last, but any is fine. The problem would be to left a sandbed with organics (uneaten food, live rock, dead sand critters) in an anoxic environment, and then disturbing it.
Also, btw, that’s one of the articles I cited and the one I used to calculate a silica dosing regime for my tank.
I do not know if silicone leaches silica, I would be inclined against it, but I do not know it. I know that glass do not leaches silica at the tank pH.
I sometimes do the last, but any is fine. The problem would be to left a sandbed with organics (uneaten food, live rock, dead sand critters) in an anoxic environment, and then disturbing it.
Also, btw, that’s one of the articles I cited and the one I used to calculate a silica dosing regime for my tank.
I do not know if silicone leaches silica, I would be inclined against it, but I do not know it. I know that glass do not leaches silica at the tank pH.
