So I'm totally stumped by my sand discoloration. Everything is healthy and growing. I do have some very minor patches of cyano on rock, one or two maybe the size of a nickle and not spreading that I do brush and vac when do water changes. Parameters are solid for what I have. (Will list at bottom of post). Currently I run 2x kessil a160we with a 2hr ramp up from 5-100%, 4hr full, then a 2hr ramp down from 100-5%, then 1hr at )5% just so I can relax and enjoy their colors. I also have (just added 2 to make a total of 4 last weekend, but the issue has continued prior) 4x hot5 that I run for 8hr (1x ati coral plus, 1x ati blue plus, 2x zoo med 420nm (those zoo med were just added)). Now here's the issue, my Sandbed grows this brownish funk on top of it when lights are on and I hate to even look at my sand by end of day. If I totally scoop and clean the Sandbed it's back by end of next day. It doesn't appear in the shaded portions of my sand however as you can see in the pic. (That may have answered my own question) But, am I going overkill with the lights? Everything is happy and growing very well so I don't want to cut lights and hurt coral growth just to have a "pretty" bed. I know more info may be needed, so whatever needed to help solve this conundrum just ask and I'll get it together. Thanks in advance.
SG 1.026
Trate 2-5
Phos undetected on ati (picking up Salifert Friday)
Calc 460
Alk 8 (maintained 7 and slowly working up to 10)
Mag 1470
I dose with Red Sea reef foundation as needed
Use instant ocean reef crystals
Rodi top off twice minimum daily (tds 000)
Thought it may have been cyano in beginning, but pretty confident by its growth, color, and lack of bubbles that it is not.
Would dosing h202 be a possible solution? If not I'd rather not add anything not needed to my tank as a test.
I'm stumped.
