What is on my sandbed??

[Larry101]

This morning after 3 days of what I am assuming is a bacterial bloom I am seeing deposits of something on my sand and it isn’t an algae. What is it?

 

[NS Mike D]

Should be diatoms. They show up first after a cycle. Brown Algae. It's normal so don't panic. They consume silicates and should disappear (assuming you aren't using tap water, your rodi filters are good and/or not adding silicates in another way).

Stay your course.

 

[Larry101]

Should be diatoms. They show up first after a cycle. Brown Algae. It's normal so don't panic. They consume silicates and should disappear (assuming you aren't using tap water, your rodi filters are good ND/or not adding silicates in another way).

Stay your course.

Hmmmmm....I already had diatoms like 2 weeks ago and then they went away. This doesn't look like diatoms, it looks like some sort of powder laying on the sand.

 

[dwest]

Hmmmmm....I already had diatoms like 2 weeks ago and then they went away. This doesn't look like diatoms, it looks like some sort of powder laying on the sand.

It’s hard to tell. Could it just be tiny bits of settled rock? Is it hard?

 

[Larry101]

It’s hard to tell. Could it just be tiny bits of settled rock? Is it hard?

No, It's soft.

 

[cloak]

Detritus.

This is basically just dust from the rocks, fish poop, worm poop etc all mixed into one.

 

[dwest]

If it is not attached to the sand, I’m guessing regular old detritus. If it is stuck to the sand I‘m going with diatoms or algae.

 

[Larry101]

If it is not attached to the sand, I’m guessing regular old detritus. If it is stuck to the sand I‘m going with diatoms or algae.

It is not attached to the sand. But how did the sand get covered in 1 night?

 

[dwest]

It is not attached to the sand. But how did the sand get covered in 1 night?

Tank systems produce lots of detritus. Again, it’s really hard to tell from the pics, but it looks like settled detritus.

 

[NS Mike D]

could be detritus, diatoms, cyano or any combination. I mention cyano as it usually follows diatoms and can show up over night. Then look like it's gone the next morning after a night of lights off.

cyano can look like a dusting before it starts to mat up

 

[Larry101]

Tank systems produce lots of detritus. Again, it’s really hard to tell from the pics, but it looks like settled detritus.

Well, I will siphon it off of the sandbed on Friday when I do my weekly water change.

 

[Arthacker87]

One of dem thangs from tremor????

 

[NS Mike D]

one more thing. Get ready mentally as that pristine looking sand will be near impossible to keep white. Same with the rocks.

Soon you will start to see the rocks turn light green and brown before the purple coraline begins its long journey to take over and form the defense of GHA et al settling in.

BTW, you mentioned a bacterial bloom as in the past. The dead bacteria that did't get filtered out have to go somewhere.

 

[Larry101]

This isn’t diatoms, it’s not attached and it has like a grey hue. It’s like a powder. And it appeared overnight. So is it detritus? And how should I go about getting rid of it? Also I see little particles everywhere in my water and occasionally larger sized particles.

 

[NS Mike D]

Grey dust on my sandbed???

Here is a video of this grey hue dust on my sand-bed. What is this? How do I get rid of it?

www.reef2reef.com

linking the two threads.

 

[Larry101]

Grey dust on my sandbed???

Here is a video of this grey hue dust on my sand-bed. What is this? How do I get rid of it?

www.reef2reef.com

linking the two threads.

Thanks!!

 

[Larry101]

Grey dust on my sandbed???

Here is a video of this grey hue dust on my sand-bed. What is this? How do I get rid of it?

www.reef2reef.com

linking the two threads.

I just did a water change and it is very noticeable

 

[JasonK84]

This isn’t diatoms, it’s not attached and it has like a grey hue. It’s like a powder. And it appeared overnight. So is it detritus? And how should I go about getting rid of it? Also I see little particles everywhere in my water and occasionally larger sized particles.

If it’s diatoms settling into the sand then increase the flow to keep it kicked up and use filter sock or floss to catch it in the sump/filter.

 

[Larry101]

If it’s diatoms settling into the sand then increase the flow to keep it kicked up and use filter sock or floss to catch it in the sump/filter.

It’s not diatoms, it is a dust that moves around on my sand.

 

[NS Mike D]

I just did a water change and it is very noticeable

I am not sure what it is now, But my instincts are to siphon stiuf off the sand bed asap with the water changes

My concern is that it may have been something unnatural that made its way into the tank and is settling,.

Add to the confusion, I don't trust my eyes to distinguish between hues unless the LEDS are on all white. Gray may not be gray under different spectrums. (just take any coral out of your tank and wonder what happened to it and how did the brown stick get in my hands.