Does 250W MH cause sand bed to turn brown

[hamannbmw]

I was using 150W previously w/o such problems, after upgrading my lights to 250W a month ago, the sand bed starts to turn brown..

Or isit due to flow problems ? I'm using 2 X 6060, 2 X Seio820 and 2 X return i) eheim 1262 ii) quietone6000

I feed 2 cubes of Mysis shrimp a day, currently using aquaC EV180...

What could be the problem

[chinmo]

diatoms?

[pegasus1010]

happens to me too..

it's the brown algae growing everywhere there's light.

[nicken]

nitrate 2 high ?

[diabolus]

I was using 150W previously w/o such problems, after upgrading my lights to 250W a month ago, the sand bed starts to turn brown..

Or isit due to flow problems ? I'm using 2 X 6060, 2 X Seio820 and 2 X return i) eheim 1262 ii) quietone6000

I feed 2 cubes of Mysis shrimp a day, currently using aquaC EV180...

What could be the problem

bro...

like u too...after using to 250w MH...

my sandbed turining brown also...

[ZeRoC00l]

I was using 150W previously w/o such problems, after upgrading my lights to 250W a month ago, the sand bed starts to turn brown..

Or isit due to flow problems ? I'm using 2 X 6060, 2 X Seio820 and 2 X return i) eheim 1262 ii) quietone6000

I feed 2 cubes of Mysis shrimp a day, currently using aquaC EV180...

What could be the problem

Yr sandbed turn brown becos of brown algae = diatoms

Run some rowas or use RO/DI water. Or U can wait till they use up the silicate/ silica and die off naturally

[hamannbmw]

Yr sandbed turn brown becos of brown algae = diatoms

Run some rowas or use RO/DI water. Or U can wait till they use up the silicate/ silica and die off naturally

i'm running rowas all the while, my tank already pass the algae stage liao, clean sandbed all the while, but after installing 250, it turns brown.

[chinmo]

after a while will turn green rite? no gd ar?

[hamannbmw]

after a while will turn green rite? no gd ar?

nv turn green leh.........

Anyway jus did a test , all using salifert test kit

Ammonia - 0

NO2 - 0

NO3 - 0

Calcium - 460

Magnesium - 1330

PH - 8.2

KH - 8.6

Phosphate - less than 0.03ppm...

[ZeRoC00l]

i'm running rowas all the while, my tank already pass the algae stage liao, clean sandbed all the while, but after installing 250, it turns brown.

every water change you'll be adding more silica/silicate to your tank... so they'll keep growing....

They caome and go, no big deal. Get some turbos or snails, they'll clean them up quickly

[hamannbmw]

those that seen my tank, they will know i had at least hundreds of them...

Oh...... changing water will increase silicate ? maybe thats the real problem, last time i seldom change water...hehe, maybe once every 2 months, since last month started keeping sps, i change water every fortnight

[shiraz]

more powerful light = more algae growth, that's what i experienced la at least.. snails might help but from what i know, sand sifters work best... brittlestars, gobies, even cukes!

but i also think that having a bigger fuge and a more mature DSB, diatoms won't grow so badly..

[ervine]

probably sudden increase in light... just throw in a few snails and wait a while.. shouldn't be too big a problem

[ryz]

silicates has to be the prob.. I am also constantly plagued by diatoms on glass as I top up with tap water daily..

[pegasus1010]

nv turn green leh.........

Anyway jus did a test , all using salifert test kit

Ammonia - 0

NO2 - 0

NO3 - 0

Calcium - 460

Magnesium - 1330

PH - 8.2

KH - 8.6

Phosphate - less than 0.03ppm...

it will turn green, like mine.

just wait.

[typrobin]

how bout reducing the photoperiod by half..then slowly increase back to normal photoperiod..

[chinmo]

my started out brown( ugly! ) then later green(nice! )....... Then later Green Carpet!( out of control ) got 10 snails..... trim back to green again

[hamannbmw]

My current photo period is 11 hours, may have to cut it down to 6 hours and position my tunze to the sand surface

[reefer guy]

bro, photoperiod between 9-12 hours is just fine... try to increase ur water circulation, but dont point the tunze towards the sand, else sandstorm.... try to do regular water change as well, w quality water not just tap.....

[Dispar_Anthias]

What could be happening maybe that your 150 watt ladt time dun have such strong penetrating power so there insufficient lighting to the sandbed for algae to grow... Now that you have change to 250watt theres pentration and light all the way to your sandbed so algae is able to grow there

[seanewbie]

Guys, my current tank is experiencing the same problem too, turning brown.I was wondering whether could it be a water flow problem? or just the beginning process of maturing?

Its been running for 2months now.I'm using 300W MH 14K for my 4ft X1.5X2.5 ft tank.12hours cycle.

[surfedelic]

Usu it is due to Light intensity - when I use 250MH 10K - I have this problem more frequent so need to be cautious about feeding but when I use 14K - this problem disappeared. I am trying to cut down on mysis and BS as I believe the water in there contains alot of nitrate and PO4. when I tried using pellet i also have less diatom growth.

For me my tank size is only 2 ft with Tunze and RO/DI water - skimmer also oversize like nobody biz - i still experience this.

Hope it helps.

[Jimng]

I am trying to cut down on mysis and BS as I believe the water in there contains alot of nitrate and PO4.

Bro, i believe u are right, i had heard hobbyist draining the water away and flushing the shrimps in a mesh with fresh water before feeding them to the tank.. ..-Jim

[surfedelic]

Imagine 5g of food waste is enough to push your PO4 level by 0.1 mg.

[surfedelic]

Sorry I mean 0.1 ppm