how come there is brown color thing on my sandbed?

[chercm]

pls advice

million thanks in advance

[Soul]

har? wat brown colour thing? Elaborate more lah no head no tail ...

[k0na_scab]

hey chercm i tot u posted this before ?

but anyways do a search on cyano , increasing waterflow shd help.

[chercm]

this is the brown thing

[chercm]

this is it

[Dazza]

diatoms...too much silicate n not enough flow.. increasing flow shd reduce this prob

[chercm]

what can help to clear up this mess ?

[shoelevy]

what can help to clear up this mess ?

increasing flow will help

in the first place u have too much nutrients in your water.

nutrients come from shit

u add sth in to clear the diatoms, that animal will also produce shit, which actually exacerbates the problem.

so reduce nutrients and INCrease Flow

[chercm]

how to reduce nutrients?

[shoelevy]

feed less

use better skimmer

increase flow to make sure food doesn't esttle and remain uneaten

[chercm]

i am using Optopus NW110 from AM now

[brittlestars]

Actually, I have a similar problem with chercm too.

My tank is new and has been re-cycling for more than a month. I added a shrimp and blenny about a week ago and this problem started to surface a few days after adding livestock.

I hardly feed my shrimp and blenny (small feeding every 2 days) as they seem to be doing well foraging on liverocks.

I think my flow rate is adequate (abt 1200L/hr, my tank is only 55L). I have switched off my PL lights in the interim. Does everyone think offing lights help?

Thanks!

[arcanehacker]

Actually, I have a similar problem with chercm too.

My tank is new and has been re-cycling for more than a month. I added a shrimp and blenny about a week ago and this problem started to surface a few days after adding livestock.

I hardly feed my shrimp and blenny (small feeding every 2 days) as they seem to be doing well foraging on liverocks.

I think my flow rate is adequate (abt 1200L/hr, my tank is only 55L). I have switched off my PL lights in the interim. Does everyone think offing lights help?

Thanks!

I think yours should be due to high PO4 and tank is probably too near the sunlight source.

One month into the hobby and diatoms start to grow? What will happen in months to come? .. better do somehting to control

[chercm]

i am using Aquaz anti PO4 in my FR and i have reduce the amount of time that i leave my lightning on

[neokn]

brittlestars:

It's the internal flow that is lacking that causes the brown diatom not the overall flow rate.

Reframe from topping up water with tap water, use DI water.

[brittlestars]

brittlestars:

It's the internal flow that is lacking that causes the brown diatom not the overall flow rate.

Reframe from topping up water with tap water, use DI water.

Thanks neokn!

[brittlestars]

I think yours should be due to high PO4 and tank is probably too near the sunlight source.

One month into the hobby and diatoms start to grow? What will happen in months to come? .. better do somehting to control

Yeah loh, that is why I'm posting here to seek help

[neokn]

Simply, get a FR and buy the PURA multi-lock filter media from Reef Depot and that should solve your NO3 & Ammonia. Then buy the Phosban to get ride of your PO4 n your tank is ready.

[cyberpig]

I also have similar problem. But instead of sand brown, there is a film of dark brown gel like substance on a patch of sand. Is this diatoms as well? Should I remove this substance or overturn the sand to cover it?

[jun]

removed and wash it ....

[jun]

diatoms...too much silicate n not enough flow.. increasing flow shd reduce this prob

increase flow? u mean current flow or the turnover flow??