sand turning green

[nuch]

Need some help. My sand bed is turning green fast. Tested the water the other day and all the perimiters are fine. I do a 5 gallon water change every 7 days. I have a 170 DT, 4 tangs, 6 line wrasse, fire goby, algy blenny, 2 shrimp bunch of hermit crabs. 200 lbs live rock and a hand full of frags and corals. I run rodi. 6ft. t5. I have the whites on like 8 hrs, and the atinics 10 hrs. I have 2 korilla powerheads. I have built in overflow box on one side and the return on the other. I cleanded the top layer about 2 days ago, and its already coming back. So i'm gonna throw some things out there that i read and heard and just let me know if it makes sence or bull crap. First thing to mention is i added a nextreef phosphate reactor and within a couple days i guess i reconized the green. u think it's just coincidence? Next is i saw my first 2 filters on my rodi are turning brown, but my tds meter is still reading 0. Maybe not enough water flow in the DT? I'm up for all kinds of opinions. thanx

 

[Ziggy]

In my opinion you have high phosphate and you need to do more then 5g water changes if your DT is 170g.i wuldhave recommend 20g water change.

 

[xxxAngeloxxx]

I agree with ziggy on the water change. Btw how long as it been since you changed all your filters on your rodi?

 

[Og Drogon]

I'm getting the same on the top layer of the sand and now my rocks are turning green :-/
My levels are on point in my 10g nano, I use distill water and esv salt....

 

[xxxAngeloxxx]

I'm getting the same on the top layer of the sand and now my rocks are turning green :-/
My levels are on point in my 10g nano, I use distill water and esv salt....

Are you using ro water when you do your water changes D? Btw how long as the tank been running for?

 

[Og Drogon]

Are you using ro water when you do your water changes D? Btw how long as the tank been running for?

I use Distill water, tank been running 3 month post cycle, yet it's mostly on rock and a bit on the sand no where else.

OP how long has your tank been up???

 

[xxxAngeloxxx]

I use Distill water, tank been running 3 month post cycle, yet it's mostly on rock and a bit on the sand no where else.

OP how long has your tank been up???

8 months and. 3 weeks

But check your PO4 level they could be high from uneaten food

dying algae
fish feces
dead fish
carbon filter media
aquarium salts
pH buffers
kH buffers
water itself

 

[motortrendz]

first.. does natural sun light hit the tank at all? second what is your actual parameters? salinity, nitrates,alk, mag, po4?

your rodi is turning color bc its doing its job and filtering the water going thru, may need to change out the filters soon but if tds are 0 still then not yet..

is it actually green or is it brownish? like a diatom bloom? if all that is good, when was the last time you changed carbon? do you run carbon? expecially with the biopellets..

and last, im a firm believer in h2o2, with dosing 1ml per 10g a day will kill off single cell algea.. and can help with your bloom, but i wouldnt do that until you found the underlying cause..

 

[nuch]

I have to buy a phosphate test, but everything else all, salinity is where they should be. I know this don't matter but even calcium is right. I don't run any carbon, the only reactor I have going is with phosphate out. Should I run a carbon reactor?

 

[xxxAngeloxxx]

Check your PO4 before you go with a carbon reactor IMO you don't need one

 

[NewfiDog]

PO4. is most likley the issue as mentioned.
You may want to turn the hours down on your whites.
Cleanup crew?
Check your distilled water it can have PO4 in it, if its high use something else.

 

[motortrendz]

dont know if po4 is the only thing thatll cause it.. cut down on light cycle.. i would definitly be runnig a carbon reactor.. or some sort of water scrubber...

 

[E.intheC]

You mentioned only having two koralias on a 170 gallon display. Which koralias do you have? Also, what are your tank dimensions?
Finally, with actual numbers, what are your parameters?

 

[Turbovr3six]

^^ agree that flow is an issue. IMO, I would check in between your 200lbs of rock for detritus settling. Also, when was the last time you replaced your bulbs?

 

[nuch]

I'm gonna add another power head see what happens. I have 2 korilla 4's I believe and 1 5. Forget the models they are, I know I remember getting the biggest one and 2 of the ones that r right behind that. Anyway as far as the perimeter numbers so, there on point or right there. Nit's 0, salinity 1.21. Ph 8.2 etc. Not sure about alk. Don't have or know how to test for it. It's frustrating cause my corals and drags r growing, and the fish look healthy. But the sand looks like ****. I'll mess wit the flow and see how it goes. P.s. oh yea I still run Bio balls!! I know u guys r gonna hate me for that, but don't worry by Tue my 75 gal sump & 30 gal fuge should be up.

 

[xxxAngeloxxx]

I'm gonna add another power head see what happens. I have 2 korilla 4's I believe and 1 5. Forget the models they are, I know I remember getting the biggest one and 2 of the ones that r right behind that. Anyway as far as the perimeter numbers so, there on point or right there. Nit's 0, salinity 1.21. Ph 8.2 etc. Not sure about alk. Don't have or know how to test for it. It's frustrating cause my corals and drags r growing, and the fish look healthy. But the sand looks like ****. I'll mess wit the flow and see how it goes. P.s. oh yea I still run Bio balls!! I know u guys r gonna hate me for that, but don't worry by Tue my 75 gal sump & 30 gal fuge should be up.

what about your PO4 any readings on that?

 

[nuch]

What is PO4 and how do i test for it?

 

[xxxAngeloxxx]

PO4 is phosphate and you can test that by purchasing a phosphate test kit

 

[nuch]

Will check that out tomorrow. But i am running a phosphate reactor. I got it alittle more than half full with phosphate out media. Do you think there is to much in there?

 

[Mike389]

if you only had your tank running for a couple of months algae breakout is normal... switch to gfo soon because it does not release phosphate back into your system.