What is this red dust that keeps growing over my substrate turns into patches

[Henrik]

Hey guys,

I've had my tank for about 4 months and I change the water regularly (weekly) and take out the rocks every 4 weeks or so to scrub them down.

This red "dust" keeps coming back and will soon cover large patches of the substrate, eventually leading to bubbly algae growth on the live rock.

I've attached a picture. This stuff is quite the nuisance and I seem to be stuck in a vicious cycle of cleaning it off the rocks and after a partial water change, it just resettles. Any idea how to combat it more effectively? I heard that using a UV light can help reducing algae propagation.

Phosphates is very low and Nitrates are pretty low (10-20). Photoperiod is about 10 hours (brand new bulbs). The tank is a Red Sea Max 130 and very often I can only run it on 1 powerhead in the top left corner of the tank.

Ideas?


- Henrik

 

[ZANYMASTER]

10-20 is super high for NO3.Try replacing those red sea lights.They're cheaply made.

 

[howze01]

Hey guys,

I've had my tank for about 4 months and I change the water regularly (weekly) and take out the rocks every 4 weeks or so to scrub them down.

This red "dust" keeps coming back and will soon cover large patches of the substrate, eventually leading to bubbly algae growth on the live rock.

I've attached a picture. This stuff is quite the nuisance and I seem to be stuck in a vicious cycle of cleaning it off the rocks and after a partial water change, it just resettles. Any idea how to combat it more effectively? I heard that using a UV light can help reducing algae propagation.

Phosphates is very low and Nitrates are pretty low (10-20). Photoperiod is about 10 hours (brand new bulbs). The tank is a Red Sea Max 130 and very often I can only run it on 1 powerhead in the top left corner of the tank.

Ideas?


- Henrik

So, a couple questions. Have you been changing water weekly from the beginning? Did you ever test in the beginning to know that it cycled? When you say "rock" is it actual rock? I see a column decoration or something like that and I'm wondering if there is actual rock. Why do you take them out every month for scrubbing? Do you scrub them in fresh water? Is this a FOWLR or a reef tank? What are the other parameters? pH, Alk, salinity and ammonia to start would help.

Sorry for the inquisition but there's a lot of info that can help us to help you better.

 

[piranhapat]

Its diatom and your tank is going to stages. I would just siphon a little off sand when it gets out of control when you do a water change. If you shut your lights off that will help. You can run some GFO that will help to kept Phoshate low. Your tank is maturing and will take time to run its course. Cut back on feeding a little. Watch nurtients even if phoshate are low.

 

[BobNY]

Are you using RODI Water?

 

[fishman1069]

Like stated above, its diatoms. It happens to all new setups. Don't take your rock out and scrub it. Just use a Turkey badger and blow the rocks off right before a water change. The diatoms will go away on their own,as long as you are using ro/di water. Is all part of the new tank uglies!

 

[Reef Reaper]

+2

 

[Chris31]

Whoever said your nitrates is to high I really wouldn't pay attention to your nitrates are not high yes they are no zero which is the ideal reading but some tank will run with a nitrate level do the entire life of the tank. As long as you stay around 10-20 you'll be fine when you started getting to 40 or greater is when there is a issue. If you can get them down to the ideal zero great if not try and keep them where they are. Also as far as your sand bed look to start investing in a clean up crew. If you load that sand bed up with cerith snails they will keep that sand bed moving and keep it clean also another great way to keep it clean is a fighting conch they do a great job also.

 

[junior ibanez]

Leave the tank alone, every time you take the rocks out you are disrupting the cycle your tank is going through, dont over feed, it will go away, and then you'll start getting the green algae which it will also go away.What has worked for me in the past is get 5 or so snails and a couple of hermit crabs ( this is not a cleaning crew but just to get a little head start on the algae) and again it will go away, and cut back on the water changes you washing away beneficial bacteria, usually the water change comes at the end of the cycle.and make sure you used RO water,and what I can see on your picture I dont think this tank is 4 months old the sand bed does'nt even have the nitrogen bubbles formed by the bacteria which it usually starts by the 3rd to 4th week.

 

[h2o]

Anything live in the tank ? I would start fresh dump that fake rock add some real live rock let it cycle 100% with lights off and then start small weekly water changes . Be patient go slow keep posting and you will have it running in no time..

 

[Henrik]

10-20 is super high for NO3.Try replacing those red sea lights.They're cheaply made.

Oh sorry, I meant to say that Phosphates are near 0. Nitrates are like 10-20

 

[Henrik]

So, a couple questions. Have you been changing water weekly from the beginning? Did you ever test in the beginning to know that it cycled? When you say "rock" is it actual rock? I see a column decoration or something like that and I'm wondering if there is actual rock. Why do you take them out every month for scrubbing? Do you scrub them in fresh water? Is this a FOWLR or a reef tank? What are the other parameters? pH, Alk, salinity and ammonia to start would help.

Sorry for the inquisition but there's a lot of info that can help us to help you better.

Hey - I got the tank used from a guy who passed away. He must have had it for a while so I'd assume it was cycled before. However, when I picked it up, it had been running on moonlights only for a couple of weeks. There were zero algae in it when I started. Nitrates were through the roof, because these ladies kept feeding the fish a cube of brine shrimp/spirulina a day. Now I've got them on a every 3 days feeding schedule.

It came with two clownfish, a hippo tang a gobey and a shrimp. There is live rock in there and a little decoration (probably the column you're referring to). I'm pretty sure the tank had been established for many months if not years.

I actually have taken the life rock out and scrubbed it in freshwater. I know that this is bad, but everything gets covered in the diatoms, then the green filaments and then cyanos. I use RO/DI water.

So if I don't take the rocks out and scrub just the walls say, my fish are swimminng in a brown soup of red/blown slime fragments floating all through the tank. And I should just let it sit and i will all recede at some point?

I'll add tested parameters to the post tonight...

 

[Henrik]

Testing for completed cycling

How do you test for that?

Pretty sure it has been cycled before, or at least there are nitrobacter's present in the bilogical filtration system of the tank, since ammonia and nitrite levels are almost always zero, while nitrates seem to grow over time with feeding.

What is a FOWLR tank?

So, a couple questions. Have you been changing water weekly from the beginning? Did you ever test in the beginning to know that it cycled? When you say "rock" is it actual rock? I see a column decoration or something like that and I'm wondering if there is actual rock. Why do you take them out every month for scrubbing? Do you scrub them in fresh water? Is this a FOWLR or a reef tank? What are the other parameters? pH, Alk, salinity and ammonia to start would help.

Sorry for the inquisition but there's a lot of info that can help us to help you better.

 

[piranhapat]

What is a FOWLR tank?

FOWLR MEANS Fish only with Live Rocks.

 

[basiab]

'Phosphates are near 0' ususally a false perception because it is getting used up by what you are trying to get rid of.
Lots of conflicting statements here which seems to be the norm. I would suggest reading about this on threads here or some other sources and figure out wherin lies the truth. Generally those with longer membership here have more experience so I would likely give weight to their opinion, but there are exceptions.
Have fun.

 

[Henrik]

Tank Parameters

Hey all,

first of all, here are the parameters of my tank as promised:

Size 30 Gal
Temperature: 77 F
pH: 8.2
Specific Gravity: 1.028
Nitrate: 20
Nitrite: 0
Phosphate: 0
Ammonia: 0-0.25
Buffering Capacity: off the scale >215
Calcium: off the scale >520

After your previous posts I will be stopping taking things out of the tank to scrub and let the cycling take its course. I did go out to a local fish store and got 5 scarlet hermit crabs and 5 mexican turbo snails to start building a more comprehensive cleaning crew. Oh yeah, and a scooter blenny.

What's with the really high calcium and buffering capacity count? Any ideas? I'm using RO/DI since the end of December with 20% water changes every two weeks.

- H

 

[NewfiDog]

Your specific gravity is high, which will make your calcium higher.

 

[tomtoothdoc]

Hey - I got the tank used from a guy who passed away. He must have had it for a while so I'd assume it was cycled before. However, when I picked it up, it had been running on moonlights only for a couple of weeks. There were zero algae in it when I started. Nitrates were through the roof, because these ladies kept feeding the fish a cube of brine shrimp/spirulina a day. Now I've got them on a every 3 days feeding schedule.

It came with two clownfish, a hippo tang a gobey and a shrimp. There is live rock in there and a little decoration (probably the column you're referring to). I'm pretty sure the tank had been established for many months if not years.

I actually have taken the life rock out and scrubbed it in freshwater. I know that this is bad, but everything gets covered in the diatoms, then the green filaments and then cyanos. I use RO/DI water.

So if I don't take the rocks out and scrub just the walls say, my fish are swimminng in a brown soup of red/blown slime fragments floating all through the tank. And I should just let it sit and i will all recede at some point?

I'll add tested parameters to the post tonight...

i think i know the person who owned this tank previously. it was a fowlr. he had many fish in there and fed heavily.
just keep doing weekly water change and keep your hands out of the tank for a month or two. test the water but don't add anything just water changes.
please pm me i would like to ask about where the tank came from.
thanks, tom.

 

[jamesonwhiskey]

It's hard to cycle with your livestock in there...

I would add in the live rock and do bigger water changes... like 25-33% every 3 days or so until the cycle has completed. This will keep ammonia and nitrites at a minimum. I would then wait 5 days and do a large 50% water change.

You should also lower the SG by .001 each week to get be within normal range as well...