WHAT IS THIS STUFF?

[iVgOnMaD]

If someone can help me get rid of this it would be much appretiated.

I have some weird algae looking stuff that makes weird, ugly spots all over my aragonite substrate, I also bought a bag of sand from my lfs and mixed it with it. They look like there is strands growing off of it and the hairs flow with the water. they appear very soon aagain after I Mix my substrate up to get rid of it.

I will try to get a picture.

Please help, or it will cover all of my substrate

My nitrate, nitrite and ammonia levels are ok, my tank has been cycling for 2 1/2 weeks but I have been adding Bacteria cultures, 50 lbs live rock, 15 lbs live rock rubble to seed my tank and live sand.

I have a single 48" t5 daylight bulb, a skimmer rated for a 90g tank (mine is 60g), a canister filter, and two H.O.T. Magnum 250 filters filled with de*nitrate.

Could it be phosphate?

[graphixx]

this is a normal part of the cycle. this is just an algae bloom. all part of the fun of the cycle
this happens when iron and nitrates makes these grow quicker than they can be consumed. this should get in check once your tank is cycled but will spring up every now and then, you can increase your flow or add some grazers in the tank or you can use phosphate binder not to worry this is a normal part of the cycle.

[iVgOnMaD]

Thanx, thats what I thought. Just worried it was something else because it grew so quickly. I also heard of something called "The Purple Goo", or at least thats what the Employe at the LFS called it. It SCARED me. Im new at S.W.

[Dirt4dinner]

Just a side note. Don't mix up your sand, ever. Your sand will have layers of bacteria in it...the stuff that is under the sand needs to stay there! If you get algea, then work out a solution through another method. Don't ever stick your hand in there and start swirling the sand around. The algea blooms will come and go as you get through your cycle. Just be patient. Running your lights a little less will probably also aid in keeping the algea at bay.

[iVgOnMaD]

Thanx, I wont stirr up my gravel anymore and I wil probably give my fish an afternoon 2hr nap, just to keep algea at bay.

[JustDavidP]

Gravel? If it is, in fact, gravel-like, it may be part of the problem. You really want a sugar fine mix so the detritus and foodstuff etc. does not settle in the nooks and crannies to break down and feed nusiance aglae.

If you mixed older, live sand from the LFS system with your new substrate, there could have been detritus or other nutrients in that LFS sand. It would feed the algae blooms in a cycling tank. As the bed matures, and given the right husbandry, the natural fauna will help eliminate it. As the others said, dont' mix it up too much. A light siphoning of the algae will do. Any deeper and you will interrupt the activity of the bed itself.

You may want to shorten your photo period for a spell at this time too. Depending on the needs of your tank inhabitants. Also, check to see if you have proper flow over the sand bed. Low flow + high nutrient + natural activities of a cycling system = total frustration.

Dave

[iVgOnMaD]

Thanx for the help, and no, its not gravel, its aragonite-sand mix and the live sand was the bagged kind, the one that comes in a bag with water.

Just a question, is the bagged live sand even really alive? I was thinking about it and the live sand needs a supply of oxigen and I wasnt sure if the bag could hold enough oxigen to sustain the live bacteria for an extended period of time...

Am i right or wrong?

[Reef_Angel]

I just went through a horrible algae bloom in one tank I have that has only 2 tangs in it. As I catch up to everything I have going on here on the board, my seahorses and the other tanks, that is soon to become a fish & coral reef. With the two tangs in the tank, I just didn't give them much of a photo period at all. I can safely say that the algae was gone in a week at best. It was a bad bloom! :eek: Again, it can be part of the cycle. Since you don't necessarily need light on the tank as it goes through it's cycle, you can safely shut your lights down until the bloom is under control. Relax! You're doing a super job!:D
.....Angel :angel1:

[JustDavidP]

Angelady...

You really should rethink having your phone numbers out in the open like that.

Sorry...just the security professional in me.

D

[iVgOnMaD]

Well, I added Phosphate remover to one of my H.O.T. Magnum 250 filters and the algea has dissapeared!!! I guess thats all it was. Thanx everyone.

[Sweetpea]

Good to know that everything is working out for you!!!