Brown Algea on sand

[newsalt]

I have this brown algae on my sandbed, and I can't seem to get rid of it. It's been around for almost two months. It seems to have started after I hooked up my calcium reactor. I use RO/DI water, I do a 6g water change every week. I'm running a phosphate reactor 24/7. My bulbs are 2 months old and are on 7hrs a day. I feed every other day. My water params are:

Temp: 78-80 deg. F
pH: 8.2
Ca: 415
Alk: 8.1 dKH
Mg: 1305
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0

When I do a water change, I siphon out as much as I can. If I siphon out anymore, I'll have no sand bed at all. I recently bought the MaxCap D2 kit from Spectrapure to see if it will give me better water. I'm tired of this. It makes the tank look terrible.

Anyone have any advise?

 

[drummereef]

Sounds like a silicate problem. Before getting the new MaxCap had you changed your DI resin? What does your TDS measure? Anyghing over 1 or 2 tds I get diatoms.

 

[michaeldaly]

Is it diatoms(powdery) or dinoflagellates(slimy and traps air bubbles)

 

[newsalt]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9443674#post9443674 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by drummereef
Before getting the new MaxCap had you changed your DI resin?

What does your TDS measure?

Before I added the MaxCap, I changed my resin 2 months ago.

My TDS measures 000. That's with Spectrapure's in-line TDS meter and my Hanna hand held TDS meter.

 

[MarksReef]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9444154#post9444154 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by newsalt
Before I added the MaxCap, I changed my resin 2 months ago.

My TDS measures 000. That's with Spectrapure's in-line TDS meter and my Hanna hand held TDS meter.

That would have been my first guess. how about the age of the bulbs, maybe one had a shift in par?

 

[newsalt]

I'm running 2-250W XM 20k MHs & 2-110W URI Super Actinic V.H.Os. The VHO's were installed 3 months ago. and I just switched to 20k bulbs from 14K 2 weeks ago. So, bulbs are new.

I'm stumpped.

 

[Joshsmit56001]

I have the same problem. I think my cause is my bulbs though, been almost a year for my halides.

 

[Capt_Cully]

I have same problem. Just changed resin last month. Don't have TDS meter. What would changing the resin have to do with it? Is it something I can remedy?

I'll pick up a TDS meter asap.

 

[boxfishpooalot]

It could be leeching from somthing like sand, rocks or making it through the ro/di. It can also come from food that has excess silica in it. Find out where its comin from.

What sand do you use? Did you add anything new like rocks or sand? Change food brands?

Silica sand will esecially leech silica untill the outer edge is exauhested will the diatoms slow down.

You sure its not cyanobacterial slime? Diatoms are brown, cyano is redish brown.

 

[newsalt]

I'm pretty sure it's not cyano. This stuff is a rusty brown color.

I'm using CaribSea sand.

 

[michaeldaly]

Is it slimy, if it is it is probably dinoflaggellates.

 

[newsalt]

If its dinoflaggellates, how do I deal with it?

 

[Capt_Cully]

bump