red sand

[saltyj]

I have a 120 FOWLR and my sand in the front of the tank is always red. Is this common and how do I solve it? I do regular water changes and yes my lights are a little old but it doesn't seem like its algae. It almost seems as if its coraline on the sand.

 

[saltyguy51]

Are you on a well for your water supply?

 

[LauraCline]

It's Cyano. To get rid of it siphon it out. To prevent it from coming back or spreading, make sure you have plenty of flow, it tends to accumulate in dead spots. Use 0 TDS RO/DI water and rinse your frozen foods before feeding and make sure not to overfeed.

 

[saltyj]

saltyguy51-No I'm on city water and use an RO filter

Laura-I know what Cyano looks like and this doesn't look anything like it. Its not forming a "sheet" over the sand. It's discoloring the individual sand particles. Look in my gallery at some of my pics with the lights on and you'll see it.

 

[LisaD]

what happens if you try stirring up the sand?

if it's coralline, I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[saltyj]

If I stir it, it's less red because it mixes with the other sand. I have a ton of flow. I have a mag 9.5, two Koralia 4's and two smaller powerheads. and one Koralia is focused on this area so I don't think its a flow issue. LisaD did you look at the pics in my gallery?

 

[saltyguy51]

I have that problem, but mine looks like its a rusty red color but Im on well water and I have high phosphates. If I keep my lights off more and dont feed any flake food it not as bad.

 

[LisaD]

I saw your gallery pics, but couldn't get that good a great view - small screen and bad eyes.

It looks to me like it's not coralline or slime algae, but that it is some kind of algae. I'd stir up the surface periodically, and not worry about what is showing under the surface against the glass. I have something similar in my deep sand bed (not the surface, the part against the glass, under the sand).