Sump sand turning bacl on surface

[ZeRoC00l]

Need some explaination here..

My tank 2 mths only, with LR, and 2 clowns.

Recently my sand in the sump turned black! patches slowly started appearing and spread over the surface..

I'll post a pict soon.

Is something wrong?

At least when i test,

NO3: 0

PH: 8.2 - 8.5

Temp: 27-28

Ca: 600 [still very high]

** I dose marine buffer.

Thank you

[Tanzy]

Does the sand in the sump get any light?

Pick up a bit of the black stuff and smell it. What does it smell of?

Is it a DSB or just for filtration?

What is the grain size?

[ZeRoC00l]

Grade size: #1

DSB w/ pleum

Lightings for sump ~22hr

smell: normal sea smell

click here to view Black sand in sump

[Tanzy]

Is the black stuff stringy and sticking together, forming mats that gunk your sand together?

If you look closely, it's not black, it's actually dark blue-green. It's green cyanobacteria. As long as it stays in the sump it's ok.

Don't worry, it's not anaerobic areas. If it is, your nose will tell you.

[ZeRoC00l]

The black thing is not stringy or sticky. It looks more like fish poop.. though i dun have any fish in the sump...

if it is green cynaobacteria, is it good? or bad??

And may i know what you mean tt is it is anaerobic area, my nose will know? You mean it stinks like hell?

Still very new to the chemical side of this hobby..

Any 1 more thing, may I know how to get rid of the pink/red algae?

It is starting to grow on my LPS calcium body.

Thank you.

[CKS]

if it is green cynaobacteria, might be an indication of high dissolved nutrient, they're some kind of toxin photosysthesis bateria.

ur pods population might decrease if they're feeding on it, but aging/dying cynaobacteria would serve as "safe" food for the pods, thus increasing the population.

try exporting more nutrient.

pink/red algea? not coraline is it?

picture?

[Tanzy]

I'm pretty sure it's green cyanobacteria. If you don't like it, just scoop out the top layer of sand with it and throw it away. It will keep coming back as long as there is high dissolved organic carbon in the water.

How's your macroalgae doing? You need to export more nutrient. A better skimmer might help, but as I said, it it stays in the sump but doesn't get to the maintank, it's ok.

Black anaerobic areas produce hydrogen sulphide which smells like rotten eggs.

[hongqixian]

*Ahem* and deep sand beds have anaerobic areas with nasty black patches that stink after a few months if you pull them out. If this isn't done I can imagine what happens if the sand bed gets disturbed...

[ZeRoC00l]

I'm pretty sure it's green cyanobacteria. If you don't like it, just scoop out the top layer of sand with it and throw it away. It will keep coming back as long as there is high dissolved organic carbon in the water.

How's your macroalgae doing? You need to export more nutrient. A better skimmer might help, but as I said, it it stays in the sump but doesn't get to the maintank, it's ok.

Black anaerobic areas produce hydrogen sulphide which smells like rotten eggs.

My algae [looks like FW java moss] hasn't really been growing very fast.

It's still green and growing, but not as fast as what I read.

Or anyone got some spare algae to pass to me?

My skimmer just the air stone type, just skim some cloudy stuff now tt's all. But the previous few days were dark green/blue stuff.