help with red substance

prthd

Reefing newb
Hi, im new here. i have had my tank for about 3 weeks. i know its prob not done cycling, but im noticing some redish sgrowth on the sand. any idea what this might be. i just noticed it last night.

thanks

dave
 
If it's reddish brown it probably diatoms which are normal for a new tank. It will eventually go away. If it's a red slimey stuff then it cyanobacteria and you'll need to take some steps to get rid of it.
 
Can you post a pic?..Than we can give you a definite answer. I agree with the others that it's probably diatom algae. It's normal near the end of a cycle.
 
well i just got home from a friends house, and it appears to be going away already. so someone mentioned that im near the end of my cycle, how much longer do you think.
 
heres a picture of it. it seems to be getting worse.
 

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Do a 30% waterchange,siphoning out as much of cyano as possibe.Then kill the lights for 3 or 4 days.The day you turn the lights back on,do another 30% waterchange and siphon out whats left of the cyano.
That along with getting more flow in there,should help you get a head start on controlling it.
 
Not bad unless it smothers and covers corals. It's just ugly and needs to be taken care of, but it doesn't put your fish in danger or anything.
 
How many and what type of power heads do you have in your tank?
Where are they positioned in the tank?
Are you using tap water or RO/DI water to fill your tank?
 
i originally used tap water, i have no power heads, all i have is a fluval 305. i have a 75 gallon tank, how many power heads should i have. and where should i position them.
 
Oh man...you definitely need powerheads. How many you need will depend on what powerhead(s) you want to buy. There are many options out there with different flow rates and prices. It all depends on how much money you want to spend.

From now on you should only be using ro/di water or distilled water for any water changes or water top offs. Tap water is a big no no in the saltwater world. It has too many bad nutrients and metals in it.
 
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