Carib Sea Arag-ALive Fiji Pink Substrate?!

[NanaReefer]

I'm removing my SB as well. A little at a time with every WC. Whatever this crap is it's persistent! Now it's turning green around the bottom of my rock and all along the SB in the back. Something is definitely messed up.
But on a good note all my corals are thriving as are fish & inverts.

 

[dallas cowboys]

I posted the 'brown residue' question on IO's FB page. Was told "it is a harmless by product from the mining process"

Yes I still have this horrible looking nasty issue! I've removed about 2-3lbs of substrate already. Will slowly continue to do so until it's completely gone. I've found no other option as no matter what I've done it just won't go away.

I've gone from black box led to a Radion Gen3. From bi-weekly WC to weekly. From feeding 2x a day to 1x. Invested in a much bigger skimmer.
Tried ChemiClean. This has been going on for almost 2yrs now.

Hello I have the same issue have been a problem for the past several months. I will go and by the product and see if it works, thanks for the blog.

 

[Congaken]

Hello I have the same issue have been a problem for the past several months. I will go and by the product and see if it works, thanks for the blog.

After you clean the sand, is there a period where its white before it turns brown again?...I'm sure that you've thought of this...because then it would be diatoms or some type of algae...

 

[NanaReefer]

I don't "clean" the sand. I'm simply removing it all at this point.

 

[Congaken]

I don't "clean" the sand. I'm simply removing it all at this point.

so you never turn it over and mix it around?

 

[dallas cowboys]

After you clean the sand, is there a period where its white before it turns brown again?...I'm sure that you've thought of this...because then it would be diatoms or some type of algae...

Yes it comes right back, tomorrow I am buying Instant Ocean Bio Spria and see if that works. I have read a lot of blogs of the past few days and a lot of people have tried this with success.

 

[NanaReefer]

so you never turn it over and mix it around?

Use to but it just comes right back. So I no longer bother.

 

[chris124]

Yes it comes right back, tomorrow I am buying Instant Ocean Bio Spria and see if that works. I have read a lot of blogs of the past few days and a lot of people have tried this with success.

Let us know if it works. Can you post some pics so I can compare it to my problem?

 

[NanaReefer]

I'm so freaking frustrated with whatever this crap is. Started a ChemiClean treatment Friday morning. Woke this morning to a clean SB. Several hours into lighting cycle SB is once again showing signs of this crap.
Only now it's spread to my rock too.
In the last 2yrs I've tried 2wks of H2O2 treatment. 4wks of 6ml 2x wk Vibrant treatment. ChemiClean treatment twice also. I'm lost as to what else to do.
I've lowered my max intensity to just 55% from 65%.

 

[chris124]

I'm so freaking frustrated with whatever this crap is. Started a ChemiClean treatment Friday morning. Woke this morning to a clean SB. Several hours into lighting cycle SB is once again showing signs of this crap.
Only now it's spread to my rock too.
In the last 2yrs I've tried 2wks of H2O2 treatment. 4wks of 6ml 2x wk Vibrant treatment. ChemiClean treatment twice also. I'm lost as to what else to do.
I've lowered my max intensity to just 55% from 65%.

I feel your pain. Im pretty sure I have the same problem as you. I can do a blackout. Turn the lights back on and I might get a day of white sand and thats if im lucky. This has been going on for almost a year now. My LFS maintains tanks so im thinking about biting the bullet and let them see what they can do. I just hate to have do that cause its not cheap. Other than that my fish and few coral I have are happy. But the brown sand just ruins the whole look of the tank for me.

 

[NanaReefer]

Not to sound like a butt head but I'm glad I'm not alone-lol. My corals and fish are all thriving. If not for this SB issue I'd have started a tank thread. Kinda vain I know but I've worked so hard on my tank. Drilled, plumbed and built my own sump. This SB is definitely an eye sore

 

[chris124]

I got a headache thinking about it today. But someone has to figure it out eventually. Just wondering what sand are you using?

 

[NanaReefer]

I got a headache thinking about it today. But someone has to figure it out eventually. Just wondering what sand are you using?

The title of this thread tells you what substrate I'm using [emoji6]

 

[chris124]

Oh there it is.

 

[firefishalumacraft]

Have you looked at it under a microscope? You'd be shocked to what you'd see, its Amphidinium dinoflagellates. Im currently fighting the same in my 75g SPS tank I started in June 2017. I shut down a 150g mixed reef for the 75g using only the rock and corals. Only thing I bought all new was Fiji Pink live sand and I've been fighting this for 4 weeks I've tried everything you mentioned and H2O2 helped a ton but I get small patches. Im at the point of trying Dino X then if that fails I'm removing my sand bed, killing it with acid and bleach then putting it back slowly after its been dried out and soaking in RO/DI water.

 

[mcarroll]

@firefishalumacraft stop what you're doing and peruse this thread:
Dinoflagellates – Are You Tired Of Battling Altogether?

Drop me a note in the thread or to PM when you get a chance and we'll get you turned around.....in a nutshell you're heading in the wrong direction and that's why you're not making progress. See you there!


(Same goes for anyone else on this thread....no more crazy attacks on algae with household cleaners or cargo ship ballast water treatments!!! Click over to the thread linked above and drop me a note....or in PM after you read the thread....at least post #1. Everyone else on the thread is very helpful too!!!!!!!)

 

[firefishalumacraft]

mcarroll I send you a conversation invite

 

[Moe K]

So I just deleted a long rant of hateraid I spewed on instant ocoan fiji pink sand without seeing the last 3 posts above mine. LOL

So this thread has stopped about a year ago. So it is a form of dinos and not diatoms? Has someone else confirmed this? Will slightly raising nitrates or phosphates solve this sand bed issue?

Thanks.

 

[gcrawford]

Mines going on 6yrs old.... can’t blame it on substrate, but if you don’t like it siphon it out.

 

[Subnautica]

It is weird I'm having the same problem as well. Fiji Pink 5 months in. Had cyano outbreak before. As soon as cyano disappeared, this thing popped up. Been fighting it for weeks.

I posted this on Facebook and everybody said Diatom is a normal phase. Some of them laughed at me. what the heck?