PInk stuff and brown stuff on sand.

[mane3215]

I have noticed that this pink stuff and brown stuff is starting to grow on my sand over the past week or two. What is it and how do I get rid of it? I will upload a pic tomorrow, too lazy to do it now =).

 

 

Thanks.

[seabass]

Slimy pink on sand would be cyano bacteria; crusty brown is usually diatoms. More flow can help cyano, plus there are a few critters that eat it (like Blue Leg hermits). I’d siphon out cyano on the sand before it spreads. The diatoms should just go away.

[SteveC]

Blue legs eat cyano? This is news to me. I've heard Mexican red legs will eat it but I've never heard that about blue legs. My scarlet reef hermits definitely aren't interested in it. My blue legs never seemed to touch it when they were in the main tank. Maybe there was just too much other stuff to eat.

[seabass]

Every animal has its preferences. I'm sure that not all Blue Legs will eat Cyano, just like not all Peppermint shrimp will eat Aiptasia. If your Blue Legs do eat Cyano that still doesn't mean that they will control it. Increased flow, Cyano eating critters, plus siphoning out Cyano on top of the sand could make it unnecessary to use chemicals. :x

[jdsabin1]

Don't let it go too long or throw in some critters and expect them to magically rid you of cyano. That stuff can get ugly quickly if you let it.

 

If it gets to the point where you're a little uneasy, Boyd's ChemiClean works like a champ. Early on I struggled with it and it started to gain momentum. In goes the Chemiclean, out goes the cyano.

 

I never saw it again.

 

Good luck!