What is this in the sand?

Can someone tell me what the brown stuff is on the sand. I can't really tell what color it is because I am color blind. Thanks!

 

From that pic it looks golden brown.

How old is the tank? It could be diatoms. Is it a dusting or slimy, hairy, is there bubbles in it?

 

The tank is about 2.5 months old. Diatoms I need to look them up. It's not slimy.

 

cyanobacteria?

 

At 2.5 months i would guess diatoms and it will probably get worse through its cycle and then will go away.

If it looks slimy or gets bubbles in it, i would say cyanobacteria.

 

Thanks for the help guys!! I am pretty sure it just diatoms. Not slimy and no bubbles. I moved my flow lump to help keep if off the sand. I'll will keep an eye on it of course and reply with an update ! Thanks again

 

good news! flow should help

 

Flow is not helping. It got worse today! Lol How should I position the flow in the tank?

 

Diatoms are a pain the a$#!
Lighting encourages the growth. You'll notice at night the sand looks clean, an hr after lights on in the am and you have a light dusting and by the end of the day your sand has more.

Diatoms are from silica, often occurs in new tanks.
What water are you using? Any additives added? the food you use.

When you do your water changes, are you vacuuming the sand bed and blowing off the rocks?

 

The Top off water is the water out of my faucet with some prime in to get rid of the chlorine. Feeding brine or mysis once a day, about 1/5th of a cube.I have not vacuumed the sand with a water change i have another one to do this weekend. Upon the advice of the LFS when i was there on Saturday, i bought some phosphate stuff for the media basked. Usually they beads are white this time they were a brown color? Not sure what it is but they said i should get it. Should i stop listening to the LFS? I don't think they would do me wrong, but hey ya never know. There has been some algaee forming on my whip over the past few days also. Could this just be the "ugly" part?