Not sure what forum to put this under, but I've stinky sand!

I dont know if this more appropriately belongs under; Sand, Water Chemistry or Algae or something else. Here's my original post http://www.3reef.com/forums/water-chemistry/high-phosphates-78595.html

What's appearing on my sand is brown/greenish stringy stuff that will contain a small bubble, but it's all over the sand and now starting on the rock. I siphon it up, but then it's back by the next day. Also, when I siphon it up it stinks. I've never had anything stink in the tank before. I'm thinking what caused this is I'd scraped a bunch of algae (film) and coralline algae off the side walls of the tank. I'd scooped some of it up, but probably left too much in there. Could this have caused the phospates to go up and in turn cause this crap that's growing on the sand? Two days ago I put Phosban in the reactor and it seems to have slowed the growth of this junk, but it's still appearing! I've siphoned out at least 15gallons of water sucking up the sand. I don't know what else could have caused this to start. I use chromaplex, phytomax and frozen cubes of brine/spirulina that i put garlic/Zoe/Zoecon on. Phyto was only being used every few days as well as the chromaplex. I've a brain coral, pipe organ, favia and several diff types mushrooms and zoas/palys. I've approx 15 fish in a 110g tank w/30g sump/refugium. Usually only feed one cube and sometimes 2 with a small chunk of nori clipped for the foxface and hippo tang. I'm running a Reef Octopus skimmer, UV sterilizer and a phos reactor. ALSO, water params such as PH, Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrates are all 100%. Phosphate test seems to show .25 to.5 whereas it should be 0. Am i forgetting something or is it going to diminish on it's own soon or what?

Any thoughts would be much appreciated. Oh yeah, I DO use RO/DI water.

 

I would drastically reduce your phytoplex and chromoplex

I would run one of the phosphate removers too. Partially broken down uneaten food was probably released out of the sand when you stirred it up. You have to remember, we're dealing with enclosed systems. All phosphates put in, have to be removed. You can do this with good protein skimming, using macroalgaes or turf algaes, and phosphate removers. Water changes don't remove a substantial amount of them (as algaes, phyto, bacteria nab them right away). They can also chemically adsorb onto CaCO3 which is what your rock and sand is made of.

 

What type of fish do you have? That sounds like it could be a lot of fish, especially if you have larger types like tangs, angels or foxface.

 

thank you for your replies! Inwall, I'd wondered if the plex/max was part of the equation so I quit adding that a few days ago. I also just swapped out the Corallife super skimmer 125 with the Reef Octopus, but that was after the 'outbreak' had already started. The Phosban is a phosphate remover and I'm thinking that's what slowed the growth of that junk. It just amazes me how In the 4+ years I've had this tank running that I've never had this problem before.

Guitarman, 6 chromis, 1 each of: Foxface, flame angel, royal gramma, combtooth blenny, yellow tail damsel, 2" hippo tang, golden rainbow wrasse, 1.5"high fin/red banded goby and a diamond goby.