Brown sand

[Fishie Nut]

I've got great water chemistry:
Current water parameters:
Salinity: 1.025 (refractometer)
Temperature: 79-80
(All Salifert tests)
N02: 0
N03: >5
NH4: 0
pH: 8.3 (AC jr)
dKH: 3.1 (8.2)
Ca: 420
Mg: 1200
P04: 0
ORP: 375-400

I had a temperature problem over the weekend and lost four fish -- ohmygod! My chiller blew. Boy, my sand was white.

Anyway, I've got this beautiful white sand in the bottom and it's turning brown. I run carbon, de-nitrate, have a large skimmer. How can I keep the tank white -- My lights HQI are on 10 hours, Actinics 12 hours. Should I reduce the halides?

[sir_dudeguy]

i cant remember but is NO3 nitrate or nitrite? i can never remember that stuff lol.

Anyways, how old is the tank? if its new, then its prolly just a normal algae phase...but whats your cleanup crew?

But the 4 dead fish has my bet that it was them that fed the algae...test for nitrates and phosphates at night and see if you get a different reading.

[Fishie Nut]

I got three out, can't find the fourth. What a disaster. my Xenia shrivled up as did my leather and sinularia. Lost some SPS too, totally white.
I tested N03 and it reads 0, as does P04. I thought it to be diatomes, but I'd like to get rid of it.

[sir_dudeguy]

how old is the tank tho? and whats the amonia at? i did a google search and it shows that no3 is nitrate, po4 is phosphate, and no2 is nitrite...so how about amonia? that can and will cause your corals and stuff to close up, along with grow algae.

[Apocallypse]

brown could be diatoms, need more discription. If you have a fish dead still in the tank, it is probably starting to decompose.

If you can't find your dead fish, I would start daily water changes. If you can and have another tank maybe a QT tank start moving your xenia's in there or the rock they are on in the tank and provide the temp tank with a heater lighting and some filtration.

one your move all your corals, carefully start search though the rocks to find your dead fish. or do a large water change (50%) then daily 10% changes. treat the tank as if its cycling for the first time. check your ammonia levels, nitrite and nitrate, calcium and alk and PH till everything is back to 0.

then put back your corals.