ID algae please!

I got some dark brown algae that is caking over my sand in my tank. I try to get rid of it but dont know what it is. Anyone have any ideas?

 

cyanobacteria most likely.

 

I have the same problem. My paramiters are all in check, and I do water changes every week, but It comes back. So I know how you feel.

Does yours look like this

 

link248- yours looks like diatoms which are common in newly-cycled tanks and will disappear on their own. Removing it generally prolongs it's existence; adding algicides may fuel other forms of nuisance algae when it dies off.

The SurgeonSween- we need a pic or at least a better description as well as some background about your tank and parameters to determine your type of algae; dino and cyano can also be brown, depending on lighting as well as other circumstances.

 

My tank is not new. I have had this set up for over 6 months. Everything was in a 29 gallon tank since oct.

It's not diatoms, it's not a powder and doesn't grow any where else but my sand. It forms in clumps on my sand

 

Did you introduce any new silicates (plastics, such as powerheads, heaters, etc)? I bought a new heater at about 8 months of my tank being up and I had a giant bloom.

 

no, the only thing that i have introduced is a clean up crew from reefcleaners. Very ironic

 

dinoflagellates are similar to diatoms not really a big deal. do some water changes replace your carbon and add more flow to those areas

 

yours sounds like diatoms. is the tank fairly new? the sand probably had some silicates in it and need to just mature a bit