Algae ID

Marcus Carter · Feb 17, 2014

wuuzzzuuppp · Feb 17, 2014

It kinda looks like bubble algae to me. Are they hollow on the inside or is that an air bubble sitting on the outside of the algae?

Reefing Madness · Feb 17, 2014

Looks like normal old Green Film Algae, wipe it off.

Marcus Carter · Feb 18, 2014

wuuzzzuuppp said:
It kinda looks like bubble algae to me. Are they hollow on the inside or is that an air bubble sitting on the outside of the algae?

They are hollow air bubbles. I found 3 uneaten silversides in the tank. Ammonia was a little high, but I thought a simple water change and cleaning would fix it...it comes right back 2 days later.

Marcus Carter · Feb 18, 2014

I cleaned it twice so far, it's not getting better.

wuuzzzuuppp · Feb 18, 2014

Here is an algae Id guide. it kinda looks like the calothrix one too. Hope it helps! Nuisance Algae ID Guide

wuuzzzuuppp · Feb 18, 2014

Something is fueling it. Too much nutrients. It's throwing your tank out of whack. Are you sure you got all of the uneaten silversides?

Marcus Carter · Feb 18, 2014

wuuzzzuuppp said:
Something is fueling it. Too much nutrients. It's throwing your tank out of whack. Are you sure you got all of the uneaten silversides?

I'm sure, I even tore the tank apart and rescaped it. Nothing... I got carbon and GFO in there but still nothing.

Marcus Carter · Feb 18, 2014

Reefing Madness said:
Looks like normal old Green Film Algae, wipe it off.

When I do, it comes right back.

Marcus Carter · Feb 18, 2014

wuuzzzuuppp said:
Something is fueling it. Too much nutrients. It's throwing your tank out of whack. Are you sure you got all of the uneaten silversides?

All levels are perfect except for Calcium...it was a little lower than normal...380ppm

Marcus Carter · Feb 18, 2014

It's starting to look like calothrix the more I research it.

GHill762 · Feb 18, 2014

Marcus Carter said:
When I do, it comes right back.

if you wipe it off make sure you export it out of the tank (siphon, by hand, whatever).. don't let it float away. eventually with water changes and exporting that gross stuff, you'll be in good shape.

NanaReefer · Feb 18, 2014

Looks very much like Cyanobacteria to me. Especially in pic of the power head.

Marcus Carter · Feb 18, 2014

GHill762 said:
if you wipe it off make sure you export it out of the tank (siphon, by hand, whatever).. don't let it float away. eventually with water changes and exporting that gross stuff, you'll be in good shape.

When I wipe it, I usually let it float around just like any other water change, then I siphon it out. I will just have to siphon it out as you stated. Thanx!

Marcus Carter · Feb 18, 2014

NanaReefer said:
Looks very much like Cyanobacteria to me. Especially in pic of the power head.

The red that you see in the powerhead is coralline algae. Although the nuisance algae that's growing is green, brown and red, with a lot of bubbles and strings.

NanaReefer · Feb 19, 2014

Marcus Carter said:
The red that you see in the powerhead is coralline algae. Although the nuisance algae that's growing is green, brown and red, with a lot of bubbles and strings.

I am referring to pic #3.

wuuzzzuuppp · Feb 19, 2014

NanaReefer said:
Looks very much like Cyanobacteria to me. Especially in pic of the power head.

The red in picture 3 does look like Cyanobacteria for sure. Also the Calothrix is another type of Cyanobacteria which is what the green stuff looks like.