Help! What is this algae???

[LeleganceCoral]

Originally thought this was some coralline but it took about a second to see it was growing over other algae, and taking over leading me to think it is bad. What do i do?

 

[Uncle99]

I see cyano and some green pest stuff.
Can be associated with unstable chemistry.
What are parameters and what would be the flux

 

[LeleganceCoral]

I see cyano and some green pest stuff.
Can be associated with unstable chemistry.
What are parameters and what would be the flux

i have not checked parameters in a while i will check today and let you know. Any way to remove the cyano before it gets worse?

 

[Uncle99]

i have not checked parameters in a while i will check today and let you know. Any way to remove the cyano before it gets worse?

Blow off with turkey baster and suck it out.
Once you determine if parameters are “off” you can use chemi clean to rid it after issue is corrected.

Focus on temp, salinity, nitrate and phosphate levels.

 

[Biokabe]

Blow off with turkey baster and suck it out.
Once you determine if parameters are “off” you can use chemi clean to rid it after issue is corrected.

Focus on temp, salinity, nitrate and phosphate levels.

Note, also, that ChemiClean is kind of the nuclear option when it comes to cyano. It works, but it can cause problems and it's pretty annoying to use. It can stress out corals, you have to take some of your filtration offline while it's being used, and it can lead to a pretty drastic nutrient spike that can fuel a later algae bloom.

Figure out what is giving the cyano a foothold and try to address that before using ChemiClean. Otherwise it will just come back in the future, so you'll have all the negatives without the positive of being free from cyano.

 

[LeleganceCoral]

Note, also, that ChemiClean is kind of the nuclear option when it comes to cyano. It works, but it can cause problems and it's pretty annoying to use. It can stress out corals, you have to take some of your filtration offline while it's being used, and it can lead to a pretty drastic nutrient spike that can fuel a later algae bloom.

Figure out what is giving the cyano a foothold and try to address that before using ChemiClean. Otherwise it will just come back in the future, so you'll have all the negatives without the positive of being free from cyano.

I have been feeding more lateley, i think that may have an issue i will cut back on feeding.

 

[LeleganceCoral]

Blow off with turkey baster and suck it out.
Once you determine if parameters are “off” you can use chemi clean to rid it after issue is corrected.

Focus on temp, salinity, nitrate and phosphate levels.

Just cleaned it off, temp is 79.5 salinity is 1.025 and nitrates and phosphates are 2 and 0.1, most are getting sucked up by algae i think.

 

[Uncle99]

Just cleaned it off, temp is 79.5 salinity is 1.025 and nitrates and phosphates are 2 and 0.1, most are getting sucked up by algae i think.

Those numbers fine.
I see a window…..outside light not helpful.
How much of that light does the tank get and does it heat up your water…

 

[LeleganceCoral]

I see a window…..outside light not helpful.
How much of that light does the tank get and does it heat up your water…

The light is very indirect and hits the tank for around an hour each day before moving on, there is also a lot of tree coverage over that window further shading it. Temp changes so minimally i cant notice in that hour.

 

[Uncle99]

The light is very indirect and hits the tank for around an hour each day before moving on, there is also a lot of tree coverage over that window further shading it. Temp changes so minimally i cant notice in that hour.

Just something to consider.

I had to eliminate mine. The spectrum favours the green stuff IMM.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Originally thought this was some coralline but it took about a second to see it was growing over other algae, and taking over leading me to think it is bad. What do i do?

This is cyano can be blown away with a turkey baster and siphoned. Cyano blooms typically emerge when nutrient concentrations of phosphate, nitrate and other organic compounds are too high where there are areas with little flow, detritus builds up and becomes a base for cyano. Water changes are important unlike what the perception of not doing one which reduces the organic content that feeds cyano.
Some of the most common causes include:
- Protein skimmer which fills water with air bubbles which form from the reaction chamber, dissolved organic compound molecules stick to them. Foam forms at the surface of the water and is then transferred to a collection cup, where it settles as skim-mate. When a protein skimmer has low efficiency or you do not have a suitable size protein skimmer to keep up with the tank, the air bubbles created might be insufficient and can trigger cyano outbreak .
- Use of Aminos which actually feed them.
- Overstocking / overfeeding, yourtank with nutrients is often the cause of a cyano bloom
- Adding live rock that isn’t completely cured will act as a breeding ground for this red slime .
- If you don’t change your water regularly, you’ll soon have this red algae. Regular water changes dissolve nutrients that feed cyano which keeps your tank clear
- Using water with nitrates or phosphates is a welcome mat for cyano. Tap water is an example of po4 and no3 introduction.
- Inadequate water flow is often a chief cause of cyano blooms as slow moving water combined with excessive dissolved nutrients is a welcome mat for red slime algae development

I recommend to reduce white light intensity or even turn them off for 3-5 days. Add liquid bacteria daily for a week during the day at 1.5ml per 10 gallons. Add Hydrogen peroxide at night at 1ml per 10 gallons. Add a pouch of chemipure Elite which will balance phos and nitrate and keep them in check.

After the 5 days, add a few snails such as cerith, margarita, astrea and nassarius plus 6-8 blue leg hermits to take control.