Help - red algae !

[kotlec]

After 7 month of succsessful duty, something screwed up . All over sand red (brown) algae started to grow. I added two more fish ,but not increased feeding much as thought i was overfeeding already. My SPS was browning, so I decided there was too much nutrition in tank. But after tests phosphates and nitrates was undetectable. So browning corals are mystery and now this ... :evil:
Where should i start to dig ?

[iggy]

Make sure you have correct algae identification
Red Turf Algae, Dinoflagellates, and cyanobacteria can be confused often

Cyano likes low flow, high nutrients as phosphate and DOC, and high light.

1- When did you change bulbs last? 3 months is recommended in most cases.
2 - Measure flow to screen versus when you started as well. A larger pump may be necessary.
3 - Make sure RO/DI resin is not exhausted by TDS meter
4 - Discontinue all flake food and liquid coral foods.
5 - Turn off halides for three days, water will become crystal clean. Cyano runs out of energy with out light quickly as a partial cure.
6 - run diatom filter with carbon powder as a second coat. I use discontinued Whisper Diatomagic. Despite banter much research indicates cyano can extract nutrient from DOC, DOM in water.
7 - Remove cyano with water change but do not disturb/stir sand bed in process. Stirring will release nutrients that would otherwise leach out slowly.
8 - I treated once with chemiclean when cyano was starting to decline and it never came back in 4 months. I had a thick tuft that was only on rocks and perhaps different from other types of cyano.
9 - Only take advise from people who there tanks with healthy corals

Since my cyano vanished is has very slowly been replace by bubble algae and red turf algae requiring some herbivores.

[SantaMonica]

Last bulb change and pump cleaning was when?

[kotlec]

Bulb 2 weeks ago
Pump -4 month

Just used liquid coral food before this disaster.

All looks like sand starts to color in purple at first. Then it becomes like light fur later. Sand particles are stuck together if I try to stir it.

[Aeros]

Currently battling the same stuff. It's definitely Cyanobacteria. This is my second go around with the stuff. But as before it is dissipating.

SM recommended in other threads re: this stuff to not dose chemi-clean or like so as to not overload you ats.

I have been successful by just riding it out.

I blame my laziness of not installing an ats until I had an GHA problem. That's going away and I feel is feeding the Cyanobacteria.

My SPS browned a lil too. But they are coloring up again and have better than ever growth. A lil extra dozing of carbonate helps. Nothing of 14 and not long over 12.

As with a things, give it time.

To make you feel better: my bro runs a too weak ats for his 180. Battled this for 6 months doing PWCs weekly and ended up getting chemi-clean to finally do anything for him. Where mine barely amounted to anything without so much as one WC. And is now even clearing up following the same practice.

Hope I helped 8)

[kotlec]

Aeros,

I apreciate your help, but feel so stupid not understanding half of what you say.

Do I am understanding you :

1. I have cyano ?
2. Usage of any chemical cyano removers are not recommended or it will destroy my ATS ?
3. I need carbonate, not more than 12. What is that ?
4. Time will solve it ? How much time ?
5. ATS itself solved your bros cyano in two week time with single water change ?

Sorry for my limited understandability.

[kotlec]

Iggy,

Do I leave actinic, when halides of ? Or I leave tank in darkness at all ? BTW im on LEDs.

Regards

[iggy]

I would wait till progress slows and then just leave halides off, and leave T5's on. But really it's up to you. I just remove most of the intensity.

[Rumpy Pumpy]

2. Usage of any chemical cyano removers are not recommended or it will destroy my ATS ?


I had loads of it at one stage, got rid of it pretty much overnight with "Ultra Life Red Slime Remover".

Made bugger all difference to the scrubber.


Then I got loads of green cyano instead! (looks like hair algae but nothing will eat it)

Still have a bit of that but it's slowly going.

[Floyd R Turbo]

Cyano likes low flow,

I thought it was the opposite of this. I thought Cyano hated flow.

[Aeros]

Aeros,

I apreciate your help, but feel so stupid not understanding half of what you say.

Do I am understanding you :

1. I have cyano ?
2. Usage of any chemical cyano removers are not recommended or it will destroy my ATS ?
3. I need carbonate, not more than 12. What is that ?
4. Time will solve it ? How much time ?
5. ATS itself solved your bros cyano in two week time with single water change ?

Sorry for my limited understandability.

1: you have an outbreak of Cyanobacteria. It's either red or green slime. Not quite algae not quite bacteria.
2: if you are running an ATS it is not recommended to use a chemical solution to cure Cyanobacteria as it will overload the ATS.
3: to get your SPS to color up more you can increase your carbonate hardness (KH), also known as alkalinity to 14. Just don't keep it over 12 for long as it's assumed it will harm your corals long term.
4: time to solve depends on your system. If you have a strong nutrient export system via ATS, then a month. If ypu have a weak ATS, and you are only doing water changes, then maybe six months as in my brothers case.
5: My bothers ATS is barely functional. He did power water changes weekly without an effect. And finally dosed a chemical to help. It took out 90%. The rest faded over a month.


I have a sand sifting goby to help cycle waste from the sand bed. Dunno if that helped.


Cyanbacteria grows in low flow. It can't stck under high flow and will blow into the water column.

Light is not really a factor as much as flow and nutrient export. I don't recommend turning out your halides as it will flourish even under PCs/t5s.

[SantaMonica]

The "cyano does not like flow" issue is caused by the cyano being able to fix N coming out of the rocks. High flow disrupts the N that it's trying to get from the rocks. Of course if your scrubber is strong enough, the N is not a problem.

"Lights out" should not be done with scrubbers. It causes algae in the display to put nutrients back into the water, and this causes the scrubber to grow darker, which is less efficient. You want as much algae in the system as possible, whether or not the algae is in the display too.

Coral browning is caused by high N and P. Which means the scrubber is weak.

Never feed liquid coral food if you are having nutrinets problems. Liquid put huge amounts if N and P directly into the water, causing the scrubber to grow darker and less effective.

Chemipure, if it's just carbon, is OK since it just remove DOC and does not slow the scrubber.

GAC, however, removes P, and this slows scrubber growth.

Bottom line, a strong scrubber fixes all these tank problems.

[kotlec]

Thanks for input all

That was very good amount of information I needed. Now im ready for war with bad stuff .
BTW today all looks already better than before.

Regards

[Donj]

sorry to butt in, but I forgot where you get your new bulbs for a decent price.I know SM has a link up somewhere. thanks.

[SantaMonica]

1000bulbs.com

[Floyd R Turbo]

T5HO 24" lamps - cheapest anywhere at $32 for 8 ($4 each) and most of the time, no shipping.

https://www.aghydroponics.com/T5-2Ft-Gr ... 248308.htm (https://www.aghydroponics.com/T5-2Ft-Grow-Bulbs-24W-HO-3000k-8pack-p/litbulbt5-pxfl248308.htm)

[kotlec]

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5074/5900260143_7f6d5a8606_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/sauliusle/5900260143/)

Do you guys thing this is good harvest from 16G tank in 6 days ?

Today I have new wave of ciano invasion. :(

[iggy]

"Lights out" should not be done with scrubbers. It causes algae in the display to put nutrients back into the water, and this causes the scrubber to grow darker, which is less efficient. You want as much algae in the system as possible, whether or not the algae is in the display too.

I have seen shades of green come and go week by week in the scrubber. I do not want algae in the display to have a more efficient scrubber. I would follow with a large water change, but I know you do not do that either.


GAC, however, removes P, and this slows scrubber growth.

Typically GAC removes dissolved organics while leaking inorganic phosphates, while it is fresh and not constricted by a biofilm.

[kotlec]

Today found dead snail. Is it possible it rooting poisoned tank enough for cyano rush ?
Is there indication why snails die ? Or I was just unlucky to buy very old snail ? :lol:

[Rumpy Pumpy]

Today found dead snail. Is it possible it rooting poisoned tank enough for cyano rush ?
Is there indication why snails die ? Or I was just unlucky to buy very old snail ? :lol:


You can never tell.

I bought 8 turbo snails just over a year ago, all from the same place at the same time. 4 died within a few months and the other four have thrived.

[SantaMonica]

Do you guys thing this is good harvest from 16G tank in 6 days ?

Today I have new wave of ciano invasion.

I have to say this every now and then: It does not matter how much your scrubber grows; it matters how strong your scrubber is. They are two different things. Two huge wrestlers can get into a lock-up and barely move, because each is so strong. But if one of them is just a little weaker, and gets pushed backwards a little... then he goes over the edge. Going over the edge would be "green growth", even if just a little.

Your cyano... or any other display "problem", is just from a weak scrubber. Either give it more time to "push back", or make it stronger.

From the growth you have... dark but no yellow... you need stronger lights.


I would follow with a large water change, but I know you do not do that either.

Ah yes, if you do a water change, or any other manual way to remove nutrients, then lights-out is fine since the nutrients don't make it to the scrubber.


Typically GAC removes dissolved organics while leaking inorganic phosphates, while it is fresh and not constricted by a biofilm.

My mistake... I meant GFO to remove P. Reading patents all day has got my head spinning.

[kotlec]

Santa,

Thanks for clearing this once more . Now I really got it.

[itzrulez]

what means GFO?
sorry...

[SantaMonica]

Granular Ferric Oxide.... removes phosphate.

[itzrulez]

uhm..
in US, they sell it by what price?