A maroonish colored film

sslater0679

sslater0679

New member
I have a maroonish colored film that is starting to form on the inside of my tank, and on the intake of my filter (marineland emperor 400) Ive had the tank up and running for about a month now. My levels are testing good. Its a 29g tank with live sand and live rock, i have a few CUC and one cardinal. Im wanting to clean it off, but i dont want to disrupt anything.

Thanks, Spencer
 
that would be cyano algae. just another process in the cycle. if you remove it, it's probably a good idea to do a water change.you're getting a breakdown of something or overfeeding causing it.
 
chimmike said:
that would be cyano algae. just another process in the cycle. if you remove it, it's probably a good idea to do a water change.you're getting a breakdown of something or overfeeding causing it.
Click to expand...

So just to be clear, do a water change after i clean the glass? I dont think im overfeeding my cardinal, he eats what i give him in just a couple of minutes so there is not a whole lot of extra food floating around. Unless its getting sucked into the filter and causing the problem there. Should i be changing the filters when they just start to look dirty?
 
I had a similar cyano outbreak during the initial cycle. I assumed it was sparked by the LR die off.
 
Getting cyano early in the life of the tank can be part of the natural cycle. It can be caused by old bulbs, too much nutrient, too low flow, etc. Posting your actual parameters and telling more about the tank can help people give you specific advice - what type of lighting? What do you use for flow? What do you test for and what are the results? What water changes have you done?
 
It's probably cyanobacteria. Do you use RO/DI water? I believe silicates from tap water may contribute to cyano.
 
First off, I'd get that cardinal outta there...Do you have a friend with a mature system that could house the fish while your tank finishes cycling? At 'about a month', I doubt that your tank is ready for fish. Have you even had the initial ammonia spike yet? What are your nitrates testing at?
IMO, cycling a tank with fish is just plain cruel...

+1 on all other suggestions given so far...
 
Last edited:
*if it is actually cyanobacteria that's the problem here*

a protein skimmer works wonders on cutting back organics.
fwiw meaty frozen foods (such as those usually fed to a Cardinalfish) can be a huge contributor to red slime (cyano) growth.
 
When you do a water change you can use the hose to siphon out the cyanobactera, two birds with one stone. Decreasing the amount of time your lights are on and adding a skimmer would also help. I've had success with raising my alkalinity levels.

These things only take care of the signs of the problem, they wont actually fix it. It will take some investigation and some time to tell if you have an issue with your system or you are just going through a normal cycle.

One thing to remember is that even though your levels may be testing good, it does not mean you do not have an issue. The growth of the cyanobacteria can absorb the chemicals you are testing for. Just because you have not detected them does not necessarily mean they are not being produced in the tank.
 
sardonicscorpio said:
Getting cyano early in the life of the tank can be part of the natural cycle. It can be caused by old bulbs, too much nutrient, too low flow, etc. Posting your actual parameters and telling more about the tank can help people give you specific advice - what type oppmf lighting? What do you use for flow? What do you test for and what are the results? What water changes have you done?
Click to expand...

OK, bear with me. Its a 29 gallon tank, hang on Marineland Emperor 400 filter, Hydor Koralia 600 GPH for circulation, 30lbs of live sand, about 20 lbs of cured live rock, a zoomed 30" T5 fixture with one actinic and one 1400k bulb.

I checked my levels yesterday, and they are as followes. Im using a API Saltwater Master Test Kit (after i bought it someone told me it wasnt that good of a kit), PH is 8.4, Ammonia is 0 as close as i can match it, Nitrite is 0, and Nitrate is 5. I have done a couple of water changes, and going to do one tomorrow.
 
SwampyBill said:
First off, I'd get that cardinal outta there...Do you have a friend with a mature system that could house the fish while your tank finishes cycling? At 'about a month', I doubt that your tank is ready for fish. Have you even had the initial ammonia spike yet? What are your nitrates testing at?
IMO, cycling a tank with fish is just plain cruel...

+1 on all other suggestions given so far...
Click to expand...

Im not trying to be cruel to my fish. There is a lfs here that would probably keep it for me if this is going to cause stress on my fish. It seems to be acting fine, eating good and swiming all over my tank. I posted my levels a couple posts up.
 
Gary Majchrzak said:
*if it is actually cyanobacteria that's the problem here*

a protein skimmer works wonders on cutting back organics.
fwiw meaty frozen foods (such as those usually fed to a Cardinalfish) can be a huge contributor to red slime (cyano) growth.
Click to expand...

What skimmer would you recommend, I think im gonna need a HOB skimmer cause i dont have enough room under my tank to put a 10g tank for a sump (Ive already measured).
 
phhbrown said:
When you do a water change you can use the hose to siphon out the cyanobactera, two birds with one stone. Decreasing the amount of time your lights are on and adding a skimmer would also help. I've had success with raising my alkalinity levels.

These things only take care of the signs of the problem, they wont actually fix it. It will take some investigation and some time to tell if you have an issue with your system or you are just going through a normal cycle.

One thing to remember is that even though your levels may be testing good, it does not mean you do not have an issue. The growth of the cyanobacteria can absorb the chemicals you are testing for. Just because you have not detected them does not necessarily mean they are not being produced in the tank.
Click to expand...

What would it take to actually "fix the problem"? Thank you for the advice.
 
Sorry if I sounded harsh in earlier post; wasn't my intention. Yea, API test kits are just so so. I'd invest in Salifert or Elos test kits down the line--pricier, but more accurate...Glad to see your nitrates are around 5; a few small water changes should bring it near zero. Blast your live rock with a powerhead to help with getting that film & detritus off & into water column before doing water changes. You'd be surprised how much crap collects on rock, only to decay & contributes to nitrate issues.
How much room do you have between back of your tank & wall? You should be ok if you already have an Emperor 400 back there. I had a Eshopps HOB skimmer & loved it (just upgraded to their insump model a few months ago).
 
SwampyBill said:
Sorry if I sounded harsh in earlier post; wasn't my intention. Yea, API test kits are just so so. I'd invest in Salifert or Elos test kits down the line--pricier, but more accurate...Glad to see your nitrates are around 5; a few small water changes should bring it near zero. Blast your live rock with a powerhead to help with getting that film & detritus off & into water column before doing water changes. You'd be surprised how much crap collects on rock, only to decay & contributes to nitrate issues.
How much room do you have between back of your tank & wall? You should be ok if you already have an Emperor 400 back there. I had a Eshopps HOB skimmer & loved it (just upgraded to their insump model a few months ago).
Click to expand...

No problem. I will get a new kit this week and retest again. I also take my water and have it tested here locally, the owner said that my water looked good at the begining of last week. Im going to clean the inside of my tank tomorrow and do a water change right after. My powerhead is currently aimed at a couple pieces of rock, but i will try to get more detritus off. I have enough room for my filter to hang off the back of my tank, so i will check on that skimmer as well. I appreciate your advice and help.
 
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