algae id and problem

[SERGIOCUAN]

Hello everyone.
I've been having an algae issue for several months now in my SPS tank. It went away about a month ago but is returning again. The algae looks like a very thin bright green mantle sometimes with bubbles that is easily syphoned out but returns after a couple days. This algae is growing mainly on the sand and back wall of tank and is slowly showing up on the LR.
I need some advise as to how I can get rid of this as it is very unsightly although is has not posed a threat to my acros or other corals.
My current water params. are:

Salinity: 1.026 (refractometer)
Temp: 79 F
PH : 8.0-8.1 (pin point probe)
Alk : 9.5dkh (salifert)
Calcium: 450 (salifert)
PO4: O (salifert)
NO3 : 10 (salifert)
Mag: 1350 (salifert)
ORP: 400mv's (pin point probe)

The total system is aprox. 90gal. I have 3 fish that are fed once a day with frozen foods.

Thanks,
Sergio

 

[mastou]

It would really help with a foto.

/Magnus

 

[fishyvet]

<img src="/images/welcome.gif" width="500" height="62"><br><b><i><big><big>To Reef Central</b></i></big></big>

sounds a bit like cyanobacteria

 

[mastou]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10442974#post10442974 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by fishyvet
sounds a bit like cyanobacteria

That was also my first guess, but normally Cyanobacteria will have a red color and SERGIOCUAN write:

The algae looks like a very thin bright green mantle

/Magnus

 

[SERGIOCUAN]

Ok... I'll try and post some pics later today.

Thanks

 

[SERGIOCUAN]

Sorry don't mean to get off topic on my own thread, but... I'm trying to post a pic but the file can only be 50kbs which makes for a really tiny picture. All pics that I've seen on this site are big and very clear. So I'm not sure that I'm doing this right!
Can someone please help?

Thanks,
Sergio

 

[mastou]

You can upload pictures to some of the free webpages, such as http://photobucket.com/ and then just copy the image code (IMG code) into the thread

/Magnus

 

[SERGIOCUAN]

Ok, thank you Magnus. I'll give it a try.

Sergio

 

[SERGIOCUAN]

Ok. Here you go guys.

 

[mastou]

Looks like a bad case of Valonia (bubble algae):
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-02/hcj/feature/index.php

I would start removing it manually right away, and be patient it will take time...

/Magnus

 

[ScarabRa]

Id say its not life threatning, as I get that stuff sometimes at the top of my acrilic tank, right where the light is at the back. and then it begins to run down the back, just like your is.
The bubbles are from the gas it is creating internally.. though id assume its not CO2 since the plant is green, but i would not gaurentee its O2 either.

If it starts to overtake everything, then its an issue.

If you run your finger (cupped like a snow plow) across it, it will lift off very easily in a single glop (per stroke).

I now have large volume power head that blows along the back wall, to help combat slow current alge from forming. (that other alge in your pic)

I hae also seen that stuff in brown goo (not brown Cyanobacteria)

There is in fact Green Cyanobacteria, but looks like that is not it.

Cyanobacteria usually starts to form along the gravel, and once established, begins to overtake the tank.

It cetrinaly is not "Valonia" in my opinion.

as you can see here they are very seperate identifiable nodules, and grow in clumps, rather than in a sheet.

Actually in pic 2 above there looks to be a single larger Valonia on the rocks at the bottom left of the pic.

but its more like this type, than the overview pic posted above: