Back from vacation but now have algae blues

[JOEYRM7]

Been back from a 2 week vacation for about 10 days now. While I was away, the ato stopped working and my tank sitter tried her best but the tank got out of whack with salinity and phosphate issues. Everything is back under control as tbe ato is working fine as is the protein skimmer which went off line as a result of the sump water level. Phosphates are back down to trace amounts via gfo per hanna checker, no3 is at 3. During this time I lost a few corals however the current issue is green algae which keeps forming on the sand. Its not even in the low flow areas but right at the front if the tank. It is bright green, not hair algae and comes back within hours after removing from sand

Never had it before vacation but do now. Thoughts in eradicating it?

 

[JOEYRM7]

anyone?

 

[nuttyd]

might just be a diatom bloom from the phosphate issue you mentioned. Should just run its course over the next couple weeks.

 

[Reef Frog]

The elevation in salinity killed corals and perhaps some inverts and even copepods, works and other micro critters. Your sitter may have also over fed as this is very common. All of this decaying matter spiked your nutrients and gave the algae an environment to thrive in.

I'd remove any detritus that's lying about decomposing by mechanical filtration or siphon during water changes. You could also go bigger & more frequent on WCs & run some GAC or even some GFO if the algae keeps growing.

Mowing it down & removing it from the tank & boosting your CUC with good snails (I like a Ceriths) could also help.

 

[oseymour]

Some pictures would help us identify it.

 

[heathlindner25]

Sounds like green cyano.

 

[JOEYRM7]

I just assumed that cyano was red but I think you hit the nail on the head. Looks and acts the same as the red cyano but never knew that there was a green variety as well. Thanks