can someone identify this. Its like a brown slimy stringy stuff coming off my coral..

[jordancemery65]

I was wondering if someone could help me figure out what this is... Its like a brown stringy stuff coming off my coral... I take a turkey baster and blow it off but it always seems to come back... IDK what it is or what is causing it... I do know that corals do "poop" from what i have been told but is this what it looks like? I did have a nitrate issue but that is resolved now with the vinegar/vodka... can someone help/identify?

 

[jordancemery65]

I appologize for the really crappy pictures... it was from my iPod... but you can see the little strands pretty well...

 

[shaginwagon13]

I cannot really tell from those pictures but it is a type of algae.

1) Increase water changes and flow
2) Reduce over feeding
3) Run GFO or carbon

 

[jordancemery65]

I am unsure of where it is coming from. I do weekly water changes of 10%. I have reduced feeding to 1x per day and even reduced the amount that is fed. I do vodka dosing as my carbon source... I dont understand where this is coming from. I have turned up my vortech, and i just turned up the flow on my returns as well...

 

[thebkramer]

you said you had nitrates... maybe a delayed reaction?? or its consuming the trates.. so its no longer readable with the tests. What tests are you using?

I'm thinking cyano? since its coming back after you blow it away. how long has it been going on for??

if you did get the trates under control.. maybe do 3 days lights out.. 4th day actinic only.. then back to normal lighting. if you found the root of the problem.. the cyano shouldn't come back.

Sk8rs Info on Cyano and
More Cyano by SK8r if you're interested

Good Luck!! Hope its nothing to worry about!!!

 

[jordancemery65]

Is cyano brown? I have read it shows up in many different colors but i have never seen brown... HOWEVER, some of the small alagae spots do have little bubbles in them... I have LED's... So i guess i could turn them off for three days and then do the coral acclimation mode at half the intensity... I will :reading: those links above... Nitrates are down to 5 and have been consistently with the vodka... I haven't done a phosphate check (but i am going to do one now :spin2: ) I use all Salifert test kits...

 

[jordancemery65]

Update phosphates 0.25...