red algae attack!

[Expensive Sushi]

What kind of algae is this? It has bubbles under it. Especially on the back of the tank - see picture.

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w55/Ray_Pasinski/P2270219.jpg

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w55/Ray_Pasinski/P2270218.jpg

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w55/Ray_Pasinski/P2270217.jpg

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w55/Ray_Pasinski/P2270216.jpg


Good? Bad? Or just plain ugly.

 

[CMcNeil]

it isnt algae it is cynobacteria.do a search for it on rc there are some threads that might help you out.

 

[Don Lino]

Scoop it out with a net...

 

[playa0069u]

oro suck it out with like a wide hose, like just uner 1/2 inch. comes right of.

 

[Sailor_jon]

scoop it out, suck it out...then put it on a cracker - little tabasco...hmmmmm good! Homemade seafood nibbles!

 

[Tampa Aquarium Service]

Red slime (Cyano Bacteria) means you have a dirty system. Sucking it out will not stop it from comming back. You need to do some frequent large water changes. Sand stirring, and repositioning of the tanks return nozzles or adding additional flow to the system to help keep the dirt suspended so it can get taken out by the filter and skimmer

 

[playa0069u]

or lighting...

 

[jenate20]

by the looks of your system its looks pretty new, its happens in new tanks just do frequent water changes and stay up on good feeding habits and it will subside ,are you running any bio balls and if so how long has your tank been set up sometimes the bio balls can become factories for nitrates throughout time ,

 

[GreyHawk1968]

Either Phosphates or Nitrates. Too much nutrients. What's that stuff they sell????,, ,oh yea Red Slime Remover. It's a temporary fix to the problem but it will give you enough time to correct whatever is wrong.
How old is the tank?
Definately Cyno .
What type of water are you using to make your waterchange water with. If it's R/O have the TDS checked. Could be Silicate.

 

[ReefArtist]

Do not use the quick fix red slime remover - it WILL throw your parameters off. That stuff is only a cover up fix - save your money for a phosban reactor! As people stated above do some research and educate yourself on cyanobacteria - that is 100% positive ID. Phosban reactor (30 - 35$ + the media), watch your feeding, better flow, water changes and lots of them.

Just to let you know, most reefers have this one time or another. I'm fighting this now. I got it under control with my above recommendations but with the warmer weather it has started to come back. So, it's back to 3 to 4, 10 - 20% water changes a week for me until it gets better. I hate the stuff!

 

[WarDaddy]

Water changes and FLOW!

Seems that stuff loves low flow.

Add a few powerheads, and cut way back on your feeding.

 

[Expensive Sushi]

Thanks all. I removed what I could. I'll do some water changes and increase flow.

I'll try to answer everyones questions -
System is about 8 months old. No bioballs. Never, ever had any nitrates. I use RO/DI. Change 10% of water every other week. I did reduce flow recently which made my mushrooms very happy. Here is the big problem I am going to have soon I'm sure - I have a shell/crushed rock substrate. I know, big problem. I need to switch to sand but I hate the idea of such a huge project and losing all that micro life. I see such cool stuff in there.

Has anyone done that (switch substrates)? Is it safe to your fish, since you lose alot of your bugs for the nitrate cycle? Are the live rocks enough?

 

[Ah64av8tor]

A sand swap is not that hard and can be done with out any ill effect,

Move as much of the substrate to one side of the tank as you can, add fresh LIVE sand to the other side of the tank. You can use a piece of 2" pvc to poor it directly on the bottom as to not make to large oF a dust cloud.

Let this sit for a few weeks and the Microfauna will migrate to the new sandbed when you see its teaming with life remove the remaining crushed coral and replace with live sand with the same pvc technique as befor.

 

[ReefArtist]

That's a great idea Ah64av8tor has suggested. I'm thinking you could get away with not introducing unknowns using "Live" sand and just using regular sand like mflamb used. You'll have plenty of live sand on the other side and it doesn't take very long for it to get the micro life growing. Just a thought because with live sand your tank might cycle and harm your livestock. This is just a thought and something I have done - I just did it over a few weeks. I did leave some large sand or smaller shell pieces. My gobies and shrimp love it. This is what they use for their burrow doors and from what I heard also inside to build their walls.

 

[Ah64av8tor]

Actually I was referring to the kind in a bag that only has live bacteria,
this way you wont force a second cycle.

If you use dry sand I would cycle it in a separate container, add one of those bottled live bacteria cultures and a power head pumping the water down into the sand like a reverse flow under-gravel filter and run that for a week. The bacterial film on the sand will make the tiny particles heaver and prevent it form making a big dust cloud.

 

[Ah64av8tor]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9357222#post9357222 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ReefArtist
That's a great idea Ah64av8tor has suggested. I'm thinking you could get away with not introducing unknowns using "Live" sand and just using regular sand like mflamb used.

Yes, with the addition of live sand from a shop or that you may have collected will also have accumulated detritus and nutrients as well as micro fauna and subsequent die off, possibly causing a second cycle and a larger Cyano bloom.

You have plenty of micro fauna in your present substrate and also an accumulated detritus and nutrients. We want to get rid of the nutrients and the detritus trap and leave the critters behind.