Red algae

[Stevolough]

I'm trying to identify this. It grows all over my substrate and on the rocks at a lesser extent. I suck it all up and in a week it's back. I cleaned it all up last week and then treated with cemeclean and it's back again.

 

[Subsea]

Picture does not work for me.

If you can't identity it, then why did you add chemicals specific to cynobacteria?

 

[Stevolough]

Because I've dealt with cyno before and there were places in the tank that looked like it. It looks like hair algae but it's dark red.

 

[Subsea]

Cyno bacteria produces its own nitrogen through a process called “nitrogen fixation”. Cynobacteria grows in a 30:1 ratio of N. Because cyno requires phosphate second the most after nitrate, many use GFO to strip phosphate from bulk water. Randy Holmes Farley discribed a process in which cynobacteria dissolved inorganic phosphate from calcium phosphate substrate. After 48 years in this hobby, I have leaned that you can’t eliminate cynobacteria in the marine environment. Cynobacteria are imbedded in Coral biomass so that when nitrate is limited in water, bacteria die within coral biomass with coral absorbing nutrients from bacteria.

 

[Stevolough]

Thanks for the reply but most of it is over my head. (I went to a vocational school) I wish I understood the chemistry more but it doesn’t register. I’ve had reef tanks for 20 years and never been as frustrated as I am now. Before I switched to led i had great growth and few problems. Tank is a 75 with a sump with two 26 hd lights. Same address for 12 years. Same well water(tested regularly). My branching hammer and bubble coral are 13 years old and so are my peculiar and royal gamma so I must be doing something right. Wish I had kept my vho’s my tank is very lightly stocked as well. Growth is slow as well as these substrate problems. Alk cal mag and nitrate all test ok. 78 Deg. Salinity 1.025. Sorry for the rant

 

[rvareef]

leds will encourage nuisance algae if the intensity is too high, what is your lightning schedule/intensity? Post a full tank shot as well

 

[Stevolough]

I've been running them at the 14k setting for 12 hours. Ramp up for three down for three. Only runs them at about 75%. I have a ecodrift 8.0 and a 4.0 so I think my flow is ok.

 

[mcgyvr]

FYI.. In the future turn the blue light channel WAY down or off for identification pictures..
Proper color rendition can be important for identification and all that blue is really distorting the color.

I find the best solution for cyano is just to siphon out as much as you can then turn off the lights for 3 days.. repeat every few weeks as needed..
The corals can easily tolerate the lack of light for a few days

 

[Stevolough]

Thanks I’ll try that