red algae

[aberdeen]

Hello guys

I have a 24 g nanocube which over the past few weeks has started to attract red algae, coating some of my live rock.
Along withthis there is also some air bubbles forming on the rock.

When i get home from work i find myself constantly having to brush both off with a toothbrush.

Both come off easy enough using this method, but i find myself doing this too often for my liking.

Can any of you guys advise

A - what type of algae this is?
B - Whats with the air bubbles, and
C whats best to control this (apart from the usual snails and hermits) ?

P.S. I bought a mithrax crab today, will this help?

Thanks in advance

 

[Ebmorri]

Sounds like Cyanobacteria and the air bubbles are part of that.

 

[Illuminati]

It's cyanobacteria (Red Slime Algae). I had it, easy to get and fairly easy to keep in check.

I have the same tank as you and what I did was:
Up the amount of waterchanges weekly.
Make sure not to overfeed.
Started running phosban in the back chamber in a media bag.

Do you have a Phosphate test kit? If so what does it read?

How long has the tank been up, how many fish and what kinds, do you feed frozen foods.

Mithrax crabs are for green bubble algae, not cyano. Cernith snails have been known to eat cyano but they are such a slow grazing snail there is no way you could do anything with just them.

 

[Illuminati]

And I'm not an expert but I think since the cyano uses phosphates it releases nitrogen, that is the cause of the harmless airbubbles. Also how's the flow? Might want to toss a small powerhead in there to up the flow while you deal with this.

 

[chujai]

i started to get it again too in my tank and it was purely flow for me... changed position of power head and im good.

 

[TeeLapia]

I had that problem, I changed my powerhead.
You should also change the type of water you use to mix your salt, and increase your water changes.
I no longer have that problem.