Red algae

[Murph72]

Anyone know what causes red algae and, more importantly, how to get rid of it? Our nitrate and phosphates are not high, we do not have green algae growth, but we now have this red algae. It is not a hair algae as it is just flat along the rocks and on the glass.
Thanks for any light you can shed.

 

[coralnut99]

cyanobacteria.

has many causes.

Not high doesn't mean low either. In the presence of insufficient lighting, and low waterflow, even low levels of phosphates will fuel the stuff. Think about feeding less, increasing waterflow, and if it's time, get new bulbs. A better skimmer may be in order too.

 

[coralnut99]

PS, increasing % and frequency fo water changes, check PH, and Alk as well.

 

[CarlC]

Your levels will test low if it is present. It is sucking it out of the water so fast your test kits won't detect it.

Water changes and flow will get rid of it.

Carl

 

[Murph72]

Thanks guys. I have put in a phosphate remover and also did a substantial water change. I am also changing my lights tonight because it was probably time. As for water flow, mine is sufficient, so I don't think that one is an issue. I am not an over-feeder of fish so I don't think that is the cause. The PH and Alk are great, so I'm good there. I will also see if the skimmer can be working a bit better...it may be time to change the diaphragm of the air pump.

Thanks again for the help.

 

[Fizz71]

Nassarius snails do a good job of keeping things stirred up too...they don't eat the crap, but they bury in the sand and "pop-up" to eat and help turn the top 1/2" of sand.

Other than that I can't help since I only ever got Cyano when I setup new or added LR..and that went away as soon as the extra nutrients worked themselves out.

And in case you didn't figure it out yet..a turkey baster is a great tool to suck that crap out. Again..that's not fixing the problem, that's just cleaning up...you have to fix the problem first which it sounds like you're working on.

--Fizz

 

[coralnut99]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10128661#post10128661 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Fizz71
Nassarius snails do a goo job of keeping things stirred up too...they don't eat the crap, but they bury in the sand and "pop-up" to eat and help turn the top 1/2" of sand.

Other than that I can't help since I only ever got Cyano when I setup new or added LR..and that went away as soon as the extra nutrients worked themselves out.

And in case you didn't figure it out yet..a turkey baster is a great tool to suck that crap out. Again..that's not fixing the problem, that's just cleaning up...you have to fix the problem first which it sounds like you're working on.

--Fizz

Removing the cyano can be more than just a band-aid effort. If you don't remove it, and you correct all the issues that brought it on, the dying and decomposing bacteria will slow the tank's rebound somewhat. But it is a tedious job, to say the least, no mater how you remove it.

 

[shimmy_yaz]

I am battling this once again as well. The last time I had it all it took was a few frequent water changes and I got rid of it.

 

[Murph72]

Well, it isn't cynobacteria. I looked it up in the books that we have after doing all the recommended changes and noticed that mine doesn't look like that. It isn't on my sand at all. It isn't hairy in any way. It is only on my rocks and is short and a deep reddish color. I've looked online but can't seem to ID it.
All of our levels are testing well, but our corals are not doing well at all. The brains are shrinking, some have died and others have lost at least one head. We're performing water changes with the hopes of eliminating the problem...but it's kind of hard when you don't really know what you are battling. It makes you just want to tear the thing down and start all over from scratch.

 

[coralnut99]

If this stuff is actually starting to smother corals, possibly what you're calling adequate flow might not be adequate. If you've taken the time to try and siphon it off your corals, I would take a turkey baster, and give them an occasional blast of water across them. That should help to keep it from getting a foothold on your corals and give them a fighting chance until you get your phosphates under control.

 

[Murph72]

That's the thing...it's Not smothering the corals. It is just living on the rock like a coraline would do....but it's no coraline I've ever seen.
Our water flow is from sea swirls...there are really no real dead spots in the tank to put corals that don't like the high water flow, so, if anything, some would say it might be too much water flow.
I can not suck the algae off the rocks with a turkey baster as I've tried. The stuff is flat on the rock with nothing really hanging off to get sucked into a turkey baster. We did remove it from the side walls with a blade and sucked it up, but the rock work is probably going to have to die off on its own.
My real problem is that I don't really know if this red growth is the real problem in the tank. The levels of all the tests are within the parameters they are supposed to be. On top of that, my fuge is to the point where I have to feed it to keep it alive because it was starting to die back and certainly isn't growing as it had been last year.
I don't know....I'm truly stumped.

 

[coralnut99]

A picture would be really helpfull at this point. I'm starting to see that this isn't a film, but can't be sure. I came back to the film algae theory since you said your brain coral were receding, and got the impression they were getting covered. If this is a tough sort of fibrous algae that clings to the rock in a very tenacious way, you should be thinking of a foxface, Kole or hawaiian sailfin tangs. If you can get a decent picture, posting inthe Marine Plants forum. Someone there should be able to get you an ID so you can deal with it better.

 

[Murph72]

Yeah, we have a foxface in the one tank and a Kole in the other. If they are eating it at all, then the Foxface is doing a much better job because his tank doesn't have as much.
I will try to get a picture, but so far they have turned out dark and hard to really see what it is like.
The brain coral are receding, not being covered, so it may be stealing their nutrients as I can't think of what else it could do to affect them in such a way. That is, if that is really what their problem is.
I will try to get a pic and post it, but I am certainly no photographer.

 

[coralnut99]

Hmmm. If the foxface is eating it at all, it sounds like more of a fibrous turf algae of some sort. I've had it to a very small degree, but my Hawaiian has basically obliterated it a long time ago. The fish is just a Herbivorius Hoover. I have a problem with macroalgae growing onto some pieces in my prop tanks, and I just move them into his tank, and they get cleaned up overnight. At this point getting the best picture you can muster and posting in the macroalgae forum may be your best bet. Do you konw someone who might be able to take a good picture for you? FWIW, this algae problem doesn't sound like it has a direct link to the problem with your brain corals.

 

[Murph72]

Yeah...that's the issue for me...if the "algae problem" really isn't causing the coral problem I'm back at square one. As far as algae infestatations go, this one is one I could asthetically live through as I think coraline will eventually overrun it. However, it is more of the unhappiness and the deaths of corals that has got me worried. I just can't figure out what is causing it.

I'll see what I can do on the pic.

 

[rigleautomotive]

do you have a sand bed or substrate.are u using ro di water.if u have a sand bed it could be a nutrient bank that feeds the bacteria.if u are not using rodi with a tds of less than 2 ,water changes may worsen the problem.raising ph with the addition of kalk and strong protien skimming along with strong random flow will help.

 

[rigleautomotive]

you can blast off the rocks and vacume all u can out.try to manually remove as much as possible.vacume all accumalated deterius .the gas released from large bacteria blooms can be irritating to corals so it may be you problem with your recent losses

 

[Murph72]

We have a sand bed, but it's not really all that deep...Maybe just an inch and a half. We also have a shallow sand bed in our fuge.
We are using RODI water in our system. What do you mean by "tds of less than 2"?
My Ph, Alk and Calcium are all within the range that they are supposed to be, so I don't want to mess with them too much or I'll be causing a different problem.

 

[Murph72]

I think I'd probably have to scrape it off with my fingernail as it is tight against the rock....I can try it. It definitely does not get removed by using suction or trying to blow it off...it's on there in the cracks of the rock pretty darn good.

 

[rigleautomotive]

tds is total disolved solids.a tds meter should be used to be sure your rodi is working correctly.silicates will make cyano and dinoflages thrive.if you are not removing them effeciently with rodi they accumalate and cause problems.i would check your rodi before changing any more water.i like the type of tds meter thet is attached to a glass container.they are fairly inexpensive and a valuable tool to fight algaes