Algae Help!!

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I have been fighting this kind of algae for a few months now but no luck. I was wonder if anyone know what this is and how i can get rid of it. What causes this algae to bloom. I not even sure if an algae or not. Here are some picture of it growing on my frag plugs. It greenish brown and slimy with some bubbles.

 

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no one know what this algae is?

 

[Paul_N]

Could be cyano, since it comes in red, brown, green. Looks like it with the bubbles and stringy. I don't think it's dino's. Can you blow it off easily?

 

[knucklehead]

look up dinoflagellates see if it looks like that

 

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It blows of very easy it just annoying that it keeps coming back. I can't seem to get rid of it.

 

[knucklehead]

how new is your tank?

 

[IamRit]

Man, I got the same thing a while back. Increase flow, step up with the water changes, cut down the lighting cycle, increase GFO. Pretty much did the trick for me.
Oh, I also took all the pieces that covered with those algaes and brush them off good.

 

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The system are not new at all it been running for a few years now. The funny part is i have two system link together and the one with more light is getting this nasty stuff. I will cut down light time and will start running some GFO.

 

[MAKcorals]

Man, I got the same thing a while back. Increase flow, step up with the water changes, cut down the lighting cycle, increase GFO. Pretty much did the trick for me.
Oh, I also took all the pieces that covered with those algaes and brush them off good.

+1 you took the words right out of my mouth. Blow all that brown slime off scrub the pieces you need to, water change repeat. :)

 

[wicked demon]

5-7 days no lights will help kill alot of the different ditome/cyano/dino problems as they are not very dense and all are photosynthetic.

However the cause is still a lack of flow and poor nutrient export issue, regardless of which of those problem algea, bacteria, dino you have. Dinos are the worse of the 3 because it can smother the live bacteria colonies and corals as well.

 

[SaraB]

I've got something that looks like that as well and I figure it's cyano. I took out the top layer of my sandbed and I'm blowing it off the rocks to catch hopefully in my filter sock. Lot's of waterchanges with making sure you really have low TDS (use a hand-held to double check), GFO and Carbon.

 

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Thanks for the all info guys and gals. I will put it to good use.

 

[aquafrags]

deffinitely start gfo but use in half doses.

check your phosphate

you adding any supps

wshen i add zeo amino acids i get algae

 

[mevstheworld]

Does it get worse as the day goes(lights on)? Try a 2-3 day lights off with the vacuuming of all that you can see before the lights out. I would do a water change before and after. Cut back your feedings. You should also look into some GFO to run in your system. Wicked mentioned a 5-7 day black out, but I highly doubt your corals will agree. IMO 2-3 days is all you really need. You said that the brighter tank has it, but not the other. Maybe your bulbs are exhausted and need replaced. Food for thought!!!!:wink:

 

[I-K@ndY]

My vote goes to Dino..I had cyano and dino before on my old set up.. the difference between the 2 is the Cyano is like a film and the Dino was a slim with bubbles on it and occurs when lights go on ....

 

[TCK Corals Verified Sponsor]

Does it get worse as the day goes(lights on)? Try a 2-3 day lights off with the vacuuming of all that you can see before the lights out. I would do a water change before and after. Cut back your feedings. You should also look into some GFO to run in your system. Wicked mentioned a 5-7 day black out, but I highly doubt your corals will agree. IMO 2-3 days is all you really need. You said that the brighter tank has it, but not the other. Maybe your bulbs are exhausted and need replaced. Food for thought!!!!:wink:

Thanks for the info but i just changed the light bulbs on both fixture a few months ago.

 

[JR's Reef]

Its Dino. Ive battled it a few times its hard to beat but can be done.

The way Ive got rid of it is no water changes as they seem to make the bloom heavier.
Lights out for 24-48hrs 2-3 days a week you will notice that it seems to be not as bad each time after lights out.Make sure you complety cover the tank so no light can come in.
Cut lights back to 4hrs a day until its gone then slowly increase them back to where you want it.
Alot of people drip kalk to raise PH during lights out as it dont survive well in high PH

The fastest way to get rid of it would be to cut lights out after 24hrs remove corals to another tank and leave tank lights out for a week.
Spring time is the most common time for it to show up in are tanks and low PH

 

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All this info is being absorbed like a sponge. I really thankful to have such a nice bunch of reefer to help out when you need info.

 

[m and m]

I have the same thing in my tank right now seems to bloow of super easy and be back the next morning right? is it brown/goldish and film like?

 

[wicked demon]

ya thats dino, and i have gone %100 lights out, tank covered for 7 days, no ill-effect on any life in the tank.(other than the dino ,diotome, and cyano) no need to move any corals, just bring the lights back slow.