Algae ID

[Kyle Sicard]

Hey all,
Ever since I set up my tank in January I've had this algae grow on my sand bed that just never goes away. I've tried many things to get rid of it and nothing seems to work. I've managed to reduce it a little but I could use some help in identifying exactly what kind of algae it is. If I have this knowledge maybe I can implement some solutions that target this type of algae. It pretty much grows on my entire sand bed and is brown in appearance. The photos make it look a little different. The photos actually make the algae look like there is less then there actually is. In person its a real eyesore and stands out pretty well when viewing the tank.

 

[CodyRVA]

Following.

 

[twilliard]

Gosh this one is hard to see. Know anyone with a microscope?
I receive a LOT of samples to ID so this is always an option.

 

[Kyle Sicard]

Gosh this one is hard to see. Know anyone with a microscope?
I receive a LOT of samples to ID so this is always an option.

I actually bought a cheap microscope and I couldnt harvest any algae to put on the slide. The algae is too small to separate from the grains of sand so I was unable to get a good sample to put on the slide.

A few observations i've made is that my fighting conchs eat it. and also I tried chemi clean like 3-4 months back and that helped reduce it to almost zero but after a week or so it grew back. These 2 things tell me its cyano but it doesnt really seem like the right fit based on the fact thats it been in the tank for a full year. I also changed my lighting to more blue and that helped reduce some of it. I'm confused on what type of algae this is.

 

[twilliard]

I actually bought a cheap microscope and I couldnt harvest any algae to put on the slide. The algae is too small to separate from the grains of sand so I was unable to get a good sample to put on the slide.

A few observations i've made is that my fighting conchs eat it. and also I tried chemi clean like 3-4 months back and that helped reduce it to almost zero but after a week or so it grew back. These 2 things tell me its cyano but it doesnt really seem like the right fit based on the fact thats it been in the tank for a full year. I also changed my lighting to more blue and that helped reduce some of it. I'm confused on what type of algae this is.

Have you tried the H2O2 test?
From the description it sounds to be a bacteria but a scope shot is key as they are battled in different ways.
If chemiclean was used in the past with results it was spirulina.
Not sure if that is the case now however.

 

[Kyle Sicard]

Whats the H2O2 test?

and i've never come across spirulina, what are the typical solutions for that type of algae. I'll have to google spirulina algae to compare pictures and info and what not to see if it matches up.

 

[Kyle Sicard]

I did a quick search on spirulina and only food products came up in the search or how to grow/harvest the algae. Do you have any links you could post so that I can read about this type of algae growing in aquariums as a nuisance and not a food?

 

[twilliard]

Whats the H2O2 test?

and i've never come across spirulina, what are the typical solutions for that type of algae. I'll have to google spirulina algae to compare pictures and info and what not to see if it matches up.

Spirulina will look like all other "slime" algaes.
You can not see a difference by looking at it.
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/positive-identification-of-cyanobacteria.253287/

 

[twilliard]

http://greenwaterlab.com/algal-id.html
Here are different cyanobacteria's, not all are common to our tanks.
Can only be identified with a scope.

 

[Kyle Sicard]

Based on your article it seems like it is spirulina. However mine is brown in appearance and doesnt seem to grow a mat like cyano usually does. Is it common for spirulina to last for as long as the algae in my tank has? Chemiclean did in fact remove most of it but it grew right back after a week or so. What would be the best way to rid my tank of this algae? I run GFO, vinegar dose, and have a strong skimmer and my nutrients are considered ULNS so I don't think I can do much more from a water quality standpoint. I used chemiclean but as noted the algae grew back. Any tips on ridding this algae from my tank would be appreciated.

on another note, when I did try to use a microscope I just placed a grain of sand on the slide and tried to view it that way and what it looked like was blades of grass coming off the grain of sand. I'm not sure how reliable that is since I didn't really use a "proper" sample to use in the scope.

 

[twilliard]

Ah they love vinegar!
Currently the only treatment for spirulina is in fact chemiclean (erythromycin)
Since it is deemed a food source for some of our inhabitants I did not pursue further treatments.

 

[Kyle Sicard]

Here's the thing, I didn't start dosing vinegar till the tank was about 7 months old. The algae was present long before I started dosing vinegar. I guess I'll try chemiclean again but I dosed it twice before and it had no affect past a week or so.

 

[twilliard]

Here's the thing, I didn't start dosing vinegar till the tank was about 7 months old. The algae was present long before I started dosing vinegar. I guess I'll try chemiclean again but I dosed it twice before and it had no affect past a week or so.

Then it will not be spirulina.
Will not know how to treat this without a scope image.