Green Cyano or Film Algae Help

[ReefSoup]

I have what I'm pretty sure is green cyano growing all over my rocks and sand bed in mats that is easily removed by blowing it off of the rock or pulling it out with tweezers. I've been dealing with this for about 2 months by manual removal and water changes, chalking up to a case of "the uglies" and assuming it would clear up eventually. My tank will look ok for a few days after maintenance but then it comes back quickly and just as bad. I don't have access to a microscope to positively ID, but is this green cyano, or something else? I'm open to any and all suggestions on reducing it down to a more manageable level so that it's not such an eyesore in my tank. I'm hesitant to even post any pictures of my tank until I can get this under control, that's how hard it is to look at. The tank is about 6 months old. Thanks in advance! #reefsqaud

65 gallon display, 29 gallon sump
Alk = 8.5 dKH
Calc = 420 ppm
Mg = 1400 ppm
Phosphate = 0.04 ppm
Nitrate = 5 ppm

 

[GeoSquid]

I think you have a good guess for cyano.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Its a mat algae and product of high nutrients causing this algae and similar to cyano. Assuming you are using RO water and not tap. . . . . . I wonder if your Phosphate level is higher than indicated. You can siphon again and then kill the lights (at least whites) for 2-3 days and it should subside. Add also clean up crew especially Turbo snails, Nassarius snails, astrea snail and about 10 blue leg hermits to help keep this from happening.
By any chance , is your tank at or near a window ?
What test kit(s) are you checking with?

 

[ReefSoup]

Its a mat algae and product of high nutrients causing this algae and similar to cyano. Assuming you are using RO water and not tap. . . . . . I wonder if your Phosphate level is higher than indicated. You can siphon again and then kill the lights (at least whites) for 2-3 days and it should subside. Add also clean up crew especially Turbo snails, Nassarius snails, astrea snail and about 10 blue leg hermits to help keep this from happening.
By any chance , is your tank at or near a window ?
What test kit(s) are you checking with?

Yes, I'm using RODI water and recently replaced my filters and measured 0 TDS. The tank is near a sliding glass door, but I keep the curtains closed at all times to reduce any outside light from spilling in.

I currently have a CUC consisting of about 10 blue legged hermits, 1 emerald crab, a handful of cerith and nassarius snails and 1 trochus (had more snails but they gradually died off).

I use a Hanna checker for Alk and Red Sea pro for everything else. I stopped running Chemipure and am just running carbon at the moment because I had suspicions that I was getting false phosphate readings (was getting 0).

Would you recommend adding a few more of each type of snail, do another water change, reduce feeding and cut the whites back for a couple days? Will this have any negative effects on my corals?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Would you recommend adding a few more of each type of snail- Yes, at least 4 more of each

do another water change- yes and at night, add 1ml of 10 gallons of peroxide

reduce feeding- Definitely which contributes to phosphates

cut the whites back for a couple days? Yes for sure

Will this have any negative effects on my corals? - No, why I said whites. It should be all lights , blue gives them a chance to get light.

Also, Do not feed any corals foods or add NoPox at this type which is food/fuel for this stuff. . . it will feed them

 

[ReefSoup]

do another water change- yes and at night, add 1ml of 10 gallons of peroxide

Dose peroxide just the first night or each night for the whites-off period?

Thanks for the help!

 

[vetteguy53081]

Dose peroxide just the first night or each night for the whites-off period?

Thanks for the help!

During the white out period

 

[taricha]

that's a fun green blobby cyano. CUC generally don't have a taste for cyano.

 

[ReefSoup]

that's a fun green blobby cyano. CUC generally don't have a taste for cyano.

Any recommendations to take care of it other than what was mentioned before? I do have Red Stain Remover on hand, but trying to save that as a last resort.

 

[taricha]

I'm a weirdo in that I don't consider cyano a huge deal. I'm content to just say siphon it out and not think about it too much. Especially in a fairly new tank.
Seen some really great tank that also have a little bit of cyano here and there. They just don't worry about it too much because there's so much else great in the tank.

 

[Texas Rick]

Following

 

[ReefSoup]

I'm a weirdo in that I don't consider cyano a huge deal. I'm content to just say siphon it out and not think about it too much. Especially in a fairly new tank.
Seen some really great tank that also have a little bit of cyano here and there. They just don't worry about it too much because there's so much else great in the tank.

That makes sense. I've had friends and family members that aren't in the hobby see the tank and tell me they think it looks cool. I wouldn't mind it here and there, my problem is that it's probably covering 80% of my sand bed and a majority of my rock work when I don't blow it off.

I'm going to do a big water change and siphon most of it out, reduce my feeding a bit (I probably feed to much anyway) and see if turning the whites down for a couple days helps.

 

[taricha]

yep. be patient, and manual removal - guaranteed won't mess anything up. The white sand and rock says your tank has a long way to go in maturing.

 

[ReefSoup]

yep. be patient, and manual removal - guaranteed won't mess anything up. The white sand and rock says your tank has a long way to go in maturing.

It definitely does. I started with dry rock and sand in hopes to keep pests at a minimum knowing that it was going to take longer to establish. I just didn't think it would look THIS bad, but I'm learning patience is essential in this hobby. Thanks for talking me down a bit!

 

[Sallstrom]

I'm an even worse weirdo and think you should feed more and get some more phosphate in there The rocks (except the cyano) looks like they are new dry rock and IMO you should be getting some good kind of algae after 6 months. So perhaps you lack nutrients.
Just a though. I usually like to get a new tank a bit dirty at first, then adjust the nutrients to the levels I like to have later on.

 

[ReefSoup]

I'm an even worse weirdo and think you should feed more and get some more phosphate in there The rocks (except the cyano) looks like they are new dry rock and IMO you should be getting some good kind of algae after 6 months. So perhaps you lack nutrients.
Just a though. I usually like to get a new tank a bit dirty at first, then adjust the nutrients to the levels I like to have later on.

Interesting...by good kind of algae do you mean coralline, or other types? I am starting to see small scattered patches of purple throughout the rockwork, so the coralline growth has definitely begun.

 

[Sallstrom]

Interesting...by good kind of algae do you mean coralline, or other types? I am starting to see small scattered patches of purple throughout the rockwork, so the coralline growth has definitely begun.

Yes, coralline algae is one of the good ones. But also other algae like green algae or diatoms might be a good sign (even if you don't want them, they do like the same conditions as corals and will be grazed on and later outcompeted by coralline algae and corals ).

 

[ReefSoup]

Yes, coralline algae is one of the good ones. But also other algae like green algae or diatoms might be a good sign (even if you don't want them, they do like the same conditions as corals and will be grazed on and later outcompeted by coralline algae and corals ).

I've gone through a few diatom blooms and have had green hair algae here and there, so maybe I'm on the right track and need to just be patient. Sounds like maybe I stick with manual removal and good maintenance and see where it leads. Interesting to see a few different opinions on this situation.

 

[Sallstrom]

I've gone through a few diatom blooms and have had green hair algae here and there, so maybe I'm on the right track and need to just be patient. Sounds like maybe I stick with manual removal and good maintenance and see where it leads. Interesting to see a few different opinions on this situation.

Sounds like a good plan!

There are other methods that work too. The important thing is to have the patience to really stick to a plan and not change too many things all at once. That often makes more harm then good.

 

[taricha]

Just a though. I usually like to get a new tank a bit dirty at first, then adjust the nutrients to the levels I like to have later on.

sounds crazy, but it ain't.