Green cyano type algae!

MabuyaQ

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I am all for waterchanges but how is a waterchange not substracting and adding elements. The whole point of the closed systems we call aquariums is that they are far from the big picture/realites of nature so without human intervention they will crash.
 

PedroYoung

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I had someone give me a great suggestion on a similar thread I posted (brown, not green) to take some and see if it reacts in H2O2. If it does it's cyano, if not it's algae. Mine was algae.
 

IxTCxI

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I had someone give me a great suggestion on a similar thread I posted (brown, not green) to take some and see if it reacts in H2O2. If it does it's cyano, if not it's algae. Mine was algae.

Thanks. Any 3% hydrogen peroxide from the pharmacy should work right?
 

PedroYoung

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Thanks. Any 3% hydrogen peroxide from the pharmacy should work right?
That's what I used. Actually the process I was linked too was pretty complex involving diluting several tablespoons of H20@ in half gallon of water and see if after half an hour the water got discolored, but after I did that and the water stayed clear I thought "why don't I just pour straight on a funky frag plug and see if it's bacterial or not". This was not something I was planning on putting back in the tank. Here is a link to the thread I had posted.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/was-thinking-this-was-cyano-but-now-unsure.531657/
 
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revhtree

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So Chemiclean didn’t touch it! It blows right off and is not slimy. It blows off on little particles. It’s not on equipment just spots of the rock and now a lot of the sand.

I started Vibrant several days ago and so far it’s not touching it either!

This photo makes it look a bit more brown but it’s bright green.

D33E20F3-4599-4AF6-9342-0F1A14B11621.jpeg
 

IxTCxI

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So Chemiclean didn’t touch it! It blows right off and is not slimy. It blows off on little particles. It’s not on equipment just spots of the rock and now a lot of the sand.

I started Vibrant several days ago and so far it’s not touching it either!

This photo makes it look a bit more brown but it’s bright green.

D33E20F3-4599-4AF6-9342-0F1A14B11621.jpeg

Pretty sure we got the same stuff. Keep blowing it off but it keeps coming back. Have been doing WC but not seeing any difference. Help!!!
 
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revhtree

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Pretty sure we got the same stuff. Keep blowing it off but it keeps coming back. Have been doing WC but not seeing any difference. Help!!!

Yep!
 
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revhtree

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rcmike

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My tank is looking a lot better. I added a refugium about a month ago and started running GFO. My nitrates are down to 4 ppm and the phosphates are .08 ppm. The green stuff isn't nearly as thick as it was.
 

IxTCxI

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My tank is looking a lot better. I added a refugium about a month ago and started running GFO. My nitrates are down to 4 ppm and the phosphates are .08 ppm. The green stuff isn't nearly as thick as it was.

I currently run a turbo algae scrubber too. I think I will just wait it out. I think is due to unbalance chemistry.
 

rcmike

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I currently run a turbo algae scrubber too. I think I will just wait it out. I think is due to unbalance chemistry.
I had let my tank get way out of wack due to not having time to spend on it. Over the last year I tried everything from biopellets to sulfur nitrate reactors. I really think the harder I tried the worse the tank looked. I finally decided to go back to the way I had success with years ago and wait it out. I figured it would take forever for the nutrients to drop but they are dropping much faster than I expected.
 

rossco

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As stated above, phosphate/nitrates out of whack brings it on for me. It is really tough to eradicate it even by bringing parameters in line once it takes hold, so I just treat it instead.

I use API erythromycin, 1 packet per 50 gallons. The skimmer will go crazy. I usually leave the skimmer on but turned down a bit with the cup off for oxygenation. I just treat once and then put the cup back on the skimmer after a few days, with the skimmer turned way down at first. No extra water changes, just on schedule.

With a light infestation I have zero side effects. I had a heavy infestation once and did have some pretty severe bleaching - yes bleaching, not RTN or STN - of Montis, Birdsnests, and the WWC Slimeball Anacropora. It looked like light shock but it happened even in the shade. Acros were fine.

I am thinking the sudden nutrient spike or maybe toxins from the dying cyano did it. That particular time I had my skimmer off line. Some areas of the Montis did die, and I did lose my Undata altogether and had to frag my Ponape Birdsnest because the tips died and it looked bad. Everything else colored back up in a few weeks, but really worried me.

Getting nitrates and phosphates in line while dosing keeps it from coming back for me. Unless I mess up and let them get out of whack again. I have treated 4 times over the last few years, and only had the one problem.
 
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revhtree

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Now it’s really getting bad!!
 
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revhtree

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Yes I’ll get it looked at tomorrow and report back!
 

bsagea

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Seems I/we are having the same issue in my cube. Nothing touches it. I will say though, like you Rev, my corals and my clams are loving whatever it is! No ill effects on any of the fish. I have sucked it out when doing water changes and it's still comes back. Having had some bad issues putting chemi-clean in a tank at one time and the nightmare stories here and there about Vibrant, I think we are going to let it run it's course and see what happens....bsa
 

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