Help... Algae ID

[jazzmik]

Hi,

This started appearing all over sand bed... Dino? Diatom?

Water parameters all OK with exception of nitrates at around 10, which they always seem to be.

Only changes made recently was:

1. Ocean Revive t247: 55% blue, 10% whites (and just backed off to 5% to see if it would help)

2. Added new bags of Chemi-Pure BLUE. Switched from chemipure elite... no reason in particular except folks seem to say it was better.

Also started seeing some whitish hair type algae in the cave areas where theres no light. Not sure at all what that was.


How and what to do to treat this? I do 1-2 10%+ water changes weekly (JBJ 45, 5 gallon changes)


Thanks in advance.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Cyano. New Tank?

 

[jazzmik]

Cyano. New Tank?

About 5 months.

Recommendations to get rid of?

 

[jazzmik]

I've turned the flow up some.

Would it help to keep whites off for a few days on lights? Is it OK to just run blues?

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Its just new tank uglies. It'll pass. You can decrease intensity or decrease photoperiod, that'll help.
Personally I add bottled bacteria. a stronger bio filter (bacteria) to eat up the food the cyano bacteria is feeding on. I would only do 10% weekly wc really btw.
what are you No and Po levels like?
what lights are you running?

 

[jazzmik]

Any bottled bacteria you recommend?

Nitrates always run around 10. Can't ever get them lower but I've asked that before and folks seem to say that's ok.

Phosphates show as 0... api kit. I use Red Sea and API'S kits for testing params.

Light is the Ocean Revive t247. Was up to 55% blue channel and 10% whites. Just dropped the whites to 5% today.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Any bottled bacteria you recommend?

Nitrates always run around 10. Can't ever get them lower but I've asked that before and folks seem to say that's ok.

Phosphates show as 0... api kit. I use Red Sea and API'S kits for testing params.

Light is the Ocean Revive t247. Was up to 55% blue channel and 10% whites. Just dropped the whites to 5% today.

I keep prime with me always. Heard great things about Mb7. Probidio is a pretty "aggressive" bacterial treatment. I used it in all three of my tanks. But I don't generally get cyano.
Dt one and only is pretty popular on the east coast. pretty powerful stuff it seems.

yea the No is fine probably , you likely wont see that much Po with your chem filtration. Im not a big fan of the chems esp in a new tank. the good bacteria also eat Po. Imo you want detectable amounts of both. its only when you have "Excess" that you really worry about aggressive removal or export methods.

 

[jazzmik]

Appreciate it @saltyfilmfolks ... I have a bottle of Prime here. Will give it a shot.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Appreciate it @saltyfilmfolks ... I have a bottle of Prime here. Will give it a shot.

yup its the patience part. Im not one to jump on miracle cures. If it doesnt resolve it's self, then look at chemiclean or other more aggressive methods etc. also check out the thread cyano and spirulina.

 

[Uwharrie]

I have been fighting Cyano for about a month, Tank is 11 months old. I tried chemclean, Dr Tims, water changes, reduced lighting, reduce feeding. nothing worked. I finally tore the tank down, supercleaned the sandbed and reset it. things are finally getting back to normal. To prevent it in the future I am feeding less, doing weekly water changes and vacuuming the heck out of the sand bed weekly. From what I can tell Cyano is not uncommon but it is a PIA

 

[brandon429]

Welcome H and JM to cyano battles~

 

[Coastie Reefer]

Cyano is like thick jelly film. The times I've had it I just try to manually remove as much as possible. Turn off your flow and peel it up. Then suck it off the rocks while doing a water change. Manual removal along with careful feedings helped me get rid of it. I personally hate that crap! Not the end of the world but def. ugly and a pita!