Help with algae bloom

[jordanrb]

My tank had an algae breakout last week, almost overnight. I have been vacuuming the sand and doing 20% water changes every few days and it comes back the next day.

Any idea what it is and how to get rid of it?

Tank is 8 months old. Parameters are steady.

 

[Fish Fan]

Your tank looks very good, good job!

At 8 months old and with a reddish tint, I believe that's cyanobacteria - a very common pest organism in many tanks, especially newer tanks. It's a good plant to siphon out what you can, increase water flow (they can't grow if they are getting blasted off the sand), and reduce organics that are likely fueling their growth. Some reefers put stock into products like bottled bacteria that are said to help with cyano outbreaks. I'm quite skeptical of "cures-in-a-bottle", but it's worth mentioning so that you can research and decide for yourself.

Here's a little more info on Cyano:

 

[mmorrison55]

Agree with fish fan. Your tank looks great. I wouldn’t call that a bad outbreak. Some people strive for their sand bed to look like that.

As for if it’s cyano or diatoms. When the outbreak isn’t too bad, like yours, it makes it harder to diagnose.

Cyano typically is “red slime” and pulls away in sheets or clumps, and don’t typically disappear when the lights are turned off over night.

diatoms are more brown and if you turn your lights off at night, will disappear and then come back the next day once the lights are back on.

As for treatment, once you know for sure what you have, the below link can help.

Common Nuisance Algae and How to Treat Them

Algae is a natural common occurrence in the home reef, but can become a nuisance if left unchecked. Here's how to combat them, if they do.

www.bulkreefsupply.com

 

[jordanrb]

Your tank looks very good, good job!

At 8 months old and with a reddish tint, I believe that's cyanobacteria - a very common pest organism in many tanks, especially newer tanks. It's a good plant to siphon out what you can, increase water flow (they can't grow if they are getting blasted off the sand), and reduce organics that are likely fueling their growth. Some reefers put stock into products like bottled bacteria that are said to help with cyano outbreaks. I'm quite skeptical of "cures-in-a-bottle", but it's worth mentioning so that you can research and decide for yourself.

Here's a little more info on Cyano:

Thank you for this. I will take a look

 

[jordanrb]

Agree with fish fan. Your tank looks great. I wouldn’t call that a bad outbreak. Some people strive for their sand bed to look like that.

As for if it’s cyano or diatoms. When the outbreak isn’t too bad, like yours, it makes it harder to diagnose.

Cyano typically is “red slime” and pulls away in sheets or clumps, and don’t typically disappear when the lights are turned off over night.

diatoms are more brown and if you turn your lights off at night, will disappear and then come back the next day once the lights are back on.

As for treatment, once you know for sure what you have, the below link can help.

Common Nuisance Algae and How to Treat Them

Algae is a natural common occurrence in the home reef, but can become a nuisance if left unchecked. Here's how to combat them, if they do.

www.bulkreefsupply.com

Thank you!

It is most definitely cyano as it is red and I can almost peel it off the sand. It is very visible at night with the lights off. Would there be a reason this would randomly pop up and not be visible in the parameters?

Calcium 400-450ppm
Magnesium 1300-1350ppm
Alkalinity 7.8-8.2
Phosphates .04
Nitrates 20-25ppm (has always been this way)
Nitrites 0
Amonia 0
Salinity 35

 

[Evil1]

I would just let the tank do its thing. Clean up what you can but don’t go crazy. I’d just do weekly 10% water changes and skip the sand vacuuming. I certainly wouldn’t add any chemicals to remove the algae it’s a young tank. You proceed however you want but I believe letting it do its thing until it has matured is best in my opinion. Your parameters look good and so does your tank. Good luck!

 

[jordanrb]

I would just let the tank do its thing. Clean up what you can but don’t go crazy. I’d just do weekly 10% water changes and skip the sand vacuuming. I certainly wouldn’t add any chemicals to remove the algae it’s a young tank. You proceed however you want but I believe letting it do its thing until it has matured is best in my opinion. Your parameters look good and so does your tank. Good luck!

Ok will do. Thank you!