how do I get rid of this algae

[rarelyseriousb]

This stuff has taken over my tank. It is like a red wine/burgundy color. what eats it?

 

[soccerbag]

Looks like cyano. It's not a quick fix. You will be best served to blow the algae off of the rocks, syphon as much as humanly possible out of your tank, off of the rock, and off of the sandbed. What is your PO4 reading? Are you running any GFO at all (or other phosphate removing media)? Also, if you give us an idea of what type of lighting you are running, how old the bulbs are, and what your photoperiod is, that will help too.

 

[rarelyseriousb]

I dont think it is cyano. may be wrong though. It does not lay on the rock like I have seen cyano do. It is more fibrous like a true alge. My bulbs are maybe 2 months old. Lights are on about 10 11 hours a day. I do run GFO. I will test phosphates now.

 

[soccerbag]

It looks red in the pic which led me to think cyano. Will it blow off with a turkey baster or do you have to pull it off in strands like hair algae or bryopsis?

 

[rarelyseriousb]

o.o phosphates on my hana meter. I also run biopelets.

 

[VegasRick]

Looks like red turf algae. The big mexican turbos will eat it, along with urchins

 

[rarelyseriousb]

I have to pull it of.

 

[Viva'sReef]

Yep that is Red Turf algae.....A good clean up crew should take care of it. Do you have any tangs? Some will eat it

 

[Troylee]

Cotton candy algae it's a pita!!!! Google would help more than I can... Sorry...:sad:

 

[the_fish_man]

Cotton candy algae it's a pita!!!! Google would help more than I can... Sorry...:sad:

+1!

 

[rarelyseriousb]

My tang does not touch it. My snails are not touching it. I am not sure of my snails at the moment. My mexican are dead. I saw some recommendation thru googling it but mexicans seem hit or mis. Can someone shed some light on whether certain turbos from certain regions may be of some help?

 

[iReefer]

have to try hermit crab?

 

[rarelyseriousb]

My tang does not touch it. My snails are not touching it. I am not sure of my snails at the moment. My mexican are dead. I saw some recommendation thru googling it but mexicans seem hit or mis. Can someone shed some light on whether certain turbos from certain regions may be of some help?

scarlet

 

[cmcneil]

turbo snails ate it in my tank.

 

[seareefrun]

Do you use a skimmer?

 

[SaltWaterDave]

Get some big turbo's and they'll eat the heck out of it. You may even want to try a sea hare as they'll eat pretty much any algae out there, but they're riskier if they die.

 

[rarelyseriousb]

Do you use a skimmer?

Yes I do The total system volume is about 150 gallons. I run a SWC cone 160 or 180 (cant remember the size)

 

[seareefrun]

Cool: what I have done in the past is to pic a section of my rock & scrub it with a tooth brush,(light to medium pressure). This will break the bond that it has on the old growth underneth. Your skimmer will remove most all free floating spores and expose the young alge to the snails and fish. It's takes time but in a few weeks it should become manageable. Also your lights shouldn't be emiting any pink or red spectrum, un-less it's balanced in the light,(no grow-lux spectrum single light). How are the Nitrates?

 

[seareefrun]

Lights duration is so very important, try running your blues 12 hours and daylights 10 and if you have moon light 6-8 hours.

 

[VegasRick]

If its the red turf algae it wont come off with a tooth brush, a wire brush maybe or a grinder. Had some in my tank and large Mexican turbos took it out. If its cotton candy, which I think is different, I am not sure what eats it.