How to Kill GHA and Red Cyano bacteria at the same time?

[UkiahTheTurtle]

I have both GHA and Cyano at the same time how do I kill them both at once?

 

[Lavey29]

Determine the source problem causing your algae issues and correct it. Cut off their support mechanism.

 

[UkiahTheTurtle]

Determine the source problem causing your algae issues and correct it. Cut off their support mechanism.

Yeah I tested the water only a Tiny amount of nitrate and no ammonia of nitrite so I really don’t know what is causing it are there other causes that can cause them

 

[Lavey29]

Yeah I tested the water only a Tiny amount of nitrate and no ammonia of nitrite so I really don’t know what is causing it are there other causes that can cause them

A variety of things can cause it, to much light, not enough flow in some areas, age of the tank. Etc... typically though it seems mainly affected by water parameters that are out of acceptable ranges.

Dumping chemicals in to solve the problem only opens the door for other problems to quickly develop. If your situation is not that bad yet, make sure you have a good diverse clean up crew, cut lights back to 6 hours with blue and UV, no whites and check all your water parameters to ensure good ranges. Siphon up what you can during water changes.

 

[Karen00]

Have you tested PO4? Too low and too high can create issues with algae/cyano.

 

[UkiahTheTurtle]

Have you tested PO4? Too low and too high can create issues with algae/cyano.

What is PO4 I have never heard that before

 

[Lavey29]

What is PO4 I have never heard that before

Phosphate

 

[Karen00]

What is PO4 I have never heard that before

Sorry... phosphate. It's usually one of the saltwater tests you keep, especially with corals. As mentioned phosphate (too high/too low) can cause algae and cyano issues but phosphate that is out of range can affect some corals. I use the Salifert test but there are others.

 

[Karen00]

Also, I started getting gha (I currently have 0 nitrates/0 phosphates so I have to work on getting those up) so I got a trochus snail on advice from my LFS and he is plowing through the gha. I have a 5g with two rocks so they recommended just one because they grow. I'm sure glad I listened because he's chowing down so quickly on it that I will probably have to supplement his food and I've only had him for about a week. This might be an option for you but you might need more than one depending on the size of your tank and number of rocks. Cyano you should be able to vacuum/siphon up.

Edit: corrected a typo. My phone didn't like the word that and changed it. I changed it back. Stupid phone.

 

[Sean Clark]

@UkiahTheTurtle can you post a photo and more information about your tank? How old is it. Total water volume. When you noticed the algae and bacteria. If you have additional parameters those would be helpful.

 

[damsels are not mean]

 

[Spare time]

Unfortunately, we can't do anything very meaningful until you find out your phosphate levels. A test kit that you can read and is able to distinguish at least 0.03-0.1 is ideal. Avoid the API phosphate test, it is useless. Also, avoid the strip style tests.

 

[UkiahTheTurtle]

Sorry the best test kit I can afford is API I really would like a better test kit but I can’t afford it the tank is 20 gallons and the tank is 2 years old the algae and bacteria appeared first with the bacteria a month ago and the the algae.
Ph 8.2
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 1 - 2 ppm
Phosphate 0
All these tests are made with API test kits but whenever I get a water test at my LFS that doesn’t us API they say my tank is too clean
Pic of tank

 

[mingc]

I have both GHA and Cyano at the same time how do I kill them both at once?

manually removed them first, then few times water changes to lower the nutreits within the tank, introducing cleaning clew plus less feeding . the last, lower the white and red spetrum from the led light will also help.

 

[Spare time]

I would get some things that eat the green hair algae. There are some bacterial products that might help with cyano. However, the tank doest look too bad from the picture. Could you post some more upclose pictures of the hair algae?

 

[UkiahTheTurtle]

I would get some things that eat the green hair algae. There are some bacterial products that might help with cyano. However, the tank doest look too bad from the picture. Could you post some more upclose pictures of the hair algae?

 

[damsels are not mean]

snails, urchins, limpets, blennies will help control all algae. You cannot starve algae out in a reef tank, because algae is better than coral at life. You need something (either herbivores or your own hand) to eat it, or eventually your rocks will be covered in corals and coralline algae that will outcompete the ugly ones. Cyano is best fought with a siphon tube and 10 minutes on a saturday.

 

[UkiahTheTurtle]

snails, urchins, limpets, blennies will help control all algae. You cannot starve algae out in a reef tank, because algae is better than coral at life. You need something (either herbivores or your own hand) to eat it, or eventually your rocks will be covered in corals and coralline algae that will outcompete the ugly ones. Cyano is best fought with a siphon tube and 10 minutes on a saturday.

Blennys…….
someone has got to tell mine he supposed to be primarily vegetarian

 

[Spare time]

I would consider manually brushing and removing some, turbo snails, and dr tims waste away (or equivalent.

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

Top crown snails and pencil urchins from blue zoo.
Also ebay pack of 10 nerite and 50 or 100 cerith
Hths.

What's you current invert/cuc consist of?
-d