Hello all. Tank is 2 years old and I’m getting this algae on the sandbed. It appears during the day and is green but seems to go away a bit at night. What kind of algae is it and how do I get rid of it? TIA
Green cyano. Reduce white light intensity or if at all possible, turn off white lights for 3-5 days.
This happens when phosphate, nitrate and other organic compounds are too high.
Some of the most common causes include:
- Protein skimmer which fills water with tiny air bubbles. As bubbles form from the reaction chamber, dissolved organic compound molecules stick to them. Foam forms at the surface of the water and is then transferred to a collection cup, where it rests as skimmate
- Overstocking / overfeeding, your aquarium with nutrients is often the culprit of a cyano bloom
- Adding live rock that isn’t completely cured which acts like a breeding ground for red slime algae
- If you don’t change your water with enough frequency, you’ll soon have a brightly colored red slime algae bloom. Regular water changes dilute nutrients that feed cyanobacteria and keeps your tank beautifully clear
- Using a water source with nitrates or phosphates is like rolling out the welcome mat for cyano. Tap water is an example
- Inadequate water flow, or movement, is a leading cause of cyano blooms. Slow moving water combined with excess dissolved nutrients is a recipe for pervasive red slime algae development
- New tank unable to keep up with algae
I recommend to reduce white light intensity or even turn them off for 3-5 days. Add liquid bacteria daily for a week during the day at 1.5ml per 10 gallons. Add Hydrogen peroxide at night at 1ml per 10 gallons. Add a pouch of chemipure Elite which will balance phos and nitrate and keep them in check.
After the week, add a few snails such as cerith, margarita, astrea and nassarius plus 6-8 blue leg hermits to take control.
Thank you for the reply. I forgot to mention that my po4 is at .06 and no3 is 10ppm. I feed twice a day and am running an algae turf scrubber. From what I’ve read cyano is from nutrients bottoming out so Ive been feeding a little heavy to prevent it.
Today I noticed some red cyano growing on one rock near me the bottom of the tank. How do you feel about using chemi clean or Doctor Tim’s cyano? I haven’t done a water change in 2 months or so because 1) no Tropic Marin pro reef salt available and 2) I’m doing a system similar to Triton called the Reef Moonshine where daily elements are added to negate the need for water changes.
Your advice is to turn off white light: I’m using Radion Gen 5 blues with Ab+ program and t5 blue plus and coral plus. Should I leave the T5s off for 3 days and run only blues on the Radions? Thanks
Hello all. Tank is 2 years old and I’m getting this algae on the sandbed. It appears during the day and is green but seems to go away a bit at night. What kind of algae is it and how do I get rid of it? TIA