Positive identification of cyanobacteria

[twilliard]

Hi R2R members and visitors!
I have one topic I would like to point out.
The dreaded cyanobacteria
Now most of you may know I spend countless hours studying this exact bacteria.
Well I want to let you all know that most of the cases are not the common cyanobacteria that we see plague our tanks.
In fact most of the time it's another form called spirulina.
Absolutely 2 different forms of bacteria with 2 different options of treatment.
So let's get onto finding the positive identification of the bacterium.

Take a portion of that red mat you see in your tank and place it into a cup with about 2 cups of tank water.
Now add 1ml of 3% hydrogen peroxide
Over the course of several hours you may start to see a change in the water and the color of your sample.
If in fact it is the common cyanobacteria and not spirulina the water will start to turn a pink color and the sample with start to turn a green color.
Now if it is spirulina there will be no change as h2o2 has little effect on the individual cells.

This will help give you an idea of proper course of action if needed.

Thank you all for the continued support of my efforts!
Todd

 

[mr11]

So this is what my red patch looks like after 12 hrs. Diagnosis?

Water color didn't change but the algae/bacteria/cyano looks like it turned greenish.

 

[twilliard]

That doesn't look like cyanobacteria
When cyanobacteria forms it forms in thin mats
Looks like a hint of spirulina
Would have to see that under a microscope

 

[mr11]

Thanks, It was initially 4-5 smaller mats when I put it in the cup. Overnight it coalesced into this snot ball

 

[twilliard]

Thanks, It was initially 4-5 smaller mats when I put it in the cup. Overnight it coalesced into this snot ball

I would have to bet spirulina then since the water didn't turn pink and it collected.

 

[cowboy]

Looking at the color texture and growth on that picture I wanna go with dinos.

 

[Broadfield]

Hey Twilliard, I think I may also have Spirulina. I haven't done this test yet that you outlined above, but will once more forms(I recently siphoned it all out). But Peroxide has no affect on it and it doesn't seem to vanish at night like Cyano does. It sure does look like red Cyano though... or at least what I believe Cyano to look like.

So my question is, do you have any info/links on treating Spirulina? Any time I try to search for info, all I get is Spirulina fish food. I need to make a positive ID before I go treating whatever it is, but I wouldn't mind knowing more about Spirulina incase that's what it is.

 

[twilliard]

Identifying the difference between cyanobacteria and spirulina is a huge hurdle in my final writeup
They look the same in the tank.
I do not have a lot of information in the treatment of spirulina as it is also beneficial to the aquarium, unless it gets out of control.
Believe it or not chemiclean is highly effective against it. I believe the manufacturer of chemiclean does not know that it does not work against the common cyanobacteria we see.
I wrote this as the first step in cyanobacteria control and eradication to my final writeup

 

[mr11]

Looking at the color texture and growth on that picture I wanna go with dinos.

It looks like it here after being in the H2O2. In the tank it looks like red/purple mats though, like cyano. It doesn't look like thiat picture in the tank.

But Peroxide has no affect on it and it doesn't seem to vanish at night like Cyano does.

Mine does dwindle down at night.


Is it worth treating the tank with peroxide to see if it has an effect? Or just try chemiclean?

Also transferring tanks in a couple weeks so hopefully I can knock it out for the move

 

[twilliard]

You can try h2o2 but I don't think you will have results based on the test done.
Chemiclean is best for spirulina

 

[mr11]

Whatever this stuff is it's killing my corals. Small acan colony and chalice down. I just added chemiclean

 

[twilliard]

Whatever this stuff is it's killing my corals. Small acan colony and chalice down. I just added chemiclean

You will have to dose a little more than directed

 

[mr11]

About how much more? I did one "spoonful" per 10 gallons.

 

[twilliard]

About how much more? I did one "spoonful" per 10 gallons.

1 heaping spoon per 10g does the trick
Keep the O2 levels up!

 

[mr11]

Thanks. To increase O2 I just increase surface agitation right?

I have a ton of microbubbles in my display after adding the chemipure

 

[twilliard]

Thanks. To increase O2 I just increase surface agitation right?

I have a ton of microbubbles in my display after adding the chemipure

I use the skimmer to keep it aerated

 

[Broadfield]

Identifying the difference between cyanobacteria and spirulina is a huge hurdle in my final writeup
They look the same in the tank.
I do not have a lot of information in the treatment of spirulina as it is also beneficial to the aquarium, unless it gets out of control.
Believe it or not chemiclean is highly effective against it. I believe the manufacturer of chemiclean does not know that it does not work against the common cyanobacteria we see.
I wrote this as the first step in cyanobacteria control and eradication to my final writeup

Todd, it was indeed Spirulina. I treated it with Chemiclean and it absolutely wiped it out. Thanks again for all of your hard work on this.

 

[twilliard]

Todd, it was indeed Spirulina. I treated it with Chemiclean and it absolutely wiped it out. Thanks again for all of your hard work on this.

You are welcome! A lot of time and effort goes into all this and it makes me happy to see positive results.

 

[mr11]

I had the exact same result. Totally whiped the stuff out. Thanks Twilliard

 

[saltyhog]

Twillard, I have three different colors of thin mats on some of the rocks. All are in areas behind rocks where flow is a little lower (but not absent by any means). They are the typical dark red, an almost black color and a light green. All are thin and easily suctioned off the rocks. I had some of the red only in the sump which I resolved with turning the light off in the sump for about a week (no macroalgae there at the moment). No harm seems to be done by any of them although I've noticed the red stuff will show up on any damaged area of coral pretty quick.

Are there different colors of cyano and spirulina?