Trouble with algae & Cyano (I think) is dominating my sump

[PotomacReef]

Hey R2R,

Believe it or not I have Chaeto algae underneath that pile of Cyano. The Cyano (I think?) gets long and stringy very quickly. I can get a 3-6" string in 2 days of growth. I'm not sure what is going on, but it's completely dominated my fuge.

• 150g reef, 50g custom sump, 20 gallon frag tank
• My Phosphates are <13 ppb; Nitrates are 0 (don't have hanna checker, just color tube tests); Amm, Nitrite are zero.
• Alk is 7.5, Calc is 430, 1325 magnesium, salinity is 1.027.
• I run GFO and Carbon.
• Eshopps axium skimmer for 300g tank
• I feed 1 cube of hikari mysis or brine shrimp a day plus seaweed clip once a week
• Fuge light is a white 6500k wavepoint blade HO LED on for 16 hours a day mostly inverted on my main display tank.
• RO/DI water is 0 TDS and new salt mix water (insant ocean reef xtals) is < 13ppb

I keep manually removing this, but I can't seem to remove it fast enough.

2. I also have small patches of cyano showing up in my display tank (easily removed with a turkey baster).

3. I have small patches of green film algae that grows on the rocks and isn't eaten by my tangs or my clean up crew. This too is easily removed with a turkey baster.

4. I have this new algae that is growing on my power heads. It's little and micro red, appears pink under heavy blue/purple lighting. Very difficult to remove even with a hard bristled toothbrush.

 

[eggplantparrot]

a soak in peroxide will help with that powerhead algae.

 

[PotomacReef]

a soak in peroxide will help with that powerhead algae.

How long do you recommend? I've seen people squirt it with a spray bottle or full on soaks for hours.

 

[eggplantparrot]

How long do you recommend? I've seen people squirt it with a spray bottle or full on soaks for hours.

it won't hurt the plastic so as long as necessary I'd say.

you should see it instantly working as oxygen bubbles form on the algae. should lose color in a few hours to a day and become soft.

 

[PotomacReef]

it won't hurt the plastic so as long as necessary I'd say.

you should see it instantly working as oxygen bubbles form on the algae. should lose color in a few hours to a day and become soft.

What ratio do I mix it to? I have 3% Hydrogen Peroxide that is food grade.

 

[eggplantparrot]

What ratio do I mix it to? I have 3% Hydrogen Peroxide that is food grade.

you're killing algae out of the tank, not dipping livestock lol. just go full strength.

 

[PotomacReef]

you're killing algae out of the tank, not dipping livestock lol. just go full strength.

Took care of the Powerheads last night with what is left of my hydrogen peroxide supply and a toothbrush. Now I have to work on the fuge. Any ideas on how to combat the cyano?

I'm thinking that I should remove the Cyano manually, clean it and the chaeto algae and move the fuge to external for a while?

 

[Anthrax15]

Cut back your light cycle on your fuge and reduce your phosphates.

 

[xxkenny90xx]

Took care of the Powerheads last night with what is left of my hydrogen peroxide supply and a toothbrush. Now I have to work on the fuge. Any ideas on how to combat the cyano?

I'm thinking that I should remove the Cyano manually, clean it and the chaeto algae and move the fuge to external for a while?

What's wrong with the fuge? As long as all that algae keeps growing in the fuge and you keep removing it then it's doing the same job as chaeto would do (removing nutrients)

 

[PotomacReef]

What's wrong with the fuge? As long as all that algae keeps growing in the fuge and you keep removing it then it's doing the same job as chaeto would do (removing nutrients)

The problem I'm still having is that the Chaeto is getting dominated by the Cyano. So I guess it's a balance problem...I want the Chaeto to grow but it isn't because it quickly gets overwhelmed by cyano.

I'm trying to understand what's going on, and if this is a problem or not. It might be fine...everything else in the tank is stable.