Unknown Algae Problem

[Sawyer Wells]

Hello everyone,

I seem to have a bit of an algae problem. So I have had my reef tank up and running for around a year and a half now. About a month ago I was doing a water change and was stirring up the sand. After I stirred some of it up I noticed the next day that some of this brown algae started forming. I figured that it was cyanobacteria, although I have had cyano before and it started on my rocks and went away after one treatment of Chemi-clean. So I dosed chemo-clean which put my skimmer out of action because it would overflow even when all the way open. After doing the 20% water change 48 hours later I noticed that more of this algae started forming on other parts of my sand bed. I dosed again and did another water change with no results (my local LFS store kept telling me that it was cyano but I remain unconvinced). After doing some research the best that I could come up with was dinoflagellates. I did a 72 hour black out that knocked out the majority of it, except one little patch, but ended up killing my 2 sps frags. Now a week after the blackout the algae is already back on my sandbed and I have no idea what to do.

This all started when I was out of town on a college project. My girlfriend just told me that she did a couple of things and then noticed the algae started right after that. She said she vacuumed out the sand looking stuff from my sump and then when she was replacing the water that she sucked out that, in an attempt to quicken the process, she used 5 gallons of tap water that she just treated for chloramines. I wonder if she upset the balance that was in the tank and then the tap water just tipped the scales enough for the algae to start growing.

Any help is really appreciated. Thanks!

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Hi
Can you get a detail picture with less blue?

 

[Salty1962]

Sure does look like cyano to me. Especially when you blacked out and it came back.

 

[Sawyer Wells]

Hi
Can you get a detail picture with less blue?

Yeah one minute. The blue really messes with it.

 

[Brew12]

Any chance that it is diatoms? Maybe you released some silicates when you stirred your sand?

 

[Sawyer Wells]

This is with just the white lights on.

I have had cyano before and it was on the rocks but went away after one dose of Chemi-clean. This will recede at night and then come back out during the day and hasn't gone away with multiple chemi-clean doses.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Any chance that it is diatoms? Maybe you released some silicates when you stirred your sand?

I didn't think silicates worked like that.
I thought that the ph and the water dissolved them so they are absorbed out until nearly gone that's when the diatoms go away.

 

[Brew12]

I didn't think silicates worked like that.
I thought that the ph and the water dissolved them so they are absorbed out until nearly gone that's when the diatoms go away.

I've seen posts where people at least claim that they have had repeated diatom blooms. I'd think you would have to have some low flow areas and a fairly thick sand bed for that to be the case. Of course, it is possible that what these people had wasn't diatoms.

 

[Sawyer Wells]

I can say that water changes make it worse. After I did the water changes after dosing the chemi-clean it made it worse. It seems like this all started after my girlfriend vacuumed out the sand-like substance in the sump and then used 5 gallons of treated tap water. Something set the tank off and unfortunately my skimmer has been out of action since the chemi-clean really messes with it. Luckily since I changed out my carbon and am running an extra bag most of the chemi-clean is gone and my skimmer is now partially skimming.

 

[Brew12]

I can say that water changes make it worse. After I did the water changes after dosing the chemi-clean it made it worse. It seems like this all started after my girlfriend vacuumed out the sand-like substance in the sump and then used 5 gallons of treated tap water. Something set the tank off and unfortunately my skimmer has been out of action since the chemi-clean really messes with it. Luckily since I changed out my carbon and am running an extra bag most of the chemi-clean is gone and my skimmer is now partially skimming.

Would you characterize the algae as "dusty"?

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

This is with just the white lights on.

I have had cyano before and it was on the rocks but went away after one dose of Chemi-clean. This will recede at night and then come back out during the day and hasn't gone away with multiple chemi-clean doses.

There is a thread here on the differences in cycmao and spirulina. Could be that.

But I just think it's a poo poo storm and you just got everything blooming.
Looking around the tank a bunch of nutrients were blown around and now al the macro organisms that are usually in seen just got a lot of poo food and the population bloomed.

I reallly wouldn't worry about it if it were me.
I'd do a water change run my canister with floss and carbon and a little gfo. Little. Gfo
Or just the No PO pads really.
Add some bacteria a good one. Probidio?
That will clear the nutrients out of the tank and likely most of the stuff you can see that eats it.

Are you running a refugium? I'd bet not. Unless a LOT of stuff got stirred up and added.

So I wouldn't worry about it unless it sticks Around with no let up. Even then by getting the nutrients under control the population will be weak and easier to kill off with treatment. And it does seem from recent examples that we all should be aware it best to dose Chems in a more stable tank.

 

[Brew12]

There is a thread here on the differences in cycmao and spirulina. Could be that.

But I just think it's a poo poo storm and you just got everything blooming.
Looking around the tank a bunch of nutrients were blown around and now al the macro organisms that are usually in seen just got a lot of poo food and the population bloomed.

I reallly wouldn't worry about it if it were me.
I'd do a water change run my canister with floss and carbon and a little gfo. Little. Gfo
Or just the No PO pads really.
Add some bacteria a good one. Probidio?
That will clear the nutrients out of the tank and likely most of the stuff you can see that eats it.

Are you running a refugium? I'd bet not. Unless a LOT of stuff got stirred up and added.

So I wouldn't worry about it unless it sticks Around with no let up. Even then by getting the nutrients under control the population will be weak and easier to kill off with treatment. And it does seem from recent examples that we all should be aware it best to dose Chems in a more stable tank.

Good point. And since Chemi-clean seems to have an anti-biotic in it the use of it could have weakened the good bacteria that would otherwise be helpful in this situation. Maybe when the good bacteria gets a chance to recover this will clear up on it's own.

 

[Sawyer Wells]

Would you characterize the algae as "dusty"?

I wouldn't say that it is dusty.

 

[Sawyer Wells]

There is a thread here on the differences in cycmao and spirulina. Could be that.

But I just think it's a poo poo storm and you just got everything blooming.
Looking around the tank a bunch of nutrients were blown around and now al the macro organisms that are usually in seen just got a lot of poo food and the population bloomed.

I reallly wouldn't worry about it if it were me.
I'd do a water change run my canister with floss and carbon and a little gfo. Little. Gfo
Or just the No PO pads really.
Add some bacteria a good one. Probidio?
That will clear the nutrients out of the tank and likely most of the stuff you can see that eats it.

Are you running a refugium? I'd bet not. Unless a LOT of stuff got stirred up and added.

So I wouldn't worry about it unless it sticks Around with no let up. Even then by getting the nutrients under control the population will be weak and easier to kill off with treatment. And it does seem from recent examples that we all should be aware it best to dose Chems in a more stable tank.

I have a refugium that has been up for 9 months along with carbon and gfo reactors. I have been running some pads that help with silicates, nitrate, and help take out the chemi-clean. This tank has been super stable for over a year which is why this was a bit of a shock.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I can say that water changes make it worse. After I did the water changes after dosing the chemi-clean it made it worse. It seems like this all started after my girlfriend vacuumed out the sand-like substance in the sump and then used 5 gallons of treated tap water. Something set the tank off and unfortunately my skimmer has been out of action since the chemi-clean really messes with it. Luckily since I changed out my carbon and am running an extra bag most of the chemi-clean is gone and my skimmer is now partially skimming.

Ahggghh. That awful. Sorry man.
Yea. Some call it a mini cycle i don't like that term really.
Make sure the tank gets air right now.

Do you have bacteria in a bottle?
The carbon and the gfo should pull reallt bad stuff out. The dechlrinatior helped with all but the nutrients

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I have a refugium that has been up for 9 months along with carbon and gfo reactors. I have been running some pads that help with silicates, nitrate, and help take out the chemi-clean. This tank has been super stable for over a year which is why this was a bit of a shock.

No it totall is to me too. so sorry


Thinking.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

What salt

 

[Sawyer Wells]

What salt

I don't have any bacteria in a bottle but may go to my lfs tomorrow and get some. I had two air stones in the sump to replace my skimmer while the chemi-clean messed with it but just turned it off since the skimmer is working now. I switched from the red sea salt to aqua-vitros salt because with the red sea salt the higher KH and lower ph was making it tough to keep my ph up where it needed to be. The aqua-vitro has a higher ph and lower KH which is fine because I have two part.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Is the aqua vitro pro biotic?

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Where does your ph like to be
And where has I been holding.