What is this growth?

[Salt1972]

Hello Reefers- We have a 125g mixed reef 1.5 years old. For the last 4-5 months, we've had this strange mustard yellow, dark red, and black film that grows on the live rock and kills corals. All colors are easily blown off the rock by syringe or light brush--- which we've done 1-2x per week since it started, but it grows back very quickly. Can you help us identify and correct the issue?

We check parameters 2-4x per month - here are our average results

78deg F
1.026 Salinity - Instant Ocean
8.1-8.3 pH - Salifert
5-7 - NO3 - NYOS
.06-.08 - PO4 - Hanna
8.5dKH - Hanna
480 Ca - Hanna
1440 Mag - NYOS

(2) PP8 Wavemakers
(1) CP150 Gyre Pump
(2) 450g Pumps through drip trays/filter media
(1) DCS3000 through refugium with caleurpa

We use ROX .8 carbon & GFO in mesh bags under the drip trays

(4) Kessil 360's - 12 hour ramping up/down light cycle

We dose BRS 2- Part & Vinegar

 

[mta_morrow]

I think it is cyano bacteria from the description.

All your parameters are just fine so it may be a flow issue. Is it primarily in low flow areas?

 

[Salt1972]

Morrow- Thanks for your response. The pictures look like cyano, but our tank doesn't have any areas I would classify as low flow. We have a gyre pump in the middle back facing forward, 2 mid size (pp8) wave makers, one in each back corner and 2 overflows on the 3rds. There's almost enough turnover in the tank to surf... and this growth will grow just out of the flow stream where LPS would be uncomfortable.

Furthermore, we have a complete history (testing 2-4x per month) since cycle where NO3 avg 3 and never exceeded 10. PO4 averages .05 and never exceeded .1. I thought cyano needed excess nutrients, no?

The mustard yellow and red are both visible in this pic toward the bottom. It grows all over the rock and then kills the corals. You can see the monti getting unhappy in the center because it's touching the left side. This is back 3 days after cleaning / brushing all visible evidence off of the rocks.

In the below pic, you can see the mustard yellow has killed a cyphastrea frag.

In the below pic, the mustard yellow is covering the gravel bed and encroaching on the torch.

 

[mta_morrow]

I’m battling some cyano now as well. Mostly on my sand bed, but a few patches here and there on the rocks.

Started up about 3 weeks ago with NO3 at 4 and PO4 at .03.

I have 2 gyre 250’s and I have serious flow across my sand bed and everywhere else.

Just like what you’re explaining.

I’m out of town for a week and I have cranked my flow while I’m gone. If it still remains when I get back, I will do a round of chemiclean next week and lights out during the treatment.

I do this every 6-10 months regardless as a kind of “tank enema”. Always have.

Perhaps someone else from the #reefsquad can offer up another solution for you.

I’m not sure what the yellow stuff is.

Mike

 

[Ron Reefman]

Cyano is a bacteria not an algae so excess nutrients aren't as big a component of the problem. If I'm not mistaken, I thought bacteria feed more on excess carbon. People who dose carbon/vodka/sugar/whatever, get too much and develop cyano.

 

[DSC reef]

Looks like blue green cyano to me.

 

[rkpetersen]

Is it possible that the frags are dying first, and then the algae (or whatever it is) quickly starts growing on the dead skeleton?

 

[eggplantparrot]

looks like toxic sewage spillage lol

 

[eggplantparrot]

get yourself a microscope

 

[Salt1972]

get yourself a microscope

I'm not opposed to a microscope, but I would have ZERO idea what I was looking at.

 

[Salt1972]

Cyano is a bacteria not an algae so excess nutrients aren't as big a component of the problem. If I'm not mistaken, I thought bacteria feed more on excess carbon. People who dose carbon/vodka/sugar/whatever, get too much and develop cyano.

OK... this makes sense. We started dosing vinegar in January or so (I'd have to look it up). Our small refugium with caleurpa doesn't quite keep up with nutrients. Maybe we should dump the small refugium and vinegar and go toward an Algae Turf Scrubber?

 

[ZoWhat]

I'm thinking signs of either 1) not enough flow, or 2) overfeeding the fish



.

 

[Ron Reefman]

OK... this makes sense. We started dosing vinegar in January or so (I'd have to look it up). Our small refugium with caleurpa doesn't quite keep up with nutrients. Maybe we should dump the small refugium and vinegar and go toward an Algae Turf Scrubber?

First you should try keeping the refugium (for now) and quit or at least cut in half, the amount of carbon (vinegar) you add and keep the nitrate and phosphate levels down by doing water changes instead. I've never used an algae turf scrubber which may be just what you need. My solution would be a bigger refugium. You said yours is small. How many gallons is it and how big is the sump and how big is the DT?

 

[Salt1972]

Update-

• Weaned the vinegar dosing to zero as of May 30
• Added UV sterilizer on June 13
• Weekly 40g water changes (on 125g system) using Fritz RPM salt
• Aggressively stirred and vacuumed substrate and rock work with each water change
• Changed the filter pads daily

This mustard yellow growth is going to be the death of us... in addition to all of our corals. Any ideas?