Red/Purple Film like Algae?

Fishnthecorner · 11/05/2009, 02:00 PM

Starting to get this algae I guess it is? It looks kinda pretty though. But I'm sure it's not good... How do I get rid of it. My turbos dont seem to eat it.

Aristarchus · 11/05/2009, 02:01 PM

You sure it's not coralline? Could be red slime though, which is bad. Coralline = good Red Slime = Baaad

Fishnthecorner · 11/05/2009, 02:03 PM

Yes, I am positive it is not coraline. It is slimey...

dadonoflaw · 11/05/2009, 03:59 PM

cyanobacteria? if so increased flow and getting food and detritus off of surfaces will do.

Evil Nemo · 11/05/2009, 06:04 PM

Siphon out. H20 changes, circulation, and Chemiclean if that doesn't work. Red slime.

bertoni · 11/05/2009, 08:18 PM

If it breaks up easily, it's likely a microbacterial bloom, maybe mostly cyanobacteria. Siphoning it out will remove some nutrients. You might be seeing a sponge, though, if it doesn't come apart easily.

Fishnthecorner · 11/05/2009, 09:25 PM

Yeah, it seems to be pretty loose and should be easy to siphon out. Should I get some hermit crabs to keep the rock clean? I have none... Just a sally lightfoot and some turbo snails... (3 fish)

bertoni · 11/05/2009, 09:35 PM

Hermit crabs might eat it, but most often, they don't. I don't know of any species that will eat it reliably, although sometimes people get lucky with an individual animal.

Fishnthecorner · 11/14/2009, 08:14 AM

Ok, I siphoned it all out. (well as much as I could) And it appears to be coming back now... Someone mentioned chemiclean... Is this an additive? Any other suggestions?

bertoni · 11/14/2009, 04:09 PM

Chemi-Clean is an antibiotic, and it kills cyanobacteria. It'll clean the tank temporarily, at least, although it won't solve any underlying problem, like not enough filtration. It's also been known to crash tanks.

100%hydrophylic · 11/14/2009, 05:01 PM

DONT use chemiclean, all it did for me was create a resistant strain of cyano. i used it once and it was all good, but then a few month later i used it again and it had absolutely no effect. dont overfeed your tank, and clean out detritus.from what ive seen cyanobacteria is kinda part of new tank syndrome, menaing that in time it will go away as your tank matures. waterflow is always a good thing, and i personally got lucky with one zebra turbo snail that liked cyanobacteria, but i dont think he ate it on purpose. turbos are kinda bulldozers and scrape up anything that crosses them.

terri_ann · 11/15/2009, 04:04 AM

It sounds like cyano. I wouldn't recommend Chemi-Clean at this point. Read up on cyano and you will find what causes it...tackle the underlying causes and you should come out just fine :-)

BANANAHANDS · 11/15/2009, 07:26 PM

SOunds like Cyno

11/05/2009, 02:00 PM	#1
Fishnthecorner Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: United States Posts: 430	Red/Purple Film like Algae? Starting to get this algae I guess it is? It looks kinda pretty though. But I'm sure it's not good... How do I get rid of it. My turbos dont seem to eat it.

11/05/2009, 02:01 PM	#2
Aristarchus Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Tri-cities, WA Posts: 272	You sure it's not coralline? Could be red slime though, which is bad. Coralline = good Red Slime = Baaad __________________ New tank: CFI Fabrications 120g 48x24x24, 40g sump, Metal Halides 2x250w DE HQI and 2x110w VHO Super Actinics, Closed Loop w/ Oceans Motions 4-way via Dolphin Amp Master 5600/4700, Neptune Apex Lite, TLF-150 Phosban Reactor, AquaC EV-120(skimmer to be replaced soon)

11/05/2009, 03:59 PM	#4
dadonoflaw Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: dc Posts: 943	cyanobacteria? if so increased flow and getting food and detritus off of surfaces will do. __________________ smoke em if you got em pbitawa Current Tank Info: 55 gal freshwater and 180 gal reef

11/05/2009, 08:18 PM	#6
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	If it breaks up easily, it's likely a microbacterial bloom, maybe mostly cyanobacteria. Siphoning it out will remove some nutrients. You might be seeing a sponge, though, if it doesn't come apart easily. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

11/05/2009, 09:35 PM	#8
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	Hermit crabs might eat it, but most often, they don't. I don't know of any species that will eat it reliably, although sometimes people get lucky with an individual animal. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

11/05/2009, 02:03 PM	#3
Fishnthecorner Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: United States Posts: 430	Yes, I am positive it is not coraline. It is slimey...

11/05/2009, 06:04 PM	#5
Evil Nemo Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Northwest Posts: 84	Siphon out. H20 changes, circulation, and Chemiclean if that doesn't work. Red slime.

11/05/2009, 09:25 PM	#7
Fishnthecorner Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: United States Posts: 430	Yeah, it seems to be pretty loose and should be easy to siphon out. Should I get some hermit crabs to keep the rock clean? I have none... Just a sally lightfoot and some turbo snails... (3 fish)

11/14/2009, 08:14 AM	#9
Fishnthecorner Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: United States Posts: 430	Ok, I siphoned it all out. (well as much as I could) And it appears to be coming back now... Someone mentioned chemiclean... Is this an additive? Any other suggestions?

11/14/2009, 04:09 PM	#10
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	Chemi-Clean is an antibiotic, and it kills cyanobacteria. It'll clean the tank temporarily, at least, although it won't solve any underlying problem, like not enough filtration. It's also been known to crash tanks. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni Last edited by bertoni; 11/15/2009 at 10:30 PM.

11/14/2009, 05:01 PM	#11
100%hydrophylic Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: GA Posts: 1,636	DONT use chemiclean, all it did for me was create a resistant strain of cyano. i used it once and it was all good, but then a few month later i used it again and it had absolutely no effect. dont overfeed your tank, and clean out detritus.from what ive seen cyanobacteria is kinda part of new tank syndrome, menaing that in time it will go away as your tank matures. waterflow is always a good thing, and i personally got lucky with one zebra turbo snail that liked cyanobacteria, but i dont think he ate it on purpose. turbos are kinda bulldozers and scrape up anything that crosses them. __________________ :) Current Tank Info: 75g mixed reef, 28g nano SPS

11/15/2009, 04:04 AM	#12
terri_ann Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Marshalltown, IA Posts: 841	It sounds like cyano. I wouldn't recommend Chemi-Clean at this point. Read up on cyano and you will find what causes it...tackle the underlying causes and you should come out just fine :-) __________________ Happy Reefing!! :) Current Tank Info: 180g mixed 40B Anemone 5' raceway frag tank

11/15/2009, 07:26 PM	#13
BANANAHANDS Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Gilbert, AZ Posts: 116	SOunds like Cyno