Little Help with this (Pics of problem) - Red Stringy stuff

Hookup · 01/10/2009, 07:42 PM

Can you ID these photos. This has appeared in the past 4 or 5 days.

I'm not sure do not want to assume anything at this point. Phosphate and Nitrate 0ppm... Also have a section of wall where cyano will not stop growing. I vacuum it off every week...

I've kept the skimming very wet and aggressive, i'm adding weekly 15gal of salt mix and about 20gal of fresh to compensate evap and wet-skimming loss... as well as the 5gal I vacuum out when I control the cyano in the DT.

I know the cyano is on a spot with low flow, new pumps are coming to increase flow from about 2400gph to 4000gph. They are the vortex pumps, will be using two of the smaller ones in my 92gal tank.

Looking for some advise on how to get this **** under control... Tim is not a happy camper... :<

Anything you got for advise and/or ideas is greatly appreciated.

Params
DT - 92gal
Sump - 175gal (yes you read that right)
Salt - 1.026
pH - 8.25
Mag - 1340
Alk - 9
Calc - 400
Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate & Phosphate = 0ppm and have been for months.

Running Carbon and Phosphate Removers in phosban-reactors.

Running an Octo Pro 300 skimmer which skims very wet at this point. Tested it on a buddies system and it skimmed gunk, so my system just likes to skim wet or nothing at this point. Been wet-skimming for about 4 weeks.

Fish_wiz2 · 01/10/2009, 08:22 PM

that is cyano too, just another type (bigger)

SaltyDr · 01/10/2009, 08:24 PM

Probably cyano. Just about all nusciance algae (yeah I know cyano is a bacteria) is caused by excess nutrients (especially phosphates). Am I correct in assuming that your system is new? If so, this is all NORMAL and to be expected. Keep doing what you are doing and you WILL WIN.

boogers · 01/10/2009, 08:46 PM

how do you get excess nutrients (phosphates) as mentioned in previous post. I have this problem right now too. Mine is bad. covering the sand some of the rocks and covering my brain up too.

SaltyDr · 01/10/2009, 08:50 PM

Water changes, phosban/GFO and refugium. In an older system, using a carbon source like sugar or vodka.

Hookup · 01/10/2009, 09:16 PM

Thanks, I have a 40gal tank that is dedicated to a fuge, as well as the other items i listed. The tank is pretty new.. Say 2-3months.

Thanks muchly, i feel better... honestly.. tyvm. If it gets crazy worse i'll seek advise i guess... ty.

Hookup · 01/10/2009, 10:00 PM

Some additional photos. The above were taken at about 2hrs or so after lights on, these are from just now at the end of the light period... (11hrs)

The second photo has the gramma in it for ref, and cause he's cool. It's about the size of your hand. The first photo is roughly matched to the one above.

Hookup · 01/11/2009, 10:08 AM

Sorry for pushing this again.. I'm just paranoid... Everyone agrees this is cyano, not that other stuff that I refuse to put down in writing.

Tylt33 · 01/11/2009, 12:35 PM

Cyano caused me major problems in my last tank. I'd make sure you stay on top of it. Cut the lights to the tank for a few days if you have to. Others have had a lot of success with dealing with algae by dosing vodka or raising magnesium. There are threads dedicated to those topics if you're interested.

shleprock30 · 01/11/2009, 04:35 PM

I had some stuff like that which had basically started to form a net over one of my rocks, I did a 2 day lights off period after reading a thread about it. That stuff is gone and has not returned.

Rick

Hookup · 01/11/2009, 05:32 PM

Awesome. I'm going to vacuum out what I can tonight and do a water change, then see what happens. If it doesn't start to show signs of falling off, then i'll go with the 2 days of dark as well as re-syphoning and water changes...

Thanks for everyones input and help. Much appreciated.

gradth · 01/11/2009, 11:48 PM

I have been battling the same issue for a few weeks also. Slowly starting to look better. I picked up some little white hermit crabs yesterday(sorry dont know what kind or the official name). the LFS said that they were the only crabs that ate Cyano. I was sceptical, obviously since I was at a fish store. Got them home, and after acclimation they instantly went to town munching on the stuff. Got up this morning and A large patch of my cyano was gone from my sand. So maybe he was correct. Might look for them, seem pretty handy.

ALso did another water change today and siphoned a bunch of the stuff out. Cleaned everything the best I could. Turned my light cycle down a bit. Keeping my fingers crossed.

Hookup · 01/12/2009, 08:13 AM

any id on those "magic" crabs? (wow, i haven't heard that since the 60s)

Michael · 01/12/2009, 08:42 AM

hey hook, have a look at this thread as well buddy

http://netclub.athiel.com/cyano/cyanos2.htm

Hookup · 01/12/2009, 09:29 AM

Thanks pal. That is some article for sure!

gradth · 01/12/2009, 11:16 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Hookup
any id on those "magic" crabs? (wow, i haven't heard that since the 60s)

You know I have been looking everywhere trying to locate a name and or a picture. Cant locate them.

They are about the size of a eraser on a pencil, a tad bigger maybe. White, a couple of them have what looks almost like fur around thier head. I picked up ten of them and they are all over the tank now.

Again, dont know how much was them and how much was my water change. I can say I personally witnessed them munching on the red slimy stuff. Whatever helps is good for me. I got up this morning and no NEW red stuff. My sand is almost totally clear of it.

Ill try and get a pic when all my lights come on of the little crabs. My camera sucks for small pics though.

gradth · 01/12/2009, 11:45 AM

Sorry not the best, but someone might be able to ID them.

01/10/2009, 07:42 PM	#1
Hookup Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Posts: 1,281	Little Help with this (Pics of problem) - Red Stringy stuff Can you ID these photos. This has appeared in the past 4 or 5 days. I'm not sure do not want to assume anything at this point. Phosphate and Nitrate 0ppm... Also have a section of wall where cyano will not stop growing. I vacuum it off every week... I've kept the skimming very wet and aggressive, i'm adding weekly 15gal of salt mix and about 20gal of fresh to compensate evap and wet-skimming loss... as well as the 5gal I vacuum out when I control the cyano in the DT. I know the cyano is on a spot with low flow, new pumps are coming to increase flow from about 2400gph to 4000gph. They are the vortex pumps, will be using two of the smaller ones in my 92gal tank. Looking for some advise on how to get this **** under control... Tim is not a happy camper... :< Anything you got for advise and/or ideas is greatly appreciated. Params DT - 92gal Sump - 175gal (yes you read that right) Salt - 1.026 pH - 8.25 Mag - 1340 Alk - 9 Calc - 400 Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate & Phosphate = 0ppm and have been for months. Running Carbon and Phosphate Removers in phosban-reactors. Running an Octo Pro 300 skimmer which skims very wet at this point. Tested it on a buddies system and it skimmed gunk, so my system just likes to skim wet or nothing at this point. Been wet-skimming for about 4 weeks. __________________ Spellking is an art form to which I have no brush. I'm not sure FOWLRs actually exist, I think they're like unicorns or platonic girlfriends. A FOWLR is just a reef tank that doesn't yet hold any coral. Current Tank Info: 180g display, 150gallon sump in-wall 4-side viewable sps dominated tank, ATI Powermodule, MRC MR-4 skimmer, GHL controller, Baling Method, Ultralith Reactor, Carbon & Phosphate Reactors, and general time consuming money pit that I live for.

01/10/2009, 08:22 PM	#2
Fish_wiz2 Mangroves are kool. Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Chicago Posts: 5,246	that is cyano too, just another type (bigger) __________________ -The Wiz Current Tank Info: Elos Mini Seahorse Tank, 2500 gallon Koi pond

01/10/2009, 09:16 PM	#6
Hookup Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Posts: 1,281	Thanks, I have a 40gal tank that is dedicated to a fuge, as well as the other items i listed. The tank is pretty new.. Say 2-3months. Thanks muchly, i feel better... honestly.. tyvm. If it gets crazy worse i'll seek advise i guess... ty. __________________ Spellking is an art form to which I have no brush. I'm not sure FOWLRs actually exist, I think they're like unicorns or platonic girlfriends. A FOWLR is just a reef tank that doesn't yet hold any coral. Current Tank Info: 180g display, 150gallon sump in-wall 4-side viewable sps dominated tank, ATI Powermodule, MRC MR-4 skimmer, GHL controller, Baling Method, Ultralith Reactor, Carbon & Phosphate Reactors, and general time consuming money pit that I live for.

01/10/2009, 10:00 PM	#7
Hookup Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Posts: 1,281	Some additional photos. The above were taken at about 2hrs or so after lights on, these are from just now at the end of the light period... (11hrs) The second photo has the gramma in it for ref, and cause he's cool. It's about the size of your hand. The first photo is roughly matched to the one above. __________________ Spellking is an art form to which I have no brush. I'm not sure FOWLRs actually exist, I think they're like unicorns or platonic girlfriends. A FOWLR is just a reef tank that doesn't yet hold any coral. Current Tank Info: 180g display, 150gallon sump in-wall 4-side viewable sps dominated tank, ATI Powermodule, MRC MR-4 skimmer, GHL controller, Baling Method, Ultralith Reactor, Carbon & Phosphate Reactors, and general time consuming money pit that I live for.

01/11/2009, 10:08 AM	#8
Hookup Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Posts: 1,281	Sorry for pushing this again.. I'm just paranoid... Everyone agrees this is cyano, not that other stuff that I refuse to put down in writing. __________________ Spellking is an art form to which I have no brush. I'm not sure FOWLRs actually exist, I think they're like unicorns or platonic girlfriends. A FOWLR is just a reef tank that doesn't yet hold any coral. Current Tank Info: 180g display, 150gallon sump in-wall 4-side viewable sps dominated tank, ATI Powermodule, MRC MR-4 skimmer, GHL controller, Baling Method, Ultralith Reactor, Carbon & Phosphate Reactors, and general time consuming money pit that I live for.

01/10/2009, 08:24 PM	#3
SaltyDr Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Southwest Florida Posts: 1,191	Probably cyano. Just about all nusciance algae (yeah I know cyano is a bacteria) is caused by excess nutrients (especially phosphates). Am I correct in assuming that your system is new? If so, this is all NORMAL and to be expected. Keep doing what you are doing and you WILL WIN.

01/10/2009, 08:46 PM	#4
boogers Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Wichita Falls, Texas Posts: 140	how do you get excess nutrients (phosphates) as mentioned in previous post. I have this problem right now too. Mine is bad. covering the sand some of the rocks and covering my brain up too.

01/10/2009, 08:50 PM	#5
SaltyDr Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Southwest Florida Posts: 1,191	Water changes, phosban/GFO and refugium. In an older system, using a carbon source like sugar or vodka.

01/11/2009, 12:35 PM	#9
Tylt33 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Chico, California Posts: 1,755	Cyano caused me major problems in my last tank. I'd make sure you stay on top of it. Cut the lights to the tank for a few days if you have to. Others have had a lot of success with dealing with algae by dosing vodka or raising magnesium. There are threads dedicated to those topics if you're interested.

01/11/2009, 04:35 PM	#10
shleprock30 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 177	I had some stuff like that which had basically started to form a net over one of my rocks, I did a 2 day lights off period after reading a thread about it. That stuff is gone and has not returned. Rick __________________ Rick Current Tank Info: Oceanic 37 gal reef. CPR MRT 13 gal. ETSS Sump buddy 40, 175watt MH 14K

01/11/2009, 05:32 PM	#11
Hookup Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Posts: 1,281	Awesome. I'm going to vacuum out what I can tonight and do a water change, then see what happens. If it doesn't start to show signs of falling off, then i'll go with the 2 days of dark as well as re-syphoning and water changes... Thanks for everyones input and help. Much appreciated. __________________ Spellking is an art form to which I have no brush. I'm not sure FOWLRs actually exist, I think they're like unicorns or platonic girlfriends. A FOWLR is just a reef tank that doesn't yet hold any coral. Current Tank Info: 180g display, 150gallon sump in-wall 4-side viewable sps dominated tank, ATI Powermodule, MRC MR-4 skimmer, GHL controller, Baling Method, Ultralith Reactor, Carbon & Phosphate Reactors, and general time consuming money pit that I live for.

01/11/2009, 11:48 PM	#12
gradth Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Vancouver WA Posts: 517	I have been battling the same issue for a few weeks also. Slowly starting to look better. I picked up some little white hermit crabs yesterday(sorry dont know what kind or the official name). the LFS said that they were the only crabs that ate Cyano. I was sceptical, obviously since I was at a fish store. Got them home, and after acclimation they instantly went to town munching on the stuff. Got up this morning and A large patch of my cyano was gone from my sand. So maybe he was correct. Might look for them, seem pretty handy. ALso did another water change today and siphoned a bunch of the stuff out. Cleaned everything the best I could. Turned my light cycle down a bit. Keeping my fingers crossed. __________________ Josh Click on the redhouse for my 180 build. Current Tank Info: 180 gallon pennisula reef

01/12/2009, 08:13 AM	#13
Hookup Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Posts: 1,281	any id on those "magic" crabs? (wow, i haven't heard that since the 60s) __________________ Spellking is an art form to which I have no brush. I'm not sure FOWLRs actually exist, I think they're like unicorns or platonic girlfriends. A FOWLR is just a reef tank that doesn't yet hold any coral. Current Tank Info: 180g display, 150gallon sump in-wall 4-side viewable sps dominated tank, ATI Powermodule, MRC MR-4 skimmer, GHL controller, Baling Method, Ultralith Reactor, Carbon & Phosphate Reactors, and general time consuming money pit that I live for.

01/12/2009, 08:42 AM	#14
Michael NTTH Rookie Help Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Gloucester, England,UK Posts: 7,808 Blog Entries: 6	hey hook, have a look at this thread as well buddy http://netclub.athiel.com/cyano/cyanos2.htm __________________ Don't be afraid to ask questions, we in the new to the hobby are here to help you [For My Tank Spec,Photo Album,Articles and website, click on my name] MY Very Kindest and Warmest Regards , MIKE Current Tank Info: I have a 92 gal Corner Tank, and way too many pieces of equipment to list really, (proud member of the reef central corner club)

01/12/2009, 09:29 AM	#15
Hookup Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Posts: 1,281	Thanks pal. That is some article for sure! __________________ Spellking is an art form to which I have no brush. I'm not sure FOWLRs actually exist, I think they're like unicorns or platonic girlfriends. A FOWLR is just a reef tank that doesn't yet hold any coral. Current Tank Info: 180g display, 150gallon sump in-wall 4-side viewable sps dominated tank, ATI Powermodule, MRC MR-4 skimmer, GHL controller, Baling Method, Ultralith Reactor, Carbon & Phosphate Reactors, and general time consuming money pit that I live for.

01/12/2009, 11:45 AM	#17
gradth Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Vancouver WA Posts: 517	Sorry not the best, but someone might be able to ID them.