This stuff is driving me nuts!!! It's EVERYWHERE

[MaryBebo]

I am at a loss of what to do..... ????????????
















My new cucumber

[MaryBebo]

[Tomoko Schum]

I see your corals are everywhere

By the way, your shrimp has a crush on your cuke

Tomoko

[MaryBebo]

I have been dealing with this purple fuzzy stuff for over 6 mo. now and I can't seem to get it under control. I know it is some kind of Algae.... I can sometimes pull it off in sheets. It will have trapped bubbles under it. I have used a tooth brush too. It will cover the corals if I don't try to remove it. I think you can see in the picture where the shrimp and cuke are ,{ in the sand bed } this purple fuzzy algae growing.

[Artymess]

It's kinda hard to tell from the pics, but is it cyano? If so, I use one EM tablet in the overflow with a small water change and it does the trick...Clears up overnight...(I have a 120 tank.) However, you cannot run your protein skimmer for several days afterwards because the EM causes lots of bubbles.

[NicoleC]

Definitely cyano. The best prescription is more flow and a series of large water changes. I'm not adverse to doing 90%, or up to the total amount of space I have to aerate and heat water for a day or two so the temp, salinity and pH matches.

If you don't have the mixing space for large water changes, siphon the cyano daily (nutrient export) and do smaller daily water changes.

Check your water source and salt mix before embarking on lots of water changes. Also check and clean your equipment for malfunctions or just reduced flow from pumps and powerheads due to calcium buildup.

I once had a mysterious big algae breakout and it turns out I had a rusted impeller. Replaced the impeller and voila! Algae gone.

[6Speed]

Originally posted by NicoleC

I once had a mysterious big algae breakout and it turns out I had a rusted impeller. Replaced the impeller and voila! Algae gone.

I thought that phosphate removal media was essentially rust?

[MaryBebo]

Gosh, I have 4 powerheads and the regular flow going on in there. Flow, shouldn't be a issue. I feed now every other day (very little). But you know, I use to feed more than that ( but not too much) and every thing was fine for a long time. I try to remove it and get it out of the tank, but small pieces spread around in the tank and then it starts growing somewhere else. I guess there are no EASY answers. Thanks though

[NicoleC]

Originally posted by 6Speed
I thought that phosphate removal media was essentially rust?

That's ferric oxide hydroxide. Iron rust is usually ferric oxide.

Ferrous and ferric iron both make excellent plant food. In fact,you can buy it in pellets to feed the plants in planted aquariums. (With other ingredients like potassium,)

[Artymess]

There IS a quick fix and it's the EM tablets...you can get them at any pet store. I feed twice a day, and have average flow and last week had the nastiest looking tank with the cyano. Just never had time to get to the pet store to buy the erythrimcin...ANYWAY, after I used just the one tablet, my tank is sparkling. and it doesn't hurt your fish.

[MaryBebo]

Thank you, I will get some this weekend.

[Tomoko Schum]

Nicole -

Iron in pellets to feed the plants in planted aquariums? That's a new one on me. If iron is in ferrous or ferric form in the pellets, that would be convenient to use. I wonder where I can get them. Do you know what it is and where to get hold of them?

A lot of planted aquarium people including me use either liquid or powder form of chelated or gluconate complexed iron (Fe 2 and Fe3.) The disadvantage there is light or bacteria affecting the chelation. We want iron to stay in Fe2 form as long as possible since it's a lot easier for plants to take it up than Fe3.

Tomoko

[NicoleC]

Originally posted by Tomoko Schum
Nicole -

Iron in pellets to feed the plants in planted aquariums? That's a new one on me. If iron is in ferrous or ferric form in the pellets, that would be convenient to use. I wonder where I can get them. Do you know what it is and where to get hold of them?

It's not just iron, so if you need to be specific the fertilizer tablets won't work. I've used SeaChem Flourish Tabs, also Jungle makes
"Plant Food Tabs Plus Iron" and I think Hagen has an iron supplement, too.

[Tomoko Schum]

Okay, you're talking about the root tabs. Yes a few has some iron in them now. However, I was thinking more in line of non-commercial products that we can substitute for them. I use Plantex (hydroponic trace elements) for iron and trace elements, potassium nitrate, potassium sulfate, and mono basic potassium phosphate to fertilize my planted aquarium. It's all water column fertilization, though. Amano will probably scold me and tell me not to turn the water into a chemical soup. I know he keeps his water really lean and fertilize mainly through the substrate.

Tomoko

[Mariner]

Mary, the trouble with the Erythromiacin tabs is of course that they can take out your good biofiltering bacteria along with the cyano bacteria. Most people use them only as a last resort. Sounds like you may have a build up of phosphates. If it were me, I'd look into running some phosban & increasing water changes -- it'll take a few weeks, but you should see some lasting improvement.
FWIW,
Mariner

[KwajRocks]

Mary,

Don't know if this is the case with your tank, but I had a similar problem in my old tank and someone suggested I replace the lights. I did, and it took care of the problem. My lights however needed changing anyway - they were getting old, and it seems the algae did not like the change in the spectrum . HTH

[Tomoko Schum]

Have you tested your tank water for phosphate and nitrate?

If you detect some phosphate and nitrate, I second a few large water change, too. Both nitrate and phosphate fuel cyano growth. A few big water changes will normally bring the levels down.

If your test results show a very low nutrient load, then I consider a chemical route.

I have used Red Slime Remover in my 15G a couple of times in the past, and it worked very well. If that medication did something to my biological filter, the damage must have been very small because I did not really notice any ill effect. However, the med is rather costly for a large tank.

Phosban or other GFO products are a good idea if you have a slightly elevated phosphate level. The phosphate level should be not be detectable if you are using a hobby grade test kit. Good LFS's should have GFO products.

I am trying PHOSaR right now in my SPS dominated 120G since I read many great reviews on it. It's another GFO like Phosban, but it has a very different texture. It is supposedly more porous and less prone to pulverize in high flow. I understand that a reactor is not necessary for this product. The only drawback of GFO is that cheato in the refugium. Chaeto stops growing because phosphate level gets too low. Caulerpa racemosa still grow but very slowly. This may not be a problem to some people, but I really enjoy my refugium...

Tomoko

[MaryBebo]

Thank you all.

I ordered CHEMI-CLEAN and also PHOSaR Phosphate Remover and a Media Bag to use in the sump. I hope this will work. I have some red bubble algae in the Nano, maybe the CHEMI-CLEAN will help it too.

My test show NO Nitrates or Phosphates. The test kit for Phosphate is Hagen. I have just replaced the Bulb a Couple of months ago. I did order another test kit for phosphate{Salifert} to see if it is any different.

[JimW]

If you decide to use chemi clean, be prepared for large water changes and carbon. The cyano will die, but you won't be able to remove the waste products via skimming because chemi clean will cause you skimmer to go insane. If decaying cyano remains in tank, could cause bigger problems than what you have been dealing with already.

A lot of info in chemistry forum, with many opinions on this product. Seems some people have had success with it, and some have had disasters. I think I would give the GFO a try before resorting to the chemi clean.
You have a great looking tank and I hope all turns out well for you.

FWIW,

Jim

[buzzbait00]

Hey Mary!
I've had two outbreaks of cyano,one in my old sys and not to long ago in my new sys.I tried the phosban,more flow,starved my fish,water canges,bulbs,ect,ect with no results.Chemi-Clean works!and after useing it my good algae thrived.I guess they were competing.Ive had no problem useing the stuff.I know some don't advacate the use of chemical "quick fixes"but IT WORKS!

[MaryBebo]

I will keep my fingers crossed, Thanks

[8BALL_99]

I've used Chemi Clean a few times in the past with good results to.. Just follow the directions and you will be fine

[MaryBebo]

It's good to know that there are some of you, who have used it and know that it does work.
I pulled off some more of this stuff today. I can't wait for my order to come in. I was using a filter pad {that was to help remove phospates} in my sump where the water comes into the sump and changed it out today. It was full of snotty looking stuff. My skimmer was really gunkey too.

[JimW]

Originally posted by MaryBebo
It was full of snotty looking stuff. My skimmer was really gunkey too.

Was it white slime or red like the cyano?

Jim

[MaryBebo]

Clear/ creamy color [ it was all over the filter pad]. There wasn't any red at all on the filter pad.