lobophora & cotton candy algae

ncox38 · 01/13/2008, 04:29 PM

I have had an outbreak of lobophora and cotton candy algae (cyanobacteria) and i dont know how to get rid of it. Its my fault I got lazy with my water changes and my TDS in my RO water was high. I have replaced the DI resin and have been doing 20% water changes every week for the last 2 weeks. Is there any thing else I can do?

Chelsey · 01/13/2008, 06:24 PM

Buy yourself a sea hare, the green ones. They'll eat your CC and stuff, at least mine did!

breutus · 01/13/2008, 06:27 PM

sea hare?

ncox38 · 01/13/2008, 08:16 PM

awesome, thanks

dela · 01/13/2008, 09:30 PM

Don't they wipe out the tank when they die?

TWINPEAKS · 01/14/2008, 12:01 AM

who in the area has them?

zt444a · 01/14/2008, 12:49 PM

I think MS has them, at least ocassionally. The Naso Tang I had would eat the lobophora algae.

Nanook · 01/14/2008, 01:14 PM

I bought one from Chad at GWA and it is doing good work....nocturnal creature in my setup.

Reeferhead · 01/14/2008, 05:57 PM

I'm pretty sure cyanobacteria is not commonly referred to and cotton candy algae. Perhaps I'm mistaken but I was under the impression cotton candy was a type of filamentous (hair) algae.

If you dealing with cyano then you have a nutrient or circulation issue. I still get a little cyano every now and then in some low flow spots even though my PO4 and NO3 are both undetectable. If your just getting and few small patches then its no biggie, just blast it with some flow every now and then to dislodge it or potion a powerhead at the low flow area where it is growing.

If you have cyano throughout the whole tank that comes back repeatedly then you definitely have a nutrient issue and you need to rectify it immediately

I don't know of any species of sea hare that will eat Lobophora or cyanobacteria. They are however, IME, very good at eating green filamentous algae like green hair. However, there are several species so I will try not to make broad generalizations. I have kept some the the larger Pacific Dolobella species without much success. They would just disappear in the rock work never to be seen again. I purchase a smaller seahare of an unknown species from GWA a few months ago and it does a great job and eating green slime. I don't really have any hair algae issues and it doesn't touch my Lobophora.

Now Lobophora is something I have alot of experience with. If your tank can support it, just get a small Naso tang. They will destroy it, as they are brown algae specialists, most fish and inverts are not. I have had limited success with using Diadema (black long spine) urchins. Again, there are several species with in the genus, and I don't think all of them relish it as much as others but the one I have has put a dent in the stuff.

Good luck!

ncox38 · 01/15/2008, 08:14 AM

Wet web media referred to cotton candy algae as a cyanobacteria, thats all i know...

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/maralgidfaq4.htm

...about 2/3's of the way down with a picture of the stuff.

I'll try to find a small naso as soon as i get a controller, right now my tank is fluctuating between 78 - 81 degrees over the course of the day. Dont need an ich outbreak...

I bought 24 margarita snails yesterday at cpe, hopefully they will help too. I think I will just keep up the water changes once a week and let it work itself out. I definitely learned my lesson about being lazy.

The comment about sea hares nuking the tank kind of scared me away from those unless someone knows an exact species to look at that is good.

Thanks!

zt444a · 01/15/2008, 08:33 AM

The one I had never had ich, just disappeared into the great beyond at some point. Was always a pretty good eater too. If you get one, do not overfeed the tank and they will start consuming the lobophora.

ncox38 · 01/15/2008, 10:54 AM

Ok, thanks for the info. Just to make sure we are on the same page, I have the encrusting lobophora, as seen in the photo in the second row 3rd from the left.

http://www.melevsreef.com/id/algae.html

Will a naso pick this stuff off?

Reeferhead · 01/15/2008, 11:23 AM

The pictures jump depending on how big a window you have open but this is lobophora

Yes, Naso tangs will eat it. They are your best chance at beating this stuff IME.

93Foxstang · 01/15/2008, 07:15 PM

For red slime just siphon or blast with power head.

01/13/2008, 04:29 PM	#1
ncox38 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Maryland Heights, MO Posts: 969	lobophora & cotton candy algae I have had an outbreak of lobophora and cotton candy algae (cyanobacteria) and i dont know how to get rid of it. Its my fault I got lazy with my water changes and my TDS in my RO water was high. I have replaced the DI resin and have been doing 20% water changes every week for the last 2 weeks. Is there any thing else I can do?

01/13/2008, 06:24 PM	#2
Chelsey Clownfish Addict Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Missouri Posts: 5,031	Buy yourself a sea hare, the green ones. They'll eat your CC and stuff, at least mine did! __________________ Always bear in mind your own resolution to succeed is more important than any one thing. Current Tank Info: 100 gallon cube, 28 gallon snowflake tank, 2500 gallon broodstock system

01/14/2008, 12:01 AM	#6
TWINPEAKS Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: St.jacob IL. Posts: 1,340	who in the area has them? __________________ DENNIS Current Tank Info: 180 gal reef ,150 gallon sump,500 watts m.h and 312 watts of T5's 65 gallon FOWLR 175 m.h.

01/14/2008, 12:49 PM	#7
zt444a Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Montgomery, NY Posts: 2,603	I think MS has them, at least ocassionally. The Naso Tang I had would eat the lobophora algae. __________________ Howard DeBord " When the Boogeyman goes to sleep every night, he checks his closet for Chuck Norris. " Current Tank Info: None atm

01/14/2008, 01:14 PM	#8
Nanook Ancient Eskimo Legend Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Saint Louis, MO Posts: 41,852 Blog Entries: 11	I bought one from Chad at GWA and it is doing good work....nocturnal creature in my setup. __________________ The wind blew, the chit flew, and then they came two by two. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Current Tank Info: 375g Tanganyikan Tank & 470g mixed reef

01/13/2008, 06:27 PM	#3
breutus Don't ask me, I'm wrong. Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: House Springs Posts: 2,272	sea hare?

01/13/2008, 08:16 PM	#4
ncox38 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Maryland Heights, MO Posts: 969	awesome, thanks

01/13/2008, 09:30 PM	#5
dela Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: St Louis Posts: 1,526	Don't they wipe out the tank when they die?

01/14/2008, 05:57 PM	#9
Reeferhead Recovering Reef Addict Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii Posts: 4,856	I'm pretty sure cyanobacteria is not commonly referred to and cotton candy algae. Perhaps I'm mistaken but I was under the impression cotton candy was a type of filamentous (hair) algae. If you dealing with cyano then you have a nutrient or circulation issue. I still get a little cyano every now and then in some low flow spots even though my PO4 and NO3 are both undetectable. If your just getting and few small patches then its no biggie, just blast it with some flow every now and then to dislodge it or potion a powerhead at the low flow area where it is growing. If you have cyano throughout the whole tank that comes back repeatedly then you definitely have a nutrient issue and you need to rectify it immediately I don't know of any species of sea hare that will eat Lobophora or cyanobacteria. They are however, IME, very good at eating green filamentous algae like green hair. However, there are several species so I will try not to make broad generalizations. I have kept some the the larger Pacific Dolobella species without much success. They would just disappear in the rock work never to be seen again. I purchase a smaller seahare of an unknown species from GWA a few months ago and it does a great job and eating green slime. I don't really have any hair algae issues and it doesn't touch my Lobophora. Now Lobophora is something I have alot of experience with. If your tank can support it, just get a small Naso tang. They will destroy it, as they are brown algae specialists, most fish and inverts are not. I have had limited success with using Diadema (black long spine) urchins. Again, there are several species with in the genus, and I don't think all of them relish it as much as others but the one I have has put a dent in the stuff. Good luck! __________________ Nick St. Louis Area Saltwater Hobbyists' (SLASH) Coral Donor Program (CDP) Because, "Friends don't let friends pay $50 a polyp!" Over 200 different corals and counting... Current Tank Info: 352 Quintillion Gallon

01/15/2008, 08:14 AM	#10
ncox38 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Maryland Heights, MO Posts: 969	Wet web media referred to cotton candy algae as a cyanobacteria, thats all i know... http://www.wetwebmedia.com/maralgidfaq4.htm ...about 2/3's of the way down with a picture of the stuff. I'll try to find a small naso as soon as i get a controller, right now my tank is fluctuating between 78 - 81 degrees over the course of the day. Dont need an ich outbreak... I bought 24 margarita snails yesterday at cpe, hopefully they will help too. I think I will just keep up the water changes once a week and let it work itself out. I definitely learned my lesson about being lazy. The comment about sea hares nuking the tank kind of scared me away from those unless someone knows an exact species to look at that is good. Thanks!

01/15/2008, 08:33 AM	#11
zt444a Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Montgomery, NY Posts: 2,603	The one I had never had ich, just disappeared into the great beyond at some point. Was always a pretty good eater too. If you get one, do not overfeed the tank and they will start consuming the lobophora. __________________ Howard DeBord " When the Boogeyman goes to sleep every night, he checks his closet for Chuck Norris. " Current Tank Info: None atm

01/15/2008, 10:54 AM	#12
ncox38 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Maryland Heights, MO Posts: 969	Ok, thanks for the info. Just to make sure we are on the same page, I have the encrusting lobophora, as seen in the photo in the second row 3rd from the left. http://www.melevsreef.com/id/algae.html Will a naso pick this stuff off?

01/15/2008, 11:23 AM	#13
Reeferhead Recovering Reef Addict Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii Posts: 4,856	The pictures jump depending on how big a window you have open but this is lobophora Yes, Naso tangs will eat it. They are your best chance at beating this stuff IME. __________________ Nick St. Louis Area Saltwater Hobbyists' (SLASH) Coral Donor Program (CDP) Because, "Friends don't let friends pay $50 a polyp!" Over 200 different corals and counting... Current Tank Info: 352 Quintillion Gallon

01/15/2008, 07:15 PM	#14
93Foxstang Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: St. louis-North County Posts: 267	For red slime just siphon or blast with power head.