Help me identify and rid my tank of this algae!

[JD'sReef]

So first it got this red slime sheet (a thicker version of the red slime) a few months before Christmas. Realizing I had new atinic 96watt PC's with and old 1000k MH, I got a nice new 10000k Reef Lux under the tree. With a good cleaning the new bulb helped with the red slime; yet within a week I had more hair algae then I new what to do with. I actually could not see through the front glass.
With the help from a nice new clean up crew and a new Ushio (? spelling) 10,000 bulb, I was able to get the tank spotless again. However, I am now back to the same position I was in before the origional bulb with the red slimy stuff at the bottom. What is it that is feeding this algae; causing it to grow like no tomorrow. I just did a big cleaning the other day and already the stuff is starting to come back. My tiger tail dose a good job at keeping the sand clean, but he dose not seem to like this slime.

Before my big cleaning it was long a stringy and encompassed the rocks as well as the walls and sand. Thought it was dino as it had air bubbles in the slime.
Now it is only on the sand in a thin layer like sheet. No bubbles, just a thin covering on the sand. Rocks and everything else are staying clean.


I have a bow front so the pics are hard to take, sorry for that.
Also, I am using a large ETSS600 skimmer (on a 46gallon tank), but it does not seem to help. My fuge actually has this red slime crap all over the carpula.
CA is currently at 440ppm!
KH is 9dkh in change!
PH is 9.2/9.4
Atinics are on for 10hrs
MH is on for 6hrs
Thanks for any help you can offer.
J.

 

[American Flyer]

Did you test for phosphate? Did you recently stir up the sand bed. That growth is usually caused by excess nutrients in the tank. That is bad news. I hope it isn't cyano bacteria. Most people I think will recommend red slime remover. I didn't have good luck with that product however.

 

[Mrs. Delta]

It looks like cyano to me. Keeping the nutrients down will help (i.e. reduce feedings). Good luck.

 

[Mr. Leemr]

+1 on the cyano, good luck.

 

[JohnK]

Yes, cyano. Perfectly normal to see some.

 

[afboundguy]

Cyano to me as well... On a side note are you sure your pH is 9.2/9.4 and not 8.2/8.4? At 9.2/9.4 nothing should be alive...

 

[s_kelley]

Feed less , increase flow, and increase your water changes. Looks like cyano to me too.

 

[Andy V]

Cyano. And I DO NOT recommend any type of chemical treatment.

 

[molsen187]

+1 to what everyone has said. you need to find out where the excess nutrients are coming from. do you use ro/di water or tap? if you are using ro water do you buy it or make your own? i only ask because maybe your filters or the store you go to filter's need to be changed. how often are you feeding the tank? i had an outbreak in one of my tanks and i cut down on feeding and that helped a great deal. it also pops up in places that there isn't enough flow so that is something you could look into also. the chemical treatments are just a stop gap and the cyano will come back eventually if you don't take care of the source of the excess nutrients.

 

[Jim_Larkin]

Should you be sucking up the cyno when siphoning during water changes? Will that stir up the sand bed and add to the problem?

 

[gweston]

Yeah I think it can spread if you stir up the sand. I tried sucking some out with a turkey baster, and some fell into another spot. Infesting that new spot. Sucking it up with a proper siphon should be good.


I had a touch of cyano on my 29g about a month ago. I added a skimmer and improved flow to the problem areas, and it is gone. My problem was with phosphates. It was far too high. Between feeding too much and not skimming.. it had climbed higher than it should have. Water changes helped, but skimming and and keeping my feedings in check as what turned the corner.

I like to spoil my pets I was just feeding too much and my pig of a Midas happily munched away.

 

[sdesi2005]

Add a few powerheads, cyno thrives in low flow.

Suck up the 'red slime' as best you can, carefully without stirring up the sand.

How long has the tank been setup? Its pretty normal, but generally caused by phosphates and excess nutrients (which are really phosphates). Be patient. Don't add any more bioload until the problem is solved.

 

[JD'sReef]

Alright, you all seem to agree on it being cyano. I will do as you all say a stick with the natural (frustrating approach). I have tried many different algae removal products in the past, with no solid results.
My phosphate is at 0ppm!
I use my own RO/DI water and the TSD is currently at 0ppm!
My feeding schedule is by far to much, so I will seriously cut back.

I have not stirred my sand bed, so I am going to atack the feeding schedule first and see what happens.

Will keeping my lights off for a day, help me get the upper hand on this situation?
Thanks,
J.

 

[JohnK]

It doesn't hurt to siphion out the cyano as it pops up.

Also, even though your testing phosphate at 0, there is still some present. Given that assumption, running GFO may tip the scales to start starving the cyano out.

FWIW, it's quite rare to see any marine tank that has NO cyano. A little bit is quite normal, though a lot is quite annoying

 

[JD'sReef]

Jimmy, What is a GFO?
Thanks
J.

 

[JohnK]

Granular ferric oxide (I probably spelled some or all of that wrong )

It's phosphate remover that works. Not to be confused with the old school aluminum based phosphate removers....

 

[tigerslacrosse4]

Granular ferric oxide (I probably spelled some or all of that wrong )

noooo you got it right I was going to say ferrous oxide but remembered that oxides came from "ic" not "ous" good trick my chem teacher Mrs Bussie showed me last year

 

[JD'sReef]

Where can I pick this remover up?
Thanks,
J.

 

[Takara]

biopellets

 

[tigerslacrosse4]

JD IMO you should try and re direct your flow before adding anything to the tank. also you should not add anything to the tank you cant test for. unless absolutely necessary and even then have water on hand so if something un-identifiable comes up then you can do something about it.