RED ALGEA ON SANDBED

[Ikarus5150]

I have an outbreak of red algea at the front of my tank (on the sand). I know the can be a symptom of to many additives (nutrient rich). I haven't added any new coral or fish lately. But I have stepped feeding schedual Trying to revive my Orange Cup Coral. Also I started to use Liquid Calcium Reactor. I used Less than needed. Trying to make any change more gradual. This algea is Dark Red (almost maroon), Kind of sticky (clings to sand).
I have tested the water and came out with these results.
Temp= 75 Deg - SG= 1.024 - PH= 8.3 - NH3/4=0 - PO4= .025 - Ca= 520 - Alk= 1.0 - DKH= 6 - NO2= 0 - NO3=5 - CO2= 1,0 - MG= 1275.
I use Ro From CUB Foods & Somthing Fishy - Run a tetratec 150 filter with two carbon pouches - Bak Pak Cpr With Maxijet - Medium to high water flow generated by three power heads - 37 Pds of LR - 35 Pds of LS
This tank has Run fairly well for 3 years. No Problems like this.
Should I just syphon out the Sand?

 

[sediener]

It sounds like cyano. You are probably loaded up on PO4 but it looks low b/c of the cyano bloom pulling it out of solution.

Probably not a problem caused by the calcium supplement but more likey the increased feeding.

Couple thing to try:
rinsing your food in RO before feeding.
increase the flow near the sandbed
cut back on feeding

[edit] siphoning it out will help remove excess nutrients [/edit]

- steve

 

[SnowManSnow]

Someone has posted a post in the New Reefkeeper's forum VERY similar to this one that already has a lot of replies. You may try checking that one out to see if you are fighting the same battle.

B.

 

[Anonymous]

Once my nitrAtes went down to under 10ppm total nitrates, I got red slime or cyano also.

From what I understand it takes its nitrogen from gasseous nitrogen unlike plant life which used the nitrates. and still consume phosphates. So as nitrates are lowered and plant life slows its growth, there is more phosphates and less nitrates, and the cyano blooms.

So anything you can do to get the plant life growing would help. With my tank I harvest macros. But that is just one method.

And sure add circulation, suck the stuff out and so on. But until the conditions change the cyano will simply come back.

 

[SnowManSnow]

Here's the link to the other post.

http://www.reefs.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=68774

Good luck.

B

 

[jethro]

Turn your lights off for two months.

 

[Anonymous]

I don't know if I would necessarily siphon out the sand, but certainly every time you do a water change, go ahead and siphon all that slime out. It will take some sand with it but should siphon out easily.

 

[sediener]

I am just getting over a bloom of it in my 120 and after I fixed the nutrient problems (added DI to RO system), I did 3 small 5G water changes over a few days with the main goal of siphoning out as much of the junk as possible. Seems to have helped kill them off.

- steve

 

[Anonymous]

Phosguard, baby. Run it til it's gone. A canister hooked up works great, or, if you have a fuge, leave the lights on 24/7

 

[KensReef]

You need to first reduce the amount of nutrients coming into the tank. For example rinsing the food before you add it to the tank. Also test your top up water, perhaps it is high in phosphates. I don't usually like to use treated water for my top up, but if it is high in phosphates, or other nutrients then it may be necessary. Your tank water tests shows fairly low phosphate levels, but this is probably because the cyano is using it quickly. You will also have to try to remove as much of the cyano as you can, it will also help to export the nutrients. No good doing that though if you are just adding more phosphate through food and top up water. You will just be chasing your tail.