Red algae

[ramon1181]

Hi i have some red algae growing on the rocks it looks like some kind of hair algae i have had it on one rock for few months but now it is spreading and from last week i have green hair algae on sand bed too my phosphates are 0.5 just checked it can some body help any ideas to what is going on

 

[BaaMNYC]

Can you take a photo?

 

[ramon1181]

Yes but dont know how to post it here belive me i tried

 

[BaaMNYC]

It's probably cyano. Usually it's occurs from over feeding, not enough flow, or not enough water changes. Try and figure out the source and regular water changes and it should go away.

Last resort, red slime remover will get rid of it but it will come back if you don't rectify why it happened to begin with

 

[ramon1181]

k so how do i get rid of it any suggestions please i am running 8 hours lights per day

 

[ramon1181]

I do 10 gal water change weekly and feed one cube of mysis daily i have 90 gal tank

 

[BaaMNYC]

Frozen foods contain phosphates. Your phosphates probably slowly built up. I do a big water change every few months but that's just me.

Do you have enough flow, what kind of lighting, do you have a skimmer?

 

[ramon1181]

I have ati power module and iam running SRO 2000 i just checked my phosphates with hana tester and it says 0.5 and i have 2 tunze 6100 pumps in the tank

 

[BaaMNYC]

Phosphate will indicate low because the red algae is consuming it.

How old are the bulbs?

 

[SanmanReefer]

Are you running a reactor? GFO or Biopellets? Carbon? I would stay on course doing at least 20% weekly water changes, change your filter socks at least twice per week and change the media in the reactors (if you have them) once per month. Also I would lower the light period to at least 5 hours per day for the duration of the cyano outbreak. Also do you have a refugium? Macro algae? Hope this helps.

 

[Moneymaks24]

I got same problem now since I been feeding like crazy w no filtration try this:

1. Ditch filter socks they are only for polishing water once in a while. Otherwise it's a nitrate trap.

2. Raise magnesium to 1600! over 3 days, very important to kill algae.

3. Get GFO reactor and chaeto with a fuge light and run that at night.

4. Don't overfeed and do weekly WC.

Make sure your sand is clean and no detritus build up on rocks, blow off w turkey Baster.

Hope that helps. Btw it's not me making this stuff up, it's what I read people recommend from various sources.

 

[SanmanReefer]

I got same problem now since I been feeding like crazy w no filtration try this:

1. Ditch filter socks they are only for polishing water once in a while. Otherwise it's a nitrate trap.

2. Raise magnesium to 1600! over 3 days, very important to kill algae.

3. Get GFO reactor and chaeto with a fuge light and run that at night.

4. Don't overfeed and do weekly WC.

Make sure your sand is clean and no detritus build up on rocks, blow off w turkey Baster.

Hope that helps. Btw it's not me making this stuff up, it's what I read people recommend from various sources.

I disagree on the filter socks, if you don't have anything to catch particles then the first chamber in your sump will very filthy and you will have to constantly vacuum it, I vacuum mine every 2 months (takes 5 minutes) Also magnesium shouldn't be raised more than 100ppm in a day, you should be careful with that. I agree on the GFO reactor, macro algae and running the lights on a reverse light cycle. Good point on over feeding. Also +1 on the weekly water changes, I think it is the most important aspect of reef keeping. Hope that helps.

 

[SanmanReefer]

I do 10 gal water change weekly and feed one cube of mysis daily i have 90 gal tank

Also try cutting down on the feeding or feed every other day. That should help also.

 

[Moneymaks24]

I disagree on the filter socks, if you don't have anything to catch particles then the first chamber in your sump will very filthy and you will have to constantly vacuum it, I vacuum mine every 2 months (takes 5 minutes) Also magnesium shouldn't be raised more than 100ppm in a day, you should be careful with that. I agree on the GFO reactor, macro algae and running the lights on a reverse light cycle. Good point on over feeding. Also +1 on the weekly water changes, I think it is the most important aspect of reef keeping. Hope that helps.

No filter sock idea came from LA fish guys from YouTube who is a respected aquarium expert. Also you can put a pump on bottom on first chamber in sump to avoid detritus build up on bottom. I never had a sock but I also never had a sump. So far just AIO tanks for me. Magnesium most people is around 1250 so 3 days will bring u up to 1550-1600 which is where u want to be to battle algae I read.

 

[SanmanReefer]

No filter sock idea came from LA fish guys from YouTube who is a respected aquarium expert. Also you can put a pump on bottom on first chamber in sump to avoid detritus build up on bottom. I never had a sock but I also never had a sump. So far just AIO tanks for me. Magnesium most people is around 1250 so 3 days will bring u up to 1550-1600 which is where u want to be to battle algae I read.

I hear you, I know he recommends the Berlin system. There are different approaches and a lot of different things work for different folks. I've always used socks and that works for my setup. And you a correct on the Magnesium. I had my Mag at 1700 and had 0 algae.

 

[ramon1181]

K i have a fuge with chateo runing on reverse light cycle and i am runing biopellets bulbs should be around 12 months old i change filter socks every week with water change my magnesium is around 1500 ppm

 

[ramon1181]

Thank u very much for all ur advice and time i just did a 20 percent water change and will be raising my magnesium slowly and see how things go

 

[SanmanReefer]

Thank u very much for all ur advice and time i just did a 20 percent water change and will be raising my magnesium slowly and see how things go

No problem, let me know if there's anything I can do to help.

 

[ramon1181]

Sure thank u very much

 

[Moneymaks24]

My magnesium is 1150 and I got hair and bubble algae but no fuge or pellets just skimmer. Brs calc recommends 37oz of mag, ill raise that up slow over 10 days or so and c what happens.