Algae Problem

[Guest D33rex]

I have a a new algae problem developing....its a purple film type algae that is starting to just grow on and over everything. I can luckily just blow it off with a baster, but it just grows right on again in a day or two. I somehow lost my testing kit in the move...about to go buy another one....but just wondering if anyone might know of it and whats causing it. I put in both rowaphos and chemipure after the move, which I have never used before...could they have made some parameter spike?

Ill do the tests today or tommorow and post those. In the mean time, any thoughts. thanks.

[seppler]

I've had that trouble as a phase with my new tanks "cycling"

 

Frequent water changes, removing ast much as you can each time should take care of it...

 

good luck.

[Sugar Magnolia]

Cyanobacteria. Blowing ot off with a turkey baster isn't going to help. You need to suck it out with the baster. Increase your flow and test for phosphates and TDS.

 

http://www.netpets.org/fish/reference/reef...nobacteria.html

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

[DCDeacon]

Is it purple or dark red? It sounds to me like cynobacteria, which is actually a bacteria and not algae. I had a horrible bout of it in my 40, wrecked it all to heck. Caused by high levels of nitrates and/or phosphates. I found a very helpful thread about it on Nano reefs a while back. See if it helps you:

 

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/showthread...&threadid=59205

[Guest mightymouse]

the first thing i suggest is if u dont already change your feeding from every day to every other day or every 2 days this is what i did when io had hair algae and cyanobacteria problems and 3 months later all i have is a small amount of hair algae but all of it is gone from my sandbed

[pez]

As noted above, it sounds like Cynobacteria to me. Please provide some additional information:

 

1) What kind of lamps do you have (e.g., FL, MH, VHO, PC)?

2) How old are your lamps?

3) How often do you feed?

4) What do you feed?

5) Do you use supplements? If so, what, how much, how often?

6) What brand of salt are you using?

7) Where do you get your water (e.g., RO, tap, TWP, etc.)

 

Answering these questions will help us help you.

 

Also, give this a read:

 

http://www.cyberreefguru.com/general/cyno.html

 

-Tom

[Guest maestro774]

Adding to pez's list, make sure you check your water storage tanks. Cheap trashcans or other plastic containers will leach chemicals, including phosphates which I believe cyano feeds on.

 

I finally beat my cyano problem with a dose of chemi-clean, a Brute trashcan for WCs, a couple big water changes, heavy skimming and reduced feeding.