Is This Coralline Algae?

[jaylam]

I have been doing some reading up about the red stuff in my tank and a few websites are saying it's coralline algae, the red stuff in my tank is not slimy and it brushes off very easily, what do you guys think:

 

[seffieuk]

Looks like cyano to me - if you look at the bottom photo, you can clearly see there is a path way where there is more flow from your powerhead.

I have two patches of it at the moment, both are where there us less flow in the tank

Seffie x

 

[jaylam]

Looks like cyano to me - if you look at the bottom photo, you can clearly see there is a path way where there is more flow from your powerhead.

I have two patches of it at the moment, both are where there us less flow in the tank

Seffie x

I see what your saying but on the other side of the tank where the powerhead doesnt really go over the rock at all I dont have any.

Is there anything I can use to treate cyano?

 

[seffieuk]

I think you are already doing everything........ blast the rock with a powerhead and see if it floats off, if it does it is likely to be cyano.

I battle with the stuff on and off, just a downside of the hobby, you have a nitrate reactor, you reduced your feeding and light period, you do regular water changes and have loads of flow.

I do think its just your tank settling, remember though:

Cyano cannot use nitrogen in high oxygen environments, it feeds off nitrogen gas, so if there is a good gas exchange the cyano has no food!

Seffie x

ps

also remember, you can have a test result of 0 nitrAtes but still have nitrates, its just the cyano is using it!

 

[jaylam]

I think you are already doing everything........ blast the rock with a powerhead and see if it floats off, if it does it is likely to be cyano.

I battle with the stuff on and off, just a downside of the hobby, you have a nitrate reactor, you reduced your feeding and light period, you do regular water changes and have loads of flow.

I do think its just your tank settling, remember though:

Cyano cannot use nitrogen in high oxygen environments, it feeds off nitrogen gas, so if there is a good gas exchange the cyano has no food!

Seffie x

ps

also remember, you can have a test result of 0 nitrAtes but still have nitrates, its just the cyano is using it!

Thanks, I just read an article where someone said a spoon of sugar cleared their tank of cyano....ever heard of this?

 

[woody88]

I think you are already doing everything........ blast the rock with a powerhead and see if it floats off, if it does it is likely to be cyano.

I battle with the stuff on and off, just a downside of the hobby, you have a nitrate reactor, you reduced your feeding and light period, you do regular water changes and have loads of flow.

I do think its just your tank settling, remember though:

Cyano cannot use nitrogen in high oxygen environments, it feeds off nitrogen gas, so if there is a good gas exchange the cyano has no food!

Seffie x

ps

also remember, you can have a test result of 0 nitrAtes but still have nitrates, its just the cyano is using it!

Thanks, I just read an article where someone said a spoon of sugar cleared their tank of cyano....ever heard of this?

I have very small patches of cyano in my tank and i quite like it. I do weekly 20-25% wc and there is tons of flow in my tank so I dont worry about it tbh as there are probably 4-5 tiny patches in my tank the size of a 5 pence coin.

If it were to suddenly increase then i would show some concern.

 

[AdamBeat8]

Does anyone know what algae type this is? Is it hair algae? How do i solve this problem, is it bad?

 

[woody88]

Does anyone know what algae type this is? Is it hair algae? How do i solve this problem, is it bad?

There's no pic mate! But if it is gha then it's usually caused by phosphates , nitrates and long periods of light.

To get rid you need to find the cause and eliminate it.
Could be that the water has a high level of nutrients in it, over feeding perhaps!

Check out my journel mate (inherited algae ridden 550) as I had a very bad case of green hair algae and how I got rid of it.

Things to consider,



Increase flow
Decrease lighting period
Decrease feeding
Phosphate remover (eg rowaphos, phosban or even some cheatomorpha)
Nitrate remover
A good CUC ( get an emerald crab, they're ggggrrrrrrreeeeeeeeaaaaaaatttttt!)
Elbow grease ( manually scrub the LR, tank Walls, glass of all algae and do a short course of small water changes)

Before you start adding things to the tank you help remove it, try the lighting, feeding and the elbow grease first as you need to determine what the cause is.
Don't waste your time testing for phos because gha will lock phos in so you won't get an accurate reading.

Hope this helps!

 

[Arlanda7]

I have a little cyano in my tank, I do reg water changes, have a skimmer and my nitrates are at a good level but Cyano forms in the middle of my tank, I just have to rake over the sand everyday where it is and suck it off one of the rocks each week when I water change. Its not a big problem but not sure theres much more i can do.

 

[woody88]

I have a little cyano in my tank, I do reg water changes, have a skimmer and my nitrates are at a good level but Cyano forms in the middle of my tank, I just have to rake over the sand everyday where it is and suck it off one of the rocks each week when I water change. Its not a big problem but not sure theres much more i can do.

Not sure but might be lack of flow I think?

 

[seffieuk]

Not sure but might be lack of flow I think?

Its not the lack of flow per se that causes the cyano, the cyano forms where there is nitrogen gas to eat, yummy, so increasing flow (oxygen) to the area decreases the nitrogen gas, so cyano starves (its a bacteria)

Seffie x

 

[Arlanda7]

Not sure but might be lack of flow I think?

Its not the lack of flow per se that causes the cyano, the cyano forms where there is nitrogen gas to eat, yummy, so increasing flow (oxygen) to the area decreases the nitrogen gas, so cyano starves (its a bacteria)

Seffie x

Thanks Seffie I will try adjusting the flow