Red Algae Help?!?

Discussion in 'Algae' started by coug, Jul 16, 2006.

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  1. coug

    coug Astrea Snail

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    Red Algae problem....

    1. What's the best way to try to prevent red algae from growing? I know the first step is control amount of lighting during the day, a given with any algae.

    2. What's the best way to clean it off coral without damaging the coral itself or the creatures living on or in the coral? Is there a way?

    3. The red algae that's slowly covering the live sand on the bottom of the tank, should that be "shoveled" off and thrown in the trash or shoveled off and cleaned and then placed back in the tank?

    Please help any ideas??

    Also, I've got this almost fluorescent looking I guess algae growing on the glass mostly on the back of the tank, it starts as half moon shape and then it
    progresses to a hard circle. You can't get it off with a magnet cleaner it would have to be scraped off. What is that stuff and should I be trying to remove it?
     
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  3. amcarrig

    amcarrig Super Moderator

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    Are you talking about red slime algae or something else?
     
  4. coral reefer

    coral reefer Giant Squid

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    Ok, I will answer these questions in the order you asked them.
    1) The best way to control red algae, which really isn't an algae at all. It is a cyanobacteria. It is usually associated with high levels of nutrients in your water column. To help cut down on this, you should try to decrease feeding of livestock, either by smaller feedings throughout the day as oppossed to a single or dual large feeding daily. Or you need to cut down on the amount you feed at each feeding time.
    2)The best way of getting rid of it is either by using a soft bristle tooth brush. The better alternative though would be to use a turkey baster or the equivalent and force water at the bacteria causing it to blow off.
    3)You don't really need to remove the sand that is covered with the bacteria-just increase the water movement and it will become dislodged and then you can either remove it with a net or a syphon and your skimmer will help as well.
    The last part of your question about the hard organism stuck on your glass could be Diatoms which is cause dby high levels of silica in your water. To remove it you are best to use an old credit card and scrape it off. Local pet shops also sell similar items for cleaning the glass, most of them by Kent.
    One thing about this hard crusting algae etc. without seeing it in person, is that it may be beneficial coralline algae which comes in various shades of green, pink, red and purple. This is a very good algae, which comes with an established mature tank with ideal lighting and calcium/iodine supplementation. This may be what you have in its beginning stages!
    It is probably Diatoms though which can be controlled by using RO/DI water for water changes and again nutrient removal from your paleagic area of your tank(water column).
    Hopefully this will help ya!
     
  5. nanonewby

    nanonewby Astrea Snail

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    I have a red algae growing on my LR and in small circles on my glass. I assumed that it was benifical because it grows slowly and it is pretty. It has a simular appearance to the red/purple mat under my green star polyp. I was hoping my GSP had spread
     
  6. coug

    coug Astrea Snail

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    What's the best way to remove this red algae from LR without damaging the LR or killing the organisms living in or on it.

    take it out and flush it with fresh saltwater? maybe use a soft tip brush?
     
  7. coral reefer

    coral reefer Giant Squid

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    Read #2 of my above post/reply. Either of those or take out pieces of your live rock and swish it around in water you removed from your tank when you do a water change(in a bucket).
     
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  9. amcarrig

    amcarrig Super Moderator

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    Have we actually determined that red slime (cyano bacteria)is the algae that is being discussed?

    As for nanonewby's small circles of "red" algae growing on glass, if it's not easy to scrape off, it's probably coralline algae.
     
  10. coug

    coug Astrea Snail

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    The red carpet stuff that's growing on the glass, sand and live rock is the cyanobacteria, the pink half or full circles forming on the glass is coralline algae. It was recommended by my LFS to just leave it because it's beneficial, that it eventually is what grows on the live rock.
    They sold me chemi-clean which is red slime and cyanobacteria remover. Is it helpful or just a waste of money?
     
  11. amcarrig

    amcarrig Super Moderator

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    Chemi-clean is a good product but it will only relieve the symptom (cyanobacteria), not the cause (nitrates, d.o.c.'s, etc.) If your tank is new, a cyano outbreak is normal and should pass in a little while. If the tank is not new, you're going to have to take extra steps to prevent the cyano from coming back once you've treated with the Chemi-clean.
     
  12. coug

    coug Astrea Snail

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    Can you define new? I think I've had this tank now for about 4 months.