Wow!

Discussion in 'Algae' started by Midnight_Madman, Feb 8, 2012.

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  1. Midnight_Madman

    Midnight_Madman Montipora Digitata

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    I am not sure if this is a coincidence or not but I just did a 25% water change and used a new salt. A few days later I have this CRAZY outbreak of burgundy red 'VERY HAIRY" algea. Nothing like I have seen before. Usually I have cyno but its more of a flat covering.. this stuff is like strings trying to grow up.. only on the crushed coral/sand base! The salt was Coralife Marine Salt Mix.
    I also vacuumed the bed pretty good. Up until this I havent had any problems
    Please help. I turned the lights off in the tank, but overnight it doubled in growth!
     
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  3. pgoodsell

    pgoodsell Horrid Stonefish

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    Maybe when you vacuumed the sand bed you stirred up some nutrients that caused the algae bloom?
     
  4. Midnight_Madman

    Midnight_Madman Montipora Digitata

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    I thought about that too. I usually do it exactly as I did and never had that happen... I did stir it up a bit more then usual this time though
     
  5. Midnight_Madman

    Midnight_Madman Montipora Digitata

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    One other thing - before this started I put in an 'extra large' chunk of green seaweed for them to feed on. About 3 times more then I normally do every other day or every 3rd day. It was about 5" x 4" my normal size is 2" x 2" I had just bought a new large package of the ocean nutrition stuff and thought I would give them a nice healthy feeding! Could that have been enough of a kick start of uneaten food to start the outbreak?
     
  6. pgoodsell

    pgoodsell Horrid Stonefish

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    It could have been. How long did it take from the over feeding till you saw the outbreak? Seems it would take a while for the extra nutrients to build up enough to cause the algae outbreak. But Im no expert just throwing some ideas out there.
     
  7. Midnight_Madman

    Midnight_Madman Montipora Digitata

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  9. Midnight_Madman

    Midnight_Madman Montipora Digitata

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    It looks like its actually slowly disappearing already 'I hope'
     
  10. Midnight_Madman

    Midnight_Madman Montipora Digitata

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    Strange. Its almost totally gone today! What in the world was it?
     
  11. pgoodsell

    pgoodsell Horrid Stonefish

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    Makes me think it had more to do with the sand bed, now that the stirred up nutrients are used up its slowly going away. But either way as longs as its going away that's what really matters. :)
     
  12. Matt Rogers

    Matt Rogers Kingfish

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    pgoodsell is probably right I think.
    That said, I've been battling the same red stuff myself.
    In my case I believe it has to do with breaking down my fuge due to my kid threatening it and a temporary cease in kalk dosing. My plan is to start resuming kalk, hopefully this weekend. I bet my pH is low. Maybe buffer. Also I hope to start another fuge in my stand. Before I get to that though I will pull my GFO reactor out of the garage and fire that up. All that an a tuxedo urchin (having a hard time finding one) and I hope to get rid of it. I hate that stuff. :)

    matt