Help me get rid of calothrix!

Discussion in 'Algae' started by SwimsWithFish, Mar 31, 2012.

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  1. SwimsWithFish

    SwimsWithFish Giant Squid

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    I've got a pretty bad calothrix problem in my biocube. At first I thought it was Dino but its too short an more turf-like. My nitrates are at 10. No idea about phosphates. It's got bubbles trapped in it. I protein skim. [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
     
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  3. SwimsWithFish

    SwimsWithFish Giant Squid

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  4. brandon429

    brandon429 Fire Worm

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    Its very simple, my peroxide thread shows how to beat it

    You lift out each rock, sit outside the tank on a counter. Spray each rock well with a -fresh- new bottle of hydrogen peroxide from a spray bottle

    Mist the target areas well

    Let sit two mins

    Rinse, place back in tank, take after pics three days later

    One follow up run might be needed in a few days

    This will kill it and nothing else its the best way there is

    Starving water of nutrients does not always work

    My peroxide thread below this one has links to over 200 different tanks using the method if you have questions
     
  5. SwimsWithFish

    SwimsWithFish Giant Squid

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    Thanks! I don't think that's going to be possible though. My aquascape is right where I want it, I don't think I want to remove my Rock:/ do you know if cyano remover will work? Calothrix is a type of cyano right?
     
  6. Corailline

    Corailline Super Moderator

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    It is a dry heat, yeah right !
    I do not think this is Calothrix.

    Did you try the black out?

    What members are in your CUC?

    While unsightly for sure and probably driving you nuts, I would try less invasive measure in such a young tank. Two months old and your are not even out of your initial algae blooms.

    When you hear the sound of hoofs think horses not zebra.
     
  7. SwimsWithFish

    SwimsWithFish Giant Squid

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    I think I'm going to try leaving lights off for three days. I don't need to cover the tank right? Currently I have some dwarf ceriths and blue leg hermits with an astrea and turbo snail and emerald crab.

    What do you think it is?
     
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  9. Corailline

    Corailline Super Moderator

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    It is a dry heat, yeah right !
    At this point I am still on the Diatoms/Cyano new tank algae boat. At it's worse Diatoms mixed with Cyano can look a lot like much worse algae, but at this point I do not think it's anything worse.

    Cover the tank with something to black out all sides, no light. Do not cover the lid.

    Every day take a turkey baster and blow the algae off the rocks, let it settle and clean your mechanical filtration.
     
  10. SwimsWithFish

    SwimsWithFish Giant Squid

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    Will do. I'll find a blanket tonight. It's weird, after my cycle I had a couple weeks of hair algae, then nothing, then diatoms, then the tank was clear for a couple weeks... Now this! I still do have some diatoms on the sandbed though. I'll start the blackout tonight and keep it going till wendsday. Can I shine a light on the tank for feeding?
     
  11. Corailline

    Corailline Super Moderator

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    It is a dry heat, yeah right !
    You can but you should not need to. Feed the fish during the day they will find the food, most fish are little pigs.

    A am a Huge fan of Brandon's threads on the use of Peroxide and algae difficulties, I just think with such a young tank it might be jumping the gun and you might end up back where you started from.

    What type of carbons are you using and skimmer please.
    Remember the addition of any new equipment to a system might be enough to trigger diatoms again.
     
  12. SwimsWithFish

    SwimsWithFish Giant Squid

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    I run purigen and added an aquaticlife 115 to the tank about a week ago. It's brought my nitrates down from 10 to <5 in a week. I also have a fuge with a ton of chaeto and mangroves.