Red Algae with bubbles on it?

I think I have the start to a little algae issue,

I added a new rock that had no visible algae on it, but its looking like its growing some I remember a while back some one had an issue with algae and it had little bubbles on top. and thats what I have
Its a combo of red and green, I did just replace all of the bulbs on the tank so they are much stronger from the old stock bulbs

CUC does not seem to even go near the algae on the rock. At the moment it is only contained on that particular rock.

I have never had an issue with algae, even when I have had higher phosphates and nitrates. Im the only idiot who wanted algae so I would have to constantly add nori to the tank, and so it would be something for the tangs to graze on.

Ill get a pick when I get home

Water params have been stable for a while now, and phosphates have been 0 for the last month

SG 1.026

phos 0
ammonia 0
nitrate 0
nitrite 0
ca 420-440 It varied between the LFS and my test kit
alk 10
mg 1300

 

Sounds like cyano.

 

i had this in my tank it is cyano but somehow it caught some air bubbles

 

okay at least I know what it is .... now I must investigate getting rid of it

 

Yeah cyano tends to get bubbles. I get it every once in a while in my fuge and it looks like red bubbly snot. Pretty nasty.

 

they form those bubbles themselves. If it is a matting kind of red cyano rather than a powdery one you can usually twirl it up in a toothbrush in one big swoop.

 

Just suck it oh when you do a w/c.

 

If it has bubbles, it's cyanobacteria. Not an algae, but commonly referred to as "red slime" algae. It feeds off of phosphates and nitrates. Just because your phosphates and nitrates read low or zero doesn't mean they aren't there. Try removing as much of the cyano as you can and then test your water a few days later. If the cyano isn't in there feeding off of the phosphates, they will go up. Boyd Enterprises makes a great compound called Chemi-Clean which will kill cyanobacteria without harming your bio filter, but it's only a temporary fix. The only proven way to keep cyano out of your tank is to use RO/DI water. That way, the phosphates which the algae feeds on will never be in your water to begin with. Also, you can add some banded trochus snails to your cleanup crew. They are the only thing I know of that will eat cyano.

 

Also I think that if you adjust your flow it would help with the Cyano problem

 

well well...

I need to see a picture first before I say cyanobacteria or dinoflagellates. Ya'll should wait to jump the gun. Does the "algea" grow on coral or other living things? If it doesn't it maybe cyano. Like the dude above told you the only real way to get rid of it is to starve your system of Nitrates and Phosphates, which you do by using an RODi but also Not feeding.. and telling your fish not to poop. Best way IMO to combat bad bacteria (which both of these are) is with good bacteria.. There are a TON of methods to get rid of dinos and cyano most are just band-aids. I was able to get rid of dinos with a FULL, uninterrupted 36 hour light out, during which I covered my tank and sump so that NO light got in, no feeding either. This was extreme because My corals were being killed by having the dinos covering them and smothering them. It worked.

Both of the bad bacteria look a bit different pictures and the question about weather or not it grows on your live stuff will give us a better chance at IDing it correctly.

Heidi