Pic's of my algae problem. Please help.

Can anyone ID this algae? It's been plaguing my tank for a couple months now. My tank is a 112G with a 30G sump and 55G refugium. Here are my water parameters:

Nitrite 0
Ammonia 0
ph 8.2
Nitrate 20ppm
Phosphate 0
Calcium 520ppm
Carbonate Hardness 107.4 ppm

I use a spectrapure RO/DI filter. I've tried everything! I have a vertex in-180 protein skimmer (it works really well) and a refugium with 5 mangroves and some chaeto that have been growing for a few months now. It seems to be growing on my home made rock (cement and oyster shell mix) mostly, but has also spread to my real, corraline covered live rock as well. Any help would be greatly appreciated, I am about to just ditch the home made rock.

 

Looks like green cyano to me. I don't see any fish so how old is the tank? Could be just a normal part of the tank maturing if it's still a young tank, but the fact you have a fuge with Mangroves and Cheato, but still have Nitrates at 20ppm, tells me something isn't quite right. Your phosphate level of zero could be because the cyano is absorbing it so fast that it doesn't register with your test kit.

What's your Magnesium level? How old is the ro/di unit?

 

Does anyone have any suggestions on what could be causing the problem? Is this even algae or blue/green cyno bacteria? I've looked online for hours trying to ID this algae and no luck. The tank is about 6 months old. Thanks in advance to anyone with input/advice

 

All I have is 2 perkula clowns, a bunch of snails, some hermits, and a few zoas. I've been waiting to add more fish until my water is perfect. The tank is about 6-7 months old. The RO/DI unit was purchased new and has been always used on the tank, so the filters are about 6-7 months old, still reading 0ppm dissolved solids from the ro unit. I don't have a magnesium test kit. Would that effect algae growth?

Do you think it is my home made rock causing the problem?

 

I don't know about the rock, but your carbonate hardness should be higher (around 179 ppm or 10 KH). If your Magnesium isn't high enough, I'd say at least 1350 ppm, then trying to raise the KH may cause your calcium to precipitate as Magnesium is what helps to hold the calcium and carbonates in solution. Raising KH and Mag won't get rid of the cyano, but it will help with coralline algae growth as well as slowing down nuisance algae (such as Green Hair). You may not have GHA now, but you don't want to give it any reason to start growing in your tank.

I still think you have phosphates in your system that are getting pulled out by the cyano (that's why it's testing zero). You need to lower the amount you feed your fish (I feed twice a week and have most fish last between 5 and 7 years) as food has phosphate in it. Or the homemade rock could have phosphate leaching from it (depending on how you made it), but they may be fine too. How old are the bulbs? If they have shifted in spectrum, your eyes won't notice it, but the algae will. How much flow do you have in the tank? Cyano loves low flow. I aim for 30x-40x tank turnover. In my 38 I have about 1350 gph flow. Cyano has a real tough time with that kind of flow. How long do you have the lights on each day? Is the tank getting hit with direct sunlight (such as by a nearby window)? Sunlight would exacerbate the problem.

 

Forgot to note. Mangroves use Magnesium, so having it at 1350+ is good for the Mangroves. Red mangroves need adequate amounts of magnesium in the water for their "salt pumps" to work (it's how they are able to get fresh water from saltwater). If magnesium levels become too low, the plants can develop "salt stress," which can cause yellowing of the leaves and shriveling of the leaves and branches.

 

It is cyano. In your case, an out of control outbreak. Get some "Red Slime Remover" or "Chemiclean". In your case, 2 cycles may be required.

 

When we started up the 120 gallon DT in November, we went through 4 cycles of this type of outbreak...almost exclusively growing on the "man made" rock work we used. After the 4th cycle there has been none...

To combat this, beyond the control of parms, some manual harvesting, and the addition of Dwarf & Florida Cerith snails sold by John through Reef Cleaners, I no longer have any of it in the tank...the cerith's are a hungry bunch.


ReefCleaners.org | Clean Up Crews and Macro Algae - Dwarf Cerith

Before using "chemicals" I chose to go with a CUC...working very well...!!

 

Try to siphon as much as you can out of the tank when you do a water change. How much are you feeding and how often?

 

When I had my Cyano problem, I just aimed my powerheads in the direction where the problem was. It took only 3 days for all of it to dissipate and have not seen it ever since. Overfeeding helps cyanobacteria.

Try increasing the water movement in that area.

Good luck!

- Mag.