Bacteria or Algae
Printed From: Utah Reefs
Category: Specialized Discussion
Forum Name: Equipment
Forum Description: This is the place to ask question about reef equipment.
URL: http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2050
Printed Date: July 05 2026 at 8:01pm
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Topic: Bacteria or Algae
Posted By: jglover
Subject: Bacteria or Algae
Date Posted: March 09 2004 at 11:47am
My tank is about a month old and now has no ammonia or nitrites and very low nitrates two PC lights I have 3 various damsels 2 chromis 7 hermits and 12 turbo's I am having a problem with this red algae or bacteria it doesn't like water movement and grows like mad all over my tank except where the snails go they won't go in the sand so it's all over the sand. I tried a powerhead but it just blew my sand around and grew the red stuff everywhere else does anyone know any good methods to removing this stuff I have done water changes and am trying not to overfeed but the stuff won't go away. here's a pic for yall.
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Replies:
Posted By: Kevin
Date Posted: March 09 2004 at 12:04pm
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It looks like Cyano bacteria to me. I had a bad case of this a while ago. It usually appears because you have a lot of excess nutrients in your system due to overfeeding or something like that.
There are really a couple of ways to do get rid of it. 1st there is a chemical that will kill it but I wouldn't recommend it. It wipes out the cyano but when I used it, it ended up comming right back and from what I understand the chemical kills good bacteria as well. The 2nd option is to suck out as much as you can with something each day. This way you are removing it and nutrients. The hope is that you will remove enough nutrients from your system that it can't grow anymore. The 3rd option that would go hand in hand with the second is to add an algea to the tank that would compete with it for nutrients. I had a couple of different types of macro algea in my refugium and main tank that started to compete with it for food. One other thing, be patient. It took me 3 weeks before it was gone and it just suddenly disapeared. Who knows, maybe someone else has some ideas that would be quicker and easier. |
Posted By: Jared Wood
Date Posted: March 09 2004 at 12:19pm
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Hmmmmm... I am having the same problem. Our outbreak "went away" but it is back again. There are a couple things that I can think of that may have cause the reoccurance.
All of these happened at the same time so I don't know who the primary offender is. Maybe getting some sand sifting creatures can help you. ------------- In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth ... then He let it cycle. Have you read my http://www.jaredwood.com/observations.htm#dinosaur" rel="nofollow - dinosaur theory yet? |
Posted By: ssilcox
Date Posted: March 09 2004 at 12:39pm
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It definately looks like cyano to me. I had this as well a bit ago. Cyano will break out if there isnt alot of water movement. But if you cant increase water movement I would turn off my lights for a bit. What kind of coral (if any) do you have? Fortunately my tank was completely un-stocked when I got the bloom so I was able to turn off my lights completely for two days, and the cyano completely fizzled away in that time. |
Posted By: jglover
Date Posted: March 09 2004 at 12:52pm
| I just checked my water no nitrates and no phosphates I Have a Kenya Tree that is doing quite well I tried the lights out for two day's it didn't get me very far I have been pulling it out by hand day in and day out but it comes right back the next day Macro's are comming this weekend if anyone has any macro's they could share I would be greatful. Has anyone else had a sand sifting gobie added to fix the problem??? |
Posted By: chrisslc
Date Posted: March 09 2004 at 1:38pm
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It is cyanobacteria and is a pain in the butt. The macros will help alot, make sure they have reasonable light. But you may also want to run some Phosphate absorber and carbon, I know your tests show no phosphates but some tests suck. ------------- Murray, Utah just north of the park. "It's all the same to the clam" -Shel Silverstein |
Posted By: Summertop
Date Posted: March 09 2004 at 4:18pm
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I need to harvest some of my calurpa. Let me know if you want some. Also, there was someone else wanting Calurpa...Whoever wants some can have some. Best to send me an email since I don't check my messages very often. ------------- =========== Shawn Winterbottom |
Posted By: jglover
Date Posted: March 09 2004 at 4:43pm
| anyone know summertops e-mail address??? listed private in profile. |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: March 10 2004 at 6:18pm
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Here it is: mailto:[email protected] - [email protected]
The best way to rid your tank of cyanobacteria is to stop feeding completely for a couple days until it goes away. Don't worry, a reef tank can easily handle up to a week of no feeding and sometimes looks better after fasting! Feeding the tank is the major source of nutrients that feed cyanobacteria, both directly and indirectly. Alternatively, turn off all lights or use only blue lights and reduce feeding for a week or so. For a really nasty problem, turning off the lights and covering with a dark sheet to completely block out all light for a few days can often solve the problem. Rfoote recently did something like this for nusiance algae, per my story in the next to last Sea Star Online (Feb. 2002). Ryan, would you mind sharing your experience? The use of a refugia/algae scrubber helps immensely. Cyanobacteria is an algae-bacteria combination organism that generally is the first and fastest thing to grow when there is a suddden increase in nutrient levels. For instance, a dead fish can cause a sudden appearance of "cyano". Just work on reducing nutrient levels. Cyano is very abundant in the world and is thought to be a major source of the worlds O2. Just thought I'd add that bit of trivia to help alleviate your concern regarding this sudden bloom. It's not all bad and will go away in time, sometimes without doing a thing!  ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member 
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Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: March 10 2004 at 6:25pm
The cyanobacteria is using the N and P compounds as fast as they become available, hence no measurable levels! Don't waste your time trying to physically remove it. A goby will help, as will a sand sifting star, but at your tanks young age, I would not suggest using these because of the other needs and problems they can cause, that is if they even live long in a month old tank. if they die the cyano will come back with a vengeance  ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
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jglover wrote:Posted By: chrisslc
Date Posted: March 10 2004 at 6:58pm
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Isn't cyanobacteria the oldest recognizeable organism on earth? I seem to remember a show once that stated that cyano first formed in the earth's toxic oceans and grew to the extent to which it converted the entire atmosphere to a more hospitable environment. I watch way too much discovery channel. ------------- Murray, Utah just north of the park. "It's all the same to the clam" -Shel Silverstein |
Posted By: Jared Wood
Date Posted: March 11 2004 at 1:54pm
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I'll say it once again. I wonder if God ever had leaking and overflow problems during the first few hundred million years. Do you think that maybe some of the Earth's atmoshere spilled over into the solar system while he was looking at a different part of the universe? ------------- In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth ... then He let it cycle. Have you read my http://www.jaredwood.com/observations.htm#dinosaur" rel="nofollow - dinosaur theory yet? |
Posted By: Adam Blundell
Date Posted: March 11 2004 at 3:02pm
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This is kind of funny because Jake and I were talking about this stuff last night. Jake reminded of a guest speaker we had before who said that he was pretty sure God was cyanobacteria. The scary thought is.... what if he was right? Adam ------------- Come to a meeting, they�re fun! |
Posted By: chrisslc
Date Posted: March 11 2004 at 4:17pm
I don't think you'll get that one past creationists
------------- Murray, Utah just north of the park. "It's all the same to the clam" -Shel Silverstein |
! Posted By: Weimers
Date Posted: March 12 2004 at 10:33am
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Just when I think I've heard everything! Some posts are just SO amusing. My mom keeps asking if I have a wet/dry vacuum yet. Now I'm imagining the great Creator turning away from gazing at the stars, saying "Aw Geez! The great sump on Earth is overflowing again! Guess we'd better turn that into a glacier or something!" Renee ------------- Renee and Damon Weimer Tankless in Hawaii |
Posted By: jfinch
Date Posted: March 12 2004 at 10:42am
I don't know, looking at a globe of the world I'd say we're mostly sump anyway  ------------- Jon https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6y_EzjI_ljbIwf2n5uNzTw" rel="nofollow - What I've been doing... |
Posted By: Jared Wood
Date Posted: March 12 2004 at 11:18am
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I like that Weimers, Maybe Venus and Mars were set up as a couple of shop vacs for the Earth. Hey! how about this... Adam, that reminds me of a sci-fi book I read years and years ago. Something about the mitochondria in our cells having a collective intelligence, and that is what really ran the impulses of the host organizm. hmmmmmmm. Can't remember the book. Heck I can't even be sure if that was in the story or if it is just a distorted memory from a childs understanding of the consept. ------------- In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth ... then He let it cycle. Have you read my http://www.jaredwood.com/observations.htm#dinosaur" rel="nofollow - dinosaur theory yet? |
Posted By: jglover
Date Posted: March 12 2004 at 11:40am
Yall are wacko's Ha Ha
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Posted By: jglover
Date Posted: March 12 2004 at 11:58am
Oh and I'm stoked it is a little brown now not all red and there is some green in my sump so I'm very excited not to have all red in my new tank
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Posted By: Will Spencer
Date Posted: March 13 2004 at 2:40pm
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God did have some problems with the water in his tank. Just ask Noah. Afterward he made the same promise I did. I'll never turn my back on that hose again.
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Posted By: reptoreef
Date Posted: March 13 2004 at 8:33pm
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Maybe it just slipped past the eyes while scanning through the posts, but are you utilizing a protein skimmer? Phosphates can be a problem in the system, even if there is no trace from your test kit. Laters, Jason |
Posted By: jglover
Date Posted: March 15 2004 at 7:57am
| I've got a homemade skimmer it works great. I came back to my home today to find most of the cyano was brown and some looked like it was rotting so I tore it all out. I also added alot of Macro Algae given to me by summertop. thanks he has three very nice tanks by the way. So I'm hoping my cyano problem is almost over I'll post another pic in a few days. Thanks for the help. |
Posted By: reptoreef
Date Posted: March 15 2004 at 10:47pm
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Hope it's over. Can't wait to see your results. Laters, Jason P.S. My skimmer is a DIY project, as well... seems to be a winner! |