carpet of algae

[Anonymous]

I have recently niticed a thick mat of algae (or something) growing on the sand on the bottom of my tank. I can litteraly take my hand or a net and peel up this junk. I left it alone at first, thinking water changes, less light, and lighter feedings woudl cure it, but no luck. Anyone have any idea what this stuff it, and how I can get rid of it? Thanks in advance fo rany help.

 

[Anonymous]

If it is red, I've had that and I'm sure someone with more experience will jump in here to help you combat the ugly cyanobacteria. If it's more of a green turf, then I've had that too. I don't know what it is, but I had it when my phosphates got really high. Now that they're down, the turf has dissappeared.

 

[Anonymous]

test for nitrates and phosphates, what is your bio load like ? How long has tank been set-up?
what do you use for make up water and water changes? free of phophates?

Tap water..bad

filtered water good...

do two large water changes a few days apart.
while vacumning out detritus, algae etc. This will help lower your bio load.

GET RID OF IT !!!!

BEFORE YOUR SYSTEM CRASHES.....

 

[Anonymous]

How long has the tank been set up?

If your in the first 4 to six weeks it is diatomic algae it will go away!

Clark

 

[Anonymous]

This tank has been set up a little over 1 year. The bio load is extremley light. Currently, I only have 1 blue damsel, 1 yellow tang, 10 hermits, and a few snails in the tank. It also contains aprox. 80lbs lf LS and 60-70 lbs of LR. For makeup water I use a Tap Water Purifier (ordering a RO/DI in near future). I have had my water tested at a LFS, and they say all is well.

Gadget, I have read, both here and other places, that vacuming is not good at all. Should I make an exception here to get this mess cleaned up? Thanks.

 

[Anonymous]

Just a thought....
Do you have any sand stirrers in your tank? If not, have you been regularly stirring your sand?
I am noooooo expert...but it sounds like cyanobacteria-type algae.
How about your skimmer?

 

[Anonymous]

Actually, it is greenish-brown. I have thought about removing all of my LR and scooping all the junk off the bottom, but this will disturb my LS bed and I don't want that to happen. I have also noticed a shortage of snails along with a surplus of empty shells, could that be part of the problem. I think I will have to go on the hunt for the last of my remaining blue legs in the morning. I also just noticed a small ammount of red hair algae on one of my rocks. Someone please help before I go nuts looking at this mess. Thanks.

 

[Anonymous]

Kevin,

I was also recently the victim of massive attacks of this red/rust algae, which is technically called "diatoms". I had thick masses of rusty/red crap growing over everything. I found out how to eliminate it.

Don't believe anyone that says that it will go away soon. A severe case like you have will NEVER go away on it's own.

Don't cut back on feeding unless you are dumping massive amounts of food in there. Feeding is not your problem.

Don't think that you can beat this problem by doing water changes, or scraping the glass or siphoning the sand. You can't, and it will only piss you off if you try.

Here is what to do: http://www.reefs.org/ubb/Forum1/HTML/002511.html

-Nathan

PS A couple more tips:

1. By a new Deioniser cartrige and deionise the HELL out of ALL makeup water.
2. Buy the biggest package of PhosGuard you can. marinedepot.com sells a 4L container. This is good.
3. Fight with chemicals and save your sanity!

[This message has been edited by Nathan (edited 12 January 2000).]

[This message has been edited by Nathan (edited 12 January 2000).]

 

[Anonymous]

Oh, I forgot to mention one thing:

NO AMOUNT OF SNAILS/CRABS/STIRRERS/STARFISH/ETC. will do any good. Don't waste your money. Your problem is huge and way to large to be solved with "clean up crews". These crews should be thought of as the final polish, and not the main workhorse. Your main workhorse will be PhosGuard and super deionised water. Discard your old dioniser filter and buy a NEW one! This WILL help!

-Nathan