red dust on glass

[Galvan]

I having to use my scraper about every 4-5 days to remove this red dust from my aquarium glass. If I leave it on longer by a few days it becomes more dense and when removing this red dust or I assume algee my yellow tang and Maroon clown will eat the stuff. What I'm trying to find out if this is normal or if something is wrong with my water quality.
It is very easy to take off but just want to be sure that I'm not missing something.

 

[warloc4326]

How long has the tank been set up. Please give a posting of what your nitrite, nitrate, phosphate and ammonia levels are at. It does sound like a sort of algae but without a picture and other parameters there isn't much more I can suggest. Also, post what you're feeding and the amounts.

My best guess without the above is that it's a type of diatom bloom. In such a case the above mentioned chemicals feed this type of algae along with that a heavily fed tank in my experience will have these types of blooms as well. Usually this occurs in a newly formed system where everything is trying to colonize and create a balance and quickly slows down after a month or two once the organics have subsided and the tank stops cycling.

 

[Anonymous]

Yup - what warloc said. It sounds like you've got some type of bloom going on there.

 

[Galvan]

My tank is 2 years old. I have 5 animals and 4 corals, the readings are below. I have my fish spoiled as I feed every day and only once a day in at 7:00pm. I feed them marine pellets formaula two every day and about once every two weeks will use mysis shrimp. My corals are getting phytoplex or micro vert once bi-weekly. I have T5 lighting 460 watt day and Actinic lighting. Water changes are 18 gallons every 3 weeks and I have a 75 gallon. I try to keep up with all the maintenance I just have the brown algae on the glass, what is funny is after a water change it will happen about on the 3 or 4 day. Like I say it is light and comes right up with the scrapper its just that I constantly have to do this.

Nitrate 20-25 ppm
Nitrite 0 ppm
ammonia 0ppm
phosphate is about less than .03, looks like 0.

My nitrate has never been 0 but has been maintained normally between 5-20.
Apprecaite your thoughts.

 

[Anonymous]

How about RO/DI water? maybe there's some silicates in your water.

 

[Galvan]

I go out to the local water mill and get my water from there in 5 gallon jugs.. put this water into two 13 gallon trash cans that I use strictly for water changes. could it be the water i'm getting from local water mill? How would I know.

 

[brandonberry]

What type of phosphate kit are you using. Most do not measure low enough. It sounds like cyanobacteria to me. How much flow do you have. That can cause issues as well. An increase in flow and possibly the use of a GFH phosphate remover such as Phosban should help.

 

[Galvan]

I use the salefert test kit. I do have quite a bit of flow 3 power heads two a 600gph and one at 900. Plus my 3100 rio return pump. I keep my power heads about 7 inches from the top of the water line and point them stright ahead.
Is there any way I should position my power heads in the tank..

 

[PJsea]

It's probably a diatom bloom. Mine consisted of small reddish-brown round cells that formed along the base of the rock. They could be blow away with a baster. Since their skeletons are made of silica; remove the silicate and they will go away. I think most tanks will go thru this at some time.

 

[Nemo2007]

Could be diatom bloom but in my brief experience, they usually are brown. Could also be cyanobacteria, red slime. Would increase water changes to lower the nitrates. As mentioned above, you need to make sure the new water is not a an additional source of silica or nitrogen in any of its forms.

 

[Galvan]

Have attached a pic of the red or brown dust on my glass for reference. also noticing a some red algae with bubbles, how can I get this stuff out. I'm always afraid to disturb this stuff do not want it moving around. Can I just pick this stuff up with a fish net. I have had small areas before and have tried to siphon it out but there is not enough suction to get that up and out of the siphon tube.
Apprecaite your comments on the red or brown dust and the red algae..


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[brandonberry]

Definitely looks like cyanobacteria on the sand. It can be mysterious at times appearing when all water parameters seem to be good. Usually running a GFH phosphate remover will starve it though. Even if you aren't testing a high level of phosphate, even trace amounts may be enough to allow this to thrive. Cutting back on the phyto and microvert may help as well.

 

[Nemo2007]

I agree, the red film 100% is cyanobacteria. I suspected as much from your high nitrate numbers. I'm actually surprised some of your fish will eat it, I haven't found one to do that yet.

Well my battle with red slime was epic. I eventually won but what a long and painful fight. Here is my experience:

1. Antibiotics like "Slime Away" are usually pushed by LFS's but will work only once or twice before the bacteria become resistent. You just add to the number of drug resistent superbugs. The antibiotic used is usually erythromycin and is usefull in treatment of human bacterial infections but not for long if it becomes ubiquitous in the enviornment. Cool aside, erythromycin can turn body fluids like tears orange.

2. Shorten the photoperiod. I've heard of good results but in my experience, the slime tended to thin out only until the light returned to normal and there were days I did not allow the lights to turn on at all.

3. Direct siphoning. This is a very helpful method to reduce the load but not usually effective for complete removal in my experience. You can suck all you want but the individuals are microscopic and some is always left in the system and often bloom in a couple days apparently due to less competition.

4. Increase water changes. Most commonly recommended option but I had no success with it. It would get better and then return to the status quo.

5. Potassium Permanganate. Should be used only in expert hands as there is significant risk pf toxicity if overdosed. Strong oxidizer that helps decreased disolved carbon (organic compunds) in water. Most products geared towards freshwater but there a few for saltwater systems. This significantly decr4eased my red slime load but inhabitants did not look happy about it and when I slowed its use, red slime started to slowly come back.

6. Micron sock. I use a 25 micron sock. Only works if you change the sock often, otherwise waste just rots in the sock and stays in the system. Ultimately, this method along with regular water changes worked for me.

Red slime eating organisms are unreliable in my experience. Small hermit crabs and snails never seemed to consume enough to be useful despite various advertisements.

Perhaps you will find this useful. It represents my personal experience. Nice corraline alage growth in the photos.

 

[Nemo2007]

On a last thought, old bulbs can change spectrum output over time and increase nuissance algae. I don't know how old your's are.

 

[Galvan]

one last question. I have never run an air pump in my system. Is this something I should do? I only have my 3 power heads and 3100 rio return pump running. Should I aerate the water and could this be just another factor for my cyano.

I just went out and purchased a small wet vac, in my next water change which is tomorrow going to use it on the cyano. Also, going to get the phosban and reduce the T5 lighting. will be working on it.
what about aerating the water?

 

[Nemo2007]

I've never used Phosban but from what I can tell its safer than the oxidizer mentioned above.
Concerning aeration, cyanobacteria often release gas bubbles of their own though I don't know what gas it is. Maybe someone else can comment here.
Either way, when the water level had gotten too low in the sump on my my 29G tank, the tank was aerating to the extreme. It never seemed to have an adverse affect on the cyanobacteria. In fact, with bubbles attached, they spread through the tank easier.
Lastly, water movement is supposed to be good to keep the cyanobacteria off of the sand. However, once the red slime is well established, all this does is help spread it to every corner of the tank.

 

[brandonberry]

Do you not have a protein skimmer? If not, that could be a contributing factor as well. With no skimmer, I would definitely be doing more like 25g water changes and have some kind of macroalgae refugum to reduce nitrates. You'll never regret getting a good skimmer though. I tried to go without a skimmer the first 8 years I kept marine tanks and I would never go back.

 

[Galvan]

I do run a protein skimmer it is a small one but am running one. Thanks for all the help, will ping back back in once I try a few things. I'm sure will have more questions.

 

[warloc4326]

There was a nice article in coral magazine a little back on this and other nuisance algae. I would suggest trying to find that article as it does explain a good deal about why it's important to keep what's feeding the algae out of the tank. I personally also found that kalkwasser tended to help in the fight against this particular nasty. I will post more in another reply once i'm back as the office is going out for halloween.

 

[Ef3s]

you have corals dont cut back lighting