Red algea?

[blcmounthood]

My tank has been set up about 3-4 weeks. I have red algea growing rapidly on the glass, and it seems like the colors of the live rock are intensifying. Is this coraline algea? Do I need to keep it off the glass?

 

[CBRGuy]

It sounds like cyano algae to me. It takes a long time for corline to grow unless you got lucky

Is it slimey? Most tanks got through an alage outbreak during the cycle. I had diatom and hair alage, which are all gone now. What is your water source and how much flow do you have in the tank?

 

[got bait?]

There is probably some sort of structure blocking the current flow in the affected ares. You make have enough PH, but the current is being diverted. cyano usually happens around some LR or other structure. This stuff will smother your inverts if not eradicated. It also traps the CO2 in the sand, which affects your PH.

 

[fishstixs05]

I have had two cyano outbreaks in my tanks, and there are five ways to reduce them.
1) Remove any that you can manually
2) Decrease the length of time your light is on
3) Decrease feeding amount or frequency
4) Increase water changing frequency
5) Increase current on cyano-infested areas
My advice would be to try 2-5 one at a time, to find out what is causing the cyano.
On the other hand, if the algea is more purple and encrusting versus red and slimy, than it is coraline algea and you are a lucky aquarist.
As a sidenote, cyano is not algea, but a bacteria.

 

[fishstixs05]

I have had two cyano outbreaks in my tanks, and there are five ways to reduce them.
1) Remove any that you can manually
2) Decrease the length of time your light is on
3) Decrease feeding amount or frequency
4) Increase water changing frequency
5) Increase current on cyano-infested areas
My advice would be to try 2-5 one at a time, to find out what is causing the cyano.
On the other hand, if the algea is more purple and encrusting versus red and slimy, than it is coraline algea and you are a lucky aquarist.
As a sidenote, cyano is not algea, but a bacteria.

 

[blcmounthood]

I filled the tank with well water, but have been doing water changes with ro water from the pet shop. With my filter and skimmer I bet it's 300 gph in a 30 gal. It's probably the cyanobacteria. Here are some pics, though. It's growing on the rocks also, as you can see.

 

[got bait?]

This stuff will take over your tank! It will put a blanket on everything, smothering it to death. Suck that stuff out and try fishstix remedies. good Luck

PS. I tried the Ultralife Red Slime Remover once. Killed my Star polyps