glossy green agae

[Becks]

Anyone know what this green blob is? I have siphoned it off several times (asuming it is not a good little witch) But it returns over and over in the exact same spot. It does not appear to spread. It seems to be the same size and same shape every time it returns. It takes about 3 days to grow back.

I have recently overcome red cyno in this tank. The green stuff was present at the same time and I thought was green cyno. But the red has disappeared. I did manual removal, reduced feeding, put lights on a timer, increased water flow and did extra WC... The red succumbed within days but I am left with this lovely green stuff.

BTW, When siphoned, it tears up and comes off easily in flakes and those bright spots you see are air bubbles that seem to sit on it all the time.

Thanks for any ideas!

 

[Sadielynn]

green bubble algae I think do not pop it will release spores ... I think it is called valona or something such as

 

[Fluff]

From the photo, it almost looks like green cyano trapping air bubbles. Or possibly hair algae trapping air bubbles. Is it slimy that it can be blown off the rock? Or is it attached to the rock?

 

[melosu58]

But the red has disappeared. I did manual removal, reduced feeding, put lights on a timer, increased water flow and did extra WC... The red succumbed within days

Its good to see someone do what they are supposed to do and get good results. Way to go.

 

[Fluff]

I'm sorry, I was in a hurry and didn't fully read your post. Having read it in it's entirety now, I think you may have Dinoflagellates. This may help...

http://www.fantasyreef.com/showthread.php?t=1519

 

[nicksgirl]

Not sure but dino could be it..

Forgive me for posting under a new user name. This is Becks. (My original user name was lost in the ether of some kind of login problem.)

Anyway,
It is loosely attached to the rock.
It also looks "snotty" (as the link above describes) but it is not at all brown or rust colored and it comes off in flakes when siphoned rather than dissolving into a slime as its appearance suggests it might.

I haven't touched it so I don't know what it feel like. (I'll call on Nick to do that!) It's really a very beautiful deep rich green. It looks more like moss than the bubbly creature in the photo the link provides.

Still, I am open to the suggestion it could be dino.. The link suggests raising ph to 8.5... Mine has been at 8.5 or higher for about a week. This doesn't seem to be bothering the organisim I am watching.

A bit of info that might be related.... I found a snail on it's "back" yesterday. The link says dino can make snails sick. Maybe this one was affected - I don't know. Worth considering.

Isn't this interesting?
Any other ideas?
Thanks again!

 

[Fluff]

Well, I go back to my first suggestion then that it could be the beginning of hair algae. The bubbles could be your cyano returning as well. Either way, most algaes can be battled the same way with the reduction of phosphates in your system. Even trace amounts are gonna feed the algae and keep it going. More frequent water changes should help remove them.

 

[Hara]

Might very well be both. In the picture in that thread you read, hair algae was under the dino. Reduction in light is EXTREMELY helpful when dealing with this mess. I had an outbreak and cleared it up by treating it aggressively with minimal lighting, raising ph, water changes and siphoning daily.

 

[nicksgirl]

How high can I safely go with the pH? and how little light can I get away with? I am on 12/12 schedule for light and my pH currently hovers above 8.5.

I have just added a Pulsing Xenia today by the way..

 

[Hara]

I am on 12/12 schedule for light

I think we found the problem...that is alot of light time. The tank I had the dino issue in, has two large rose bubble tip anemone. I took it down to 4 hours of light and they did just fine.

You really do not need more than 8 hours a day lighting. Personally, I wouldn't go higher on the ph, I would just drop the lighting schedule, siphon the mess daily and manually remove as much of the hair algae as you can. How high are the phosphates and nitrates? You may want to do about a 20% water change every few days until this is gone as well.

(btw, you really shouldnt add anything to the tank until you get this taken care of)

 

[nicksgirl]

Ok. I'll reduce the light hours to 8 only.. Haven't checked the chemestry or changed the water this week but I'll do that soon also.
THanks!

 

[Hara]

I would drop it lower then 8 hours, that is long enough to keep the algae fed.