Algae Identification and Help?

[showard]

Hello all,

I am new to this forum and signed up just for this reason.

Does anyone know what kind of algae these are? and how i can get rid of them and is this healthy?

Thank you,

Sean

 

[FishFrik]

Cyanobacteria. Google it and you'll find really helpful articles about what it is and how to get rid of it. HTH

 

[Devilishturtles]

There is also a good article here on AA about Cyanobacteria (I agree, definitley cyano).

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/article_view.php?faq=2&fldAuto=48

Overall its usually a sign of poor water quality. Can you test your water and give us some readings? Especially nitrate and phosphate. How much water flow do you have in your tank? How old is it? Do you have a skimmer?

 

[roka64]

WELCOME TO AA!!!

The other two are correct. If you update "my info" with your tank size/equipment/critters, that would help.

What/how much/are you feeding and what is your lighting schedule?

 

[showard]

Tank size is a 55 gallon. standard 55 gallon filter that comes with the tank. A sufficient protein skimmer. 2 heaters (one as backup). Lighting schedule is on 10 hours a day and off for 14.

I have 2 percula clowns
1 hawaiian Tang
1 Orchid Dottyback

All my troubles started when i had corals and everything about 5 months back. I added the cursed calcium reactor of doom! i did all the research did all the adjustments and it went from bad to worse real fast, thanks to an ever dropping ph.

Eventually I just unplugged it.

Since then I took all of my rocks out and cleaned it. Let them sit out for a week. Stirred up the sand, cleaned all of that out. But it just seems to be getting worse again.

The calcium reactor is out of it. I was curious. Since i cleaned everything that would mean all the bacteria is gone, or a great deal of it. Is this the standard algae explosion that everyone talks about.

The first time i set my tank up, I never had this happen.

Thank you,


Sean

 

[FishFrik]

Cyano is a real pain. It won't die off that easily. Check your PO4, any dectable amount will revive the cyano once it's in the tank.

 

[roka64]

gallon filter that comes with the tank

Do you know what kind of filter? Does it have sponges or bio balls/wheel?

Check your PO4, any dectable amount will revive the cyano once it's in the tank.

True, but it seems cyano eats it so quickly (maybe depending on how much you have), that the test, at least for me was only showing .1 and the stuff was all over the place.

 

[Devilishturtles]

Chance you could have upset a delicate balance. Any chance for a water test? What are the readings? Is the only filtration you have on the tank the filter and protein skimmer? No powerheads? Cyano also loves low flow areas in your tank.

 

[Squado]

I too am having some cyano problems, both red and blue-green. It can really be a pain. My phos is reading at 0 but I have nitrates between 30 and 40 (constant battle). If you really want to you can use ultra life products to remove it. But once again, its better to due things naturally then to dose the tank. Ive used ultralife before and it works pretty well, but eventually the cyano will come back because you have not fixed the root of the problem. HTH

 

[roka64]

but eventually the cyano will come back because you have not fixed the root of the problem.

Definitely! gotta clean up the root of the problem.