is this some kind of algae?

[scrmom]

What is the red stuff on the rock? It's growing on two rocks and now it is starting to grow on the powerhead sponges.

 

[Sadielynn]

It looks like it could be red slime. When you touch it is it hard or soft does it flake off ? It could also be a red encrusting sponge to .

 

[roka64]

I'm thinking cyano too, I believe I can see small bubbles. It is not an algae, but a bacteria.

 

[Sadielynn]

What are your perameters . Ammonia ,NitrIte , NitrAte , Phosphate . What kind of lighting are you running ? How old are the bulbs ? Red slime is an idication of not enough flow, and too many nutrients in your system ... Roka hit it head on tho it is a bacteria not algea

 

[scrmom]

I was thinking cyanobacteria, but I was hoping not. I am not sure of parameters. I will have to test. The tank was setup in september 06, so I don't think the bulbs are old. I have (2) 900 maxijet powerheads. Should I decrease the light amount? They are on 10hours a day.

 

[Sadielynn]

I dont honestly think that decreasing them will do much but it wont hurt either . I would say that you could back them down 2 hours per day from 10 to 8 hours lighting per day . Your best bet is to siphion it out attach a toothbrush to the end of a tube start to scrub and siphion at the same time to remove it .Then try to narrow down the cause of the outbreak , over feeding , low flow , lighting spectrum shift .

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

Would cyano grow on the powerhead sponge though? I thought it was a flow issue, as well as a nutrient issue. Seems like there's a lot of flow at the inlet of a powerhead!

If you don't do it already, you might want to have some spare PH sponges, and switch them out every couple weeks or so. Then rinse the old ones out good and let them dry. Those sponges can become quite the garbage dump and just rinsing them in saltwater and putting them back on doesn't seem to do the job as well as a good soak in the sink.

Also... if your tank was set up in Sept06, your lights are 6 months old. Depending on where you fall in the school of thought for light changes, it could be time. I started my tank the same time as you and I just switched out my CF bulbs to be on the safe side.

 

[melosu58]

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

 

[Hara]

cyano grows on filter returns, sponges...you name it. I have never found flow to be a good preventative, nor treatment myself.

 

[Ziggy953]

I agree with Hara...I got all sponges out of my system....IMO they just creat more problems then they do good....

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

Thanks for the link and info! I was incorrectly remembering that it was a flow and nutrient issue, and not just a nutrient issue.

 

[roka64]

I have never found flow to be a good preventative, nor treatment myself.

I agree with this 100%. I tried pointing phs directly at it and it always just made long streams of the stuff and spread elsewhere.