Red hair algae

[Hawk]

1st of, I enjoyed my first meeting and meet some really cool people! I love the idea of a frag swap! There where so many cool corals that it was hard to choose what to get.


Ok I added 20lbs of new sand last week, and everything seemed fine. Yesterday I noticed some bubble red hair algae. Today when I got home it everywhere!! All over the sand bed and rocks. I added some prime and chemiclean but it seems the problem is worse. All my pars are in line. I don't have the kits to check ALK and Calicum.


So Is it from adding the sand and it will go away with the stuff I put in? Do a water change or just let it take it's course?

[The-Bubonic-One]

is it red hair or a cyanobacteria bloom? is it a thick dark red mat? if so its a cyano bloom

[Hawk]

Originally Posted by The-Bubonic-One

is it red hair or a cyanobacteria bloom? is it a thick dark red mat? if so its a cyano bloom

It's thick dark red

[The-Bubonic-One]

google red slime then click on images if thats what it looks like red slime remover will help. A cyano bloom is caused by numerous things sice you added more sand that is most likely the culprit. If you had a a older tank and it happened it might be caused by not enough water flow in the tank. Hope this helps

[grouper therapy]

Cyanobacteria can use hydrogen sulfide as a source of electrons for it's photosynthesis. The hydrogen sulfide is usually produced in areas where anaerobic bacteria exist like the pores of your rock and the sand bed. Usually when your system matures the production of anaerobic bacteria stabilizes and very little hydrogen sulfide is produced. The reason it shows up in new tanks or new additions of rock/sand is the massive die off within those anaerobic areas. Your phosphate and nitrate levels can be within acceptable parameters and cyano will still thrive until the above mentioned balance takes place. more flow in the area can perhaps reduce the level of hydrogen sulfide thereby reducing the cyano but lack of flow does not start the cyano.

[Hawk]

Originally Posted by grouper therapy

Cyanobacteria can use hydrogen sulfide as a source of electrons for it's photosynthesis. The hydrogen sulfide is usually produced in areas where anaerobic bacteria exist like the pores of your rock and the sand bed. Usually when your system matures the production of anaerobic bacteria stabilizes and very little hydrogen sulfide is produced. The reason it shows up in new tanks or new additions of rock/sand is the massive die off within those anaerobic areas. Your phosphate and nitrate levels can be within acceptable parameters and cyano will still thrive until the above mentioned balance takes place. more flow in the area can perhaps reduce the level of hydrogen sulfide thereby reducing the cyano but lack of flow does not start the cyano.

I have flow, so is it something I have to wait out?

[grouper therapy]

Originally Posted by Hawk

I have flow, so is it something I have to wait out?

You can remove some of it which will speed up the gassing off of the hydrogen sulfide but yes IME you will see a decline in it as the system stabilizes and you maintain the water quality.

[Hawk]

Originally Posted by grouper therapy

You can remove some of it which will speed up the gassing off of the hydrogen sulfide but yes IME you will see a decline in it as the system stabilizes and you maintain the water quality.

Thanks buddy!