Algae id/ clean up crew suggestion

SammiMitch · Jun 25, 2016

Hi
I have this purple algae growing all over my rocks, and green algae. I also have these green bubbles on my rocks...but when I go to pop them they are like glass and are hard to pop. Does anyone know what I could get to clean my messy tank up? I have a electric blue damsel and a frog spawn and a hitch hiker starfish I'm not sure what kind though. It's a 15g tank. Thanks

twilliard · Jun 25, 2016

Looks like a cyano bacterium to me

Diesel · Jun 25, 2016

We might looking at four things here, spirulina, Cyano, bubble algae and hair algae.
Tank looks kinda dirty and what is on your pumps?
I see also you have a HOB filter, how often do you do a water change?
Any test results on Po4 and No3?
Will tag @twilliard in here for you spirulina and Cyano test..

Diesel · Jun 25, 2016

And.......... Todd was faster than me again

twilliard · Jun 25, 2016

Diesel said:
And.......... Todd was faster than me again

I'm on it my freind!
OK here is a link to help identify the situation

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/positive-identification-of-cyanobacteria.253287/

Zenlikeyoda · Jun 25, 2016

What IS on the pumps? Are those sheets of the algae/cyano or something you tied onto the pumps (odd question I know) No inverts yet?

SammiMitch · Jun 26, 2016

Zenlikeyoda said:
What IS on the pumps? Are those sheets of the algae/cyano or something you tied onto the pumps (odd question I know) No inverts yet?

Well I had a sea slug. And for some reason it loved crawling on the fans and it would get sucked into the sides and get stuck so it's just a knee high sock to cover the sides so it wouldn't get hurt I also had to cover up the intake on my hob filter. But unfortunately it has passed. And I just haven't cut the hose off my power head, I just pushed them back in case I got another one and it was just as adventures as the first. The only invert in the tank right now is a star fish...it was a hitchhiker on my rocks. I have no clue what kind it is. It's sandy brown and is smaller than a dime. It's been in there since I started the tank. ( I can just now see its little arms developing individually; it's has 7 arms) It seems to like to eat all the green/brown algae on the walls. It leaves little circles behind when it moves to a new spot.

Zenlikeyoda · Jun 26, 2016

SammiMitch said:
Well I had a sea slug. And for some reason it loved crawling on the fans and it would get sucked into the sides and get stuck so it's just a knee high sock to cover the sides so it wouldn't get hurt I also had to cover up the intake on my hob filter. But unfortunately it has passed. And I just haven't cut the hose off my power head, I just pushed them back in case I got another one and it was just as adventures as the first. The only invert in the tank right now is a star fish...it was a hitchhiker on my rocks. I have no clue what kind it is. It's sandy brown and is smaller than a dime. It's been in there since I started the tank. ( I can just now see its little arms developing individually; it's has 7 arms) It seems to like to eat all the green/brown algae on the walls. It leaves little circles behind when it moves to a new spot.

it may be time to invest in a decent wall magnet scrubber, more hungry inverts, and a good water changing schedule (I am tempted to suction out the cyano while doing the water change). @Diesel thinks there may be some bubble algae and you described them as bubbles on the rocks - but I can not see it on my small screen. Do not pop those suckers under water since all I have read was that it will spread even faster. I don't know about leaving the hose on the power heads since you are more likely to trap things in it. A thin sponge filter mesh that can be taken on and off for easy clean is going to be aesthetic as well safe for your future slugs (but maybe after your algae problem is taken cared of to allow to maximum unobstructed flow). Best of luck!

SammiMitch · Jun 26, 2016

I have one of those magnet scrubbers and I use it on the sides and front glass but try to avoid the back bc it scares my damsel and the back is where she sleeps. Yea I'm defiantly going to cut the hose of my power heads and give them a good scrub. I don't think I'm going to get another slug. Does anyone have a reliable sand cleaning method? I've tried the hose that connects to the sink but it always breaks. And does anyone have any suggestions for a hardy (hard to kill) clean up crew?

Roboson · Jun 26, 2016

For the bubble algae I would get a small emerald crab. It will take care of the bubbles. But make sure that if it does eradicate the bubble algae that you begin feeding it directly.

As far as the other algae is concerned. I would recommend a couple blue leg hermits. A scarlet hermit. A few nassarius snails, maybe two or three. A couple nerite snails.

Check out reef cleaners. They have a great selection of hardy CUC.