Algae ID Please

[PeterG]

Can someone ID this algae and tell me how to treat it?

I’ve looked thru the photos of various red algae but can’t seem to find anything that looks like this. It’s growing on my rock and dislodges easily with a puff of air from a turkey baster.

Water parameters:
Ph - 8.2
SG - 1.024
NO2 - 0 ppm
NO3 - 2 ppm
NH4 - < .1ppm
Alk - 7.7 dKH
Ca - 390
Mg - 1290
PO3 - 0

Attached are a couple of photos on the rock and one of a flake I sucked into the turkey baster and put into a bowl of water.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I Belive that is cyano bacteria.

 

[PeterG]

I Belive that is cyano bacteria.

Thanks Salty. Any suggestions on treatment?

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Your numbers look all good. If it’s a newish tank it’ll pass if it’s cyano. Cyano should fall apart and be slimy. An algae will have structure.

You could look to see if the flow is good in those spots. Not too slow and letting stuff settle.
It honestly could be forming on big fish poo really.
Cut back on any amino and coral foods.
Keep blowing it off.
If it gets worse , you’ll want to check the tds if the water and reevaluate what your feeding the fishies.

It doesn’t look like bad case.

 

[Dana Riddle]

Charles Delbeek told me long ago that he increased light intensity and was surprised to see a red cyanobacterium disappear quickly. I do not know if an increased number of air bubbles (due to increased photosynthesis) lifted the stuff away, or ???

 

[PeterG]

Your numbers look all good. If it’s a newish tank it’ll pass if it’s cyano. Cyano should fall apart and be slimy. An algae will have structure.

You could look to see if the flow is good in those spots. Not too slow and letting stuff settle.
It honestly could be forming on big fish poo really.
Cut back on any amino and coral foods.
Keep blowing it off.
If it gets worse , you’ll want to check the tds if the water and reevaluate what your feeding the fishies.

It doesn’t look like bad case.

Tank has been up just about a yr. Not sure what you mean by "it'll pass if its cyano". I grabbed a bit in my fingers and it does feel slimy.
Flow is a return pump and Tunze 6055 power heads on each side. Prob wouldn't hurt to add a gyro on the rear glass.
Been feeding Reef chili about once a week. Not adding any amino acids (that I know of)
So it's OK to blow it off? Was concerned I'd just be spreading it.
Got a whole house 5 micron & carbnon filter cannisters outside and a BRS RO/DI six stage unit for my tank water. TDS always reads zero on Line 2 & Line 3
I alternate between LRS Reef Frenzy and either PE Mysis or PE Brine shrimp with PE pellets added. Sel-Con vitamins.
Anything I should alter or add?

 

[PeterG]

Charles Delbeek told me long ago that he increased light intensity and was surprised to see a red cyanobacterium disappear quickly. I do not know if an increased number of air bubbles (due to increased photosynthesis) lifted the stuff away, or ???

I've got two AI Hyrda 26 on a 90 gal. If I was to up the intensity which channels would I focus on?

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Charles Delbeek told me long ago that he increased light intensity and was surprised to see a red cyanobacterium disappear quickly. I do not know if an increased number of air bubbles (due to increased photosynthesis) lifted the stuff away, or ???

Curious
I cured/rebuilt my current 30gal of cyano by slowly increasing the intensity of my lighting.
It was in a jbj cube with poor spectrum but high intensity. On the rebuild I used a 20k MH (a coralife pendant fixture).
In my 55 gal I also use higher intensity. Both are wall to wall coral.
I had assumed I had out competed it with coral and also let it eat it’s way out of a job.
I pretty much never get Cyano.

I’d love to know more.

I also used a lux meter and a friends conversion constant to calculate the par on the mh at the time.

 

[Gareth elliott]

Assume you mean po4 and not po3. What test are you using? If phosphate is really 0 this also could be a contributing factor.

 

[PeterG]

Assume you mean po4 and not po3. What test are you using? If phosphate is really 0 this also could be a contributing factor.

Oops sorry. Yes, po4. Testing with Salifert kit. Almost always zero. Sometimes I get a slight blue tint that I'd say is <.03.
What should my po4 read and what can I do to raise it?

 

[Gareth elliott]

Oops sorry. Yes, po4. Testing with Salifert kit. Almost always zero. Sometimes I get a slight blue tint that I'd say is <.03.
What should my po4 read and what can I do to raise it?

Theres quite a bit of debate on phosphate levels but .01-.10 should be ok. I think your fine if its showing .03

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Should I test my phosphates this year?

 

[Gareth elliott]

Should I test my phosphates this year?

I think 0 is the bad number, but i am far from an expert lol.

I think your corals will tell you theres a problem with macro and trace micro nutrients quicker than anything else. The same way leaves tell you in a planted. Losing green, probably need iron and holes theres a n,p, or k deficiency.

Corals its decreased pe or fading color.

Low nutrient opportunistic Algae only happens after the first signs of a deficiency.

 

[Dana Riddle]

I've got two AI Hyrda 26 on a 90 gal. If I was to up the intensity which channels would I focus on?

Personally, I'd increase the blue channels as opposed to one containing red LEDs. Do you have any PAR or lux numbers? Increasing light intensity to potentially rid a tank of cyano might come at a cost to corals.

 

[PeterG]

Personally, I'd increase the blue channels as opposed to one containing red LEDs. Do you have any PAR or lux numbers? Increasing light intensity to potentially rid a tank of cyano might come at a cost to corals.

Don't have access to a PAR meter. Attached are the setting numbers from the AI control panel. Not sure if these will help.

 

[Dana Riddle]

Don't have access to a PAR meter. Attached are the setting numbers from the AI control panel. Not sure if these will help.

No, I can't tell much from just settings - too many variables involved. Maybe remove some of it and blast with light in a separate container? I've also heard that cyano can be attributed to nutrient imbalances, but I don't have any numbers to support this claim.