Green Algae in saltwater

Mark Mark Bo Bark · Dec 15, 2016

I have some green slime.algae algae in my saltwater tank and haven't been able to get rid of it. I talked with my LFS and he told me.to.cpver it up and not let any sunlight to see if that helps. Posted is a pic of the algae and pic of tank covered. I need help ladies and gents!

kashman100 · Dec 15, 2016

Looks like cyanobacteria which is usually red but can be blue/green also. How old is tank? What kind of lighting? Suck out as much as you can with turkey baster.

Mark Mark Bo Bark · Dec 15, 2016

I have tried getting it out with a syphon and a turkey batter. Nothing gets it up! So I'm trying the no light option

Mark Mark Bo Bark · Dec 15, 2016

I have tried a syphon but not a turkey baster. How would you go about using it?

saltyfilmfolks · Dec 15, 2016

generally its an indicator of high nutrints. do you have your No and Po parameters?

@twilliard and @melypr1985
Hey Ive had a lot of different color cyano and stuff but thats odd. Mel I only see that color at the LFS C wall.

melypr1985 · Dec 15, 2016

saltyfilmfolks said:
generally its an indicator of high nutrints. do you have your No and Po parameters?

@twilliard and @melypr1985
Hey Ive had a lot of different color cyano and stuff but thats odd. Mel I only see that color at the LFS C wall.

I've seen it in other tanks online, but only in one place in person. I've had that color cyano in the fish-only system at the store that we keep copper in. Weird right? We got rid of it (as a side-effect) when we bleached the entire system and restarted it.

Mark Mark Bo Bark · Dec 15, 2016

Just have a basic api test kit and it reads
PH 8.2
Ammo 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 5.0 but it seems to always be that even after a water change.
Salinity 1.023

saltyfilmfolks · Dec 15, 2016

Mark Mark Bo Bark said:
Just have a basic api test kit and it reads
PH 8.2
Ammo 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 5.0 but it seems to always be that even after a water change.
Salinity 1.023

youll want to get a Po kit, but not out of the ordinary.
Are you on rodi water?
How old is the tank?
Can I see a Full Tank Shot?

saltyfilmfolks · Dec 15, 2016

melypr1985 said:
I've seen it in other tanks online, but only in one place in person. I've had that color cyano in the fish-only system at the store that we keep copper in. Weird right? We got rid of it (as a side-effect) when we bleached the entire system and restarted it.

yea real weird. esp with that snail there.

melypr1985 · Dec 15, 2016

saltyfilmfolks said:
yea real weird. esp with that snail there.

What snail? Where? You lost me

twilliard · Dec 15, 2016

Need to see this under a microscope to be able to make a plan of attack.

Mark Mark Bo Bark · Dec 15, 2016

Yea the snails won't eat the green just brown. I am using Rodi water from my lfs. Tank has been up for 10 months.

Mark Mark Bo Bark · Dec 15, 2016

I have thought about moving the powerhead I have to the other side and moving it down so there is better water flow towards the bottom?

saltyfilmfolks · Dec 15, 2016

melypr1985 said:
What snail? Where? You lost me

middle pic on the rock.

Mark Mark Bo Bark · Dec 15, 2016

I have two snails in the tank currently but nothing else. Had clownfish before but had problems so got them out and left tank with no fish just snails but still doing water changes. I am trying to get this algae under control so then I can attempt to add two clowns

twilliard · Dec 15, 2016

Mark Mark Bo Bark said:
Yea the snails won't eat the green just brown. I am using Rodi water from my lfs. Tank has been up for 10 months.

Snails won't touch this.
It is a bacteria but the question is which one.

Mark Mark Bo Bark · Dec 15, 2016

I will say that the cover up has reduced it on the right side. So maybe the lights out approach is doing something

saltyfilmfolks · Dec 15, 2016

Mark Mark Bo Bark said:
I have two snails in the tank currently but nothing else. Had clownfish before but had problems so got them out and left tank with no fish just snails but still doing water changes. I am trying to get this algae under control so then I can attempt to add two clowns

yea Itll happen.
Sigh. Hate to say it but,
Id invest in a TDS meter on amazon and check their water. IMO you should have more progress in that tank. so something is wrong.
you may want to invest in some DR tims one and only or Probidio. both are aggressive bacterial treatments. you wont notice any changes btw, by aggressive I mean its more concentrated than Prime or MB7.

the green stuff is growing because nothing else is. IE stunted cycle.

are you feeding the tank?