Green Mat All Over Sand Only

[beesnreefs]

I tried searching and couldn’t find much quite similar to this.

2 year old stable mixed reef. About a month ago this green stuff started growing on my sand bed. It is pretty bright green, forms mats that vacuum up easily but do not break up very easily. Is only on the sand, nothing on the rocks at all.

Pictures below.

Im wracking my brain and can’t think of anything that has changed in the tank or my maintenance recently. I do a 10% water change every weekend. Vacuum what I can but it grows back within a couple of days.

Dose All For Reef and have for a long time. Parameters are currently (and have consistently been):

Alk: 9.5
Calc: 420
Mag: 1400
Phosphates: 0.03-0.06
Nitrates: 1-2

I pulled a chunk today and put it in a small bowl with straight hydrogen peroxide 3% and it did nothing to it.

Any idea what I’m dealing with here? Suggestions?

Above is a mat in a bowl of straight H2O2

 

[Who me?]

Blue / Green cyanobacteria.

You can try counter dosing bottled bac, or go a little harder with microbacter razor or chemi clean.

 

[vetteguy53081]

This is cyano.
Cyano blooms typically start when water nutrient concentrations go haywire and when concentrations of phosphate, nitrate and other organic compounds are too high.
Some of the most common causes include:
- Protein skimmer which fills water with tiny air bubbles. As bubbles form from the reaction chamber, dissolved organic compound molecules stick to them. Foam forms at the surface of the water and is then transferred to a collection cup, where it rests as skimmate. When the protein skimmer does not output the best efficiency or you do not have the suitable protein skimmer to cover the tank, the air bubbles created by the skimmer might be insufficient. And this insufficiency of air bubbles can trigger the cyano to thrive.
- Overstocking / overfeeding, your aquarium with nutrients is often the culprit of a cyano bloom
- Adding live rock that isn’t completely cured which acts like a breeding ground for red slime algae
- If you don’t change your water with enough frequency, you’ll soon have a brightly colored red slime algae bloom. Regular water changes dilute nutrients that feed cyanobacteria and keeps your tank beautifully clear
- Using a water source with nitrates or phosphates is like rolling out the welcome mat for cyano. Tap water is an example
- Inadequate water flow, or movement, is a leading cause of cyano blooms. Slow moving water combined with excess dissolved nutrients is a recipe for pervasive red slime algae development

I recommend to reduce white light intensity or even turn them off for 5-7 days. Add liquid bacteria daily for a week during the day at 1.5ml per 10 gallons. Add Hydrogen peroxide at night at 1ml per 10 gallons. Add a pouch of chemipure Elite which will balance phos and nitrate and keep them in check.

After the week, add a few snails such as cerith, margarita, astrea and nassarius plus 6-8 blue leg hermits to take control.

 

[beesnreefs]

Blue / Green cyanobacteria.

You can try counter dosing bottled bac, or go a little harder with microbacter razor or chemi clean.

I was certain this is what it was…but if it was cyano, wouldn’t peroxide kill it right quick? I put some on a small bowl with straight peroxide and it seemed to have no effect, even after 10 minutes

 

[Who me?]

I was certain this is what it was…but if it was cyano, wouldn’t peroxide kill it right quick? I put some on a small bowl with straight peroxide and it seemed to have no effect, even after 10 minutes

Cyano is not visible without a microscope.
Those clumps are the waste products produced by the bacteria, they are already dead.

 

[beesnreefs]

Cyano is not visible without a microscope.
Those clumps are the waste products produced by the bacteria, they are already dead.

Ok, so peroxide dosing might work over time. I’ve been thinking of doing the regiment where I dose peroxide to the tank once a day and twelve hours later dose bottled vac like Microbacter7. Do this daily until problem solved

What do you think?

I’m reticent to go big with Chemiclean unless I have to

 

[Who me?]

Ok, so peroxide dosing might work over time. I’ve been thinking of doing the regiment where I dose peroxide to the tank once a day and twelve hours later dose bottled vac like Microbacter7. Do this daily until problem solved

What do you think?

I’m reticent to go big with Chemiclean unless I have to

In a mature tank I'd dose microbacter 7 and microbacter clean daily for 7 days, as close to 12 hours apart as possible. Then continue with microbacter 7 weekly until it's gone.

Shouldn't take more than a few months to be mostly gone, with significant improvement at the end of two weeks

 

[Who me?]

Ok, so peroxide dosing might work over time. I’ve been thinking of doing the regiment where I dose peroxide to the tank once a day and twelve hours later dose bottled vac like Microbacter7. Do this daily until problem solved

What do you think?

I’m reticent to go big with Chemiclean unless I have to

If you decide to go peroxide be careful, can have a notable impact on ph, alk and oxygen levels... Bottled bac will be safer and more effective.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Ok, so peroxide dosing might work over time. I’ve been thinking of doing the regiment where I dose peroxide to the tank once a day and twelve hours later dose bottled vac like Microbacter7. Do this daily until problem solved

What do you think?

I’m reticent to go big with Chemiclean unless I have to

Add liquid bacteria daily for a week during the day at 1.5ml per 10 gallons. Add Hydrogen peroxide at night at 1ml per 10 gallons. Add a pouch of chemipure Elite which will balance phos and nitrate and keep them in check. peroxide is safe to use and is mainly h2o at low concentration above.

 

[beesnreefs]

If you decide to go peroxide be careful, can have a notable impact on ph, alk and oxygen levels... Bottled bac will be safer and more effective.

What impact will peroxide have on a ph and alk?

 

[Who me?]

What impact will peroxide have on a ph and alk?

It can increase oxygen resulting in elevated ph and alk, but is safe at the commonly accepted dosage. The issues arise when people lose patience and overdose.