Maroon Colored Algae Won’t Go Away

[10galtank]

Hello, all

I have a 30 gallon reef tank that I have broke down and restarted 3 times thus in hopes to get rid of this algae I cannot seem to beat. It is very persistent, and I feel that all the cleaning and water changes does absolutely nothing but spread the algae. It will be gone, but comes right back the next day like a crazy ex. It is red/maroon in color and ONLY grows on the glass, mildly on the sand. My nutrient parameters have been stable, and always are. I have a very hard time believing that it’s cyano or red slime, every means of eradication has been attempted but bears no fruit. As stated, this is my 3rd rendition of the tank but it still seems to follow me. I run many reef tanks, yet this is the only thing ive ever been stumped on. This tank sits in front of a window, but as do my others. I have ran every chemical known to man, test my water more than I should be having too, clean and water change more than I should need to…

Has anybody encountered something like this? If so, please help me figure this out and rid of it.

 

[Snowxcross]

Hello, all

I have a 30 gallon reef tank that I have broke down and restarted 3 times thus in hopes to get rid of this algae I cannot seem to beat. It is very persistent, and I feel that all the cleaning and water changes does absolutely nothing but spread the algae. It will be gone, but comes right back the next day like a crazy ex. It is red/maroon in color and ONLY grows on the glass, mildly on the sand. My nutrient parameters have been stable, and always are. I have a very hard time believing that it’s cyano or red slime, every means of eradication has been attempted but bears no fruit. As stated, this is my 3rd rendition of the tank but it still seems to follow me. I run many reef tanks, yet this is the only thing ive ever been stumped on. This tank sits in front of a window, but as do my others. I have ran every chemical known to man, test my water more than I should be having too, clean and water change more than I should need to…

Has anybody encountered something like this? If so, please help me figure this out and rid of it.

Hi there! Maybe treat it as you would dinos. You are obviously seeing numbers in your tests, so it's not a bottomed out nutrients thing, but nutrients are being consumed from this algae you speak of.

You could do a few things to try. Reduce your lights to blue only. Do you have a skimmer on the 30g? If so open it and run 24/7. Crank up the flow, as it breaks down let your mechanical filtration catch it. Do very minimal feedings. Amazon sells a cheap 9w UV. Run that 24/7 until it goes away. Lastly don't do a water change. That will only keep it growing, you need to starve it out.

My two cents, but has always worked for me in the case of dinos, I know it's not your problem, but may work.

 

[Minifoot77]

I had a similar red/brown algae problem in my 60 cube nem tank a uv was what kicked it in under a week I ran it 24 7 for a month or so

 

[10galtank]

Hi there! Maybe treat it as you would dinos. You are obviously seeing numbers in your tests, so it's not a bottomed out nutrients thing, but nutrients are being consumed from this algae you speak of.

You could do a few things to try. Reduce your lights to blue only. Do you have a skimmer on the 30g? If so open it and run 24/7. Crank up the flow, as it breaks down let your mechanical filtration catch it. Do very minimal feedings. Amazon sells a cheap 9w UV. Run that 24/7 until it goes away. Lastly don't do a water change. That will only keep it growing, you need to starve it out.

My two cents, but has always worked for me in the case of dinos, I know it's not your problem, but may work.

Roger that, I ran my 9w aqua shield sterilizer for a week or two but will try again. I built a custom aio system for it bc for the longest time, I thought the sump I had on it was accumulating detritus and whatnot. Currently do not have a skimmer, trying to find one that isn’t a junker but also fits AIO. I also only run blue light via AI Blade Coral Grow. Thank you kindly for the reply, I will try that out

 

[Spare time]

Picture under white light?

 

[10galtank]

I had a similar red/brown algae problem in my 60 cube nem tank a uv was what kicked it in under a week I ran it 24 7 for a month or so

Roger that, will try

 

[10galtank]

Picture under white light?

 

[Spare time]

Is it slimy or bubbly? To be it just looks like what you would use a glass cleaner for.

 

[10galtank]

Is it slimy or bubbly? To be it just looks like what you would use a glass cleaner for.

Peels off in sheets. Scrape it off, comes back the next day or sometimes the same night.

 

[Spare time]

Peels off in sheets. Scrape it off, comes back the next day or sometimes the same night.

How many and what kinds of snails do you have

 

[The_Paradox]

That looks more like diatoms to me.

 

[Dom]

As stated, this is my 3rd rendition of the tank but it still seems to follow me. I run many reef tanks, yet this is the only thing ive ever been stumped on. This tank sits in front of a window, but as do my others. I have ran every chemical known to man, test my water more than I should be having too, clean and water change more than I should need to…

Has anybody encountered something like this? If so, please help me figure this out and rid of it.

 

[Dom]

This is the algae issue that had you rip down and redo the tank 3 times? I'm looking at my 125 right now with the same thing.

I wouldn't worry about this; just keep after it.

Also, I wouldn't redo the tank again. Give it time for its ecosystem to get established.

 

[SteveMM62Reef]

Have you Tried ChemiClean? If it’s coming back at night probably Cyno. Also get yourself an all Plastic Turkey Baster, swing by a ACE Hardware, and get a Hose Snap Clamp for the Bulb. Go over your Gravel to get the ChemiClean, down in the Gravel. I always go 24 to 48 hours longer than label, and do not put more in.

 

[10galtank]

How many and what kinds of snails do you have

About 10 nessarius, a conch, urchin, and about 30 trochus

 

[10galtank]

This is the algae issue that had you rip down and redo the tank 3 times? I'm looking at my 125 right now with the same thing.

I wouldn't worry about this; just keep after it.

Also, I wouldn't redo the tank again. Give it time for its ecosystem to get established.

Those are pictures I took not even a full day after scraping off.

 

[10galtank]

Have you Tried ChemiClean? If it’s coming back at night probably Cyno. Also get yourself an all Plastic Turkey Baster, swing by a ACE Hardware, and get a Hose Snap Clamp for the Bulb. Go over your Gravel to get the ChemiClean, down in the Gravel. I always go 24 to 48 hours longer than label, and do not put more in.

Have tried chemiclean more times than I can count.

 

[Spare time]

Have tried chemiclean more times than I can count.

Doesn't look like cyano or dinos.

 

[Spare time]

About 10 nessarius, a conch, urchin, and about 30 trochus

Consider getting different algae eating snails, such as turbos and cerith.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hello, all

I have a 30 gallon reef tank that I have broke down and restarted 3 times thus in hopes to get rid of this algae I cannot seem to beat. It is very persistent, and I feel that all the cleaning and water changes does absolutely nothing but spread the algae. It will be gone, but comes right back the next day like a crazy ex. It is red/maroon in color and ONLY grows on the glass, mildly on the sand. My nutrient parameters have been stable, and always are. I have a very hard time believing that it’s cyano or red slime, every means of eradication has been attempted but bears no fruit. As stated, this is my 3rd rendition of the tank but it still seems to follow me. I run many reef tanks, yet this is the only thing ive ever been stumped on. This tank sits in front of a window, but as do my others. I have ran every chemical known to man, test my water more than I should be having too, clean and water change more than I should need to…

Has anybody encountered something like this? If so, please help me figure this out and rid of it.

Looks like diatoms/diatom film to me and diatoms not only appear in new tanks but mature tanks as well. Diatoms feed mainly off of silicates but also thrive off of dissolved organic compounds, phosphate and nitrates and silicates. Tap water can emit silicates andcause a bloom if you use it to mix salt or to replace water that evaporated from the tank. Tou can also get a diatom bloom when using RODI if the cartridge which removes silicates expires.