Nasty Algae ID please.

GeoHawk · Nov 15, 2012

I have had these 2 types of algae for over a year, and until recently they really haven't spread to much. I was hoping someone might be able to ID them for me. One is bright green and kind of like hair algae but not quite the same. The other is a dark brown red color that is thick matted like. Both these algaes like darker areas in the tank, better than lighted areas. I am wondering if the green one could be a type of cyano since it seems to produce oxygen.

The only change recently is I have increased the number of waterchages to get better color out of my sps, which has worked great. I usually am just patient and ride it out, which has always worked well for me in the past, except once when I had a bad hair algae explosion.

For anyone curious
Kh10.4 ca425 mg 1325 NO3 0, and I haven't measured PO4 recently.
I run GFO, Carbon and skim. I also have a fuge that is overflowing with macro ( I probably need to cut it back some.)

Any thoughts on these guys, should I wait it out or make changes?

Monroereef · Nov 15, 2012

Cyano ..

TacoSauce · Nov 15, 2012

Green Hair Algae or the beginnings of Bryopsis Algae... If it is GHA raise your magnesium and that will take care of it. If it is Bryopsis you might want to take the rocl out and dip it in hydrogen peroxide... You can spot treat, but may as well dip the whole thing. Search for it and you will find instructions.

TacoSauce · Nov 15, 2012

Monroereef said:
Cyano ..

Cyano is like a red slime...

Monroereef · Nov 15, 2012

TacoSauce said:
Green Hair Algae or the beginnings of Bryopsis Algae... If it is GHA raise your magnesium and that will take care of it. If it is Bryopsis you might want to take the rocl out and dip it in hydrogen peroxide... You can spot treat, but may as well dip the whole thing. Search for it and you will find instructions.

You got it backwards. Raising mag kills bryopsis and H202 might help with GHA.
The first pic he posted is definitely cyano, the purple gelly like stuff on the rock.

Sunny

GeoHawk · Nov 16, 2012

TacoSauce said:
Green Hair Algae or the beginnings of Bryopsis Algae... If it is GHA raise your magnesium and that will take care of it. If it is Bryopsis you might want to take the rocl out and dip it in hydrogen peroxide... You can spot treat, but may as well dip the whole thing. Search for it and you will find instructions.

What should I raise the Mg too? I always just kill hairalgae with boiling ro water an a turkey baster, but this doesnt see like hair algae.

TacoSauce · Nov 17, 2012

Another site for info, but...

Read this with pics... Looks like there is a GHA and Bryopsis outbreak...
http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=268706

TacoSauce · Nov 17, 2012

Monroereef said:
You got it backwards. Raising mag kills bryopsis and H202 might help with GHA.
The first pic he posted is definitely cyano, the purple gelly like stuff on the rock.

Sunny

HAHA./.. I didnt even see the first pic

def cyano!

dirtycontour · Nov 17, 2012

The deep purple is definitely cyano. Is the green the same texture as the purple?

GeoHawk · Nov 17, 2012

Yeah green and purple are very similar

GeoHawk · Nov 17, 2012

Phosphates are .03 (Hanna checker). Ive been using rowaphos in a TLF reactor. I change it out once a month should I change it out more frequently? I am also thinking of getting the high capacity gfo from Bulk Reef Supply any thoughts on that?

dirtycontour · Nov 17, 2012

I would manually remove as much of the cyano as possible during water changes. A toothbrush rubber banded on the end of a siphon works well IME. If your already running GFO and still getting that much cyano, I would change it out more often.

The green is cyano as well, IMO.

skinz78 · Nov 17, 2012

I hate to disagree with everyone but I had the same exact stuff, it's a type of Dinoflaggelate.

Stop doing water changes, you are just adding fuel to the fire.

I recently beat mine and I am not sure but I think it was because I started dosing Vitamin C. If you are interested I can tell you how I do it. I'd be very interested to see if what worked for me works for others.

GeoHawk · Dec 3, 2012

As a quick update. I removed almost all the algae with a toothbrush and water change a week or so ago. It brushed off the rocks extremely easily compared to other algae I have dealt with. I also burned all the hair algae in the tank with boiling ro water (works like a champ). The green and brown algae has now come back. So I am working on raising the mg to about 1600 with brs magnesium. I am also going to start to dose vitamin c this week, and I am going to quite doing water changes until I can get rid of all of it.
Phosphates are now zero I upped my gfo and carbon amount and changes.
Any other thoughts?

GeoHawk · Dec 5, 2012

Does raising magnesium with BRS 2 part magnesium solution work on algae and byropsis? This is what I have used to get my magnesium to 1590.

skinz78 · Dec 5, 2012

I thought it was the Kent Mag that worked?

bjledbetter · Dec 5, 2012

It is the Kent that works. I just got done treating my tank. I used the Kent mag and h2o2 and cut my lighting in half and my tank is mostly free of all algae.

SeahorseKeeper · Dec 5, 2012

I have also heard that it is the Kent mag that works.

GeoHawk · Dec 6, 2012

Well crap! My mag is allready 1590. I can get some techm but I wont be able to add it because the mag is too high already. Any suggestions? I guess I could do a 20 gal water change to remove some mag?

Steve175 · Dec 6, 2012

Yep it's only the Kent Mag (not the Mag itself but one of the other ingredients specific to Kent). Would wait a week or two with weekly water changes and then dose the Kent. It worked wonders for me (although it takes quite a large volume; my HA melted away but not until Mg level was 1650 with no ill effects to fish/corals/invert).