Please ID: Type of AlgeaAlgea

[DWilliams2311]

I'm away from home right now for work and my friend just sent me these photos of my sump. It appears to be purple in color, soft not really hairy, bubbles coming of it. It's contained right now to the side of the filter socks and on the bottom of sump. The tank is fairlynew, has been up since the first week of this year. I'm not running any light on the display.

 

[DWilliams2311]

Don't know any of my current parameters at this time and the only thing that I have identified as different is the light on the sump has been on constantly for the last 3 days and nights

 

[LBehr]

Looks like cyano. Probably from sump light. Do a 3 day black out and it should go away.

 

[DWilliams2311]

What's the chances of it spreading to the display tank you think? Should I have someone go and remove that filter socks.

 

[jenreefer]

It is cyano, unfortunately, if it is there , it is probably already in the tank. Not a big issue as all new tanks go through this. As long as water is stable and nutrients are low, it will run its course. I do not use filter socks though because this is what they do. They grow bad things. So yes, remove the filter sock.

 

[DWilliams2311]

Ok is there anything I can do, other than regular maintenance to keep the problem from getting worse or having these problems once I began stocking the display tank?

 

[LBehr]

Like Jen said this is common in new tank and if you go lights off for a while it should wipe it out. The other thing you can do to fight cyano is having good flow in display. Once your biofiltration is established and you have regular light schedule it shouldn't show back up.

 

[jenreefer]

Test your water and know what your parameters are. This is the best way to know if you have an impending issue or just a normal cycle.

What are your nitrate and phosphate levels?

 

[LBehr]

I had a dead spot in flow and couldn't get rid of one spot of cyano so I got an army of nassarius snails and a sandsifting star and it cleared up in a few days.

 

[DWilliams2311]

I'm on the road working and have no way of testing the water. Like I said before I've had the tank together since the first week of this year and the light on the display has never been turned on. I did the first water change around 2 weeks ago. When I was home id only turn the light on over the sump for 4 or 5 hours at night and then back off, I just forgot to this time when I was packing and leaving town.