Purple and orange

M-Pod · Sep 20, 2020

Hi guys, I’ve had cyano bacteria for a while and have constantly been loosing the battle against it and now I have a new orange/rust colored algae growing on the tank walls and in the sand i have a UV filter. I’ve changed out 30% of water added new sand tried to get out all the contaminated sand but I’ve. It been having success. Picture below please help.

thanks again guys

GoVols · Sep 20, 2020

Thinking the orangish/rust is cyano as well.

Looks like you have a good amount of green hair algae. GHA

Do you use pure RO/DI water for all that you do, including top off water?

Can you break up some of the GHA inside your reef and test your nitrates and phosphates?

M-Pod · Sep 20, 2020

I just use sink water and treat it...

okay I’ll break up some of the hair algae and retest
i normally have zero nitrates and phosphates but I’ll check after i break some of it up

GoVols · Sep 20, 2020

M-Pod said:
I just use sink water and treat it...

okay I’ll break up some of the hair algae and retest
i normally have zero nitrates and phosphates but I’ll check after i break some of it up

M-Pod,
If you don't use RO/DI water your always going to have issues.

Get a 4 stage unit with a built-in TDS meter or see if your local reef shop sells pure RO/DI in those 5-gallon lab containers.

4 Stage Value Plus 75GPD RO/DI System

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Mixing pump:

Koralia Nano Powerhead (240 GPH) USA

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vetteguy53081 · Sep 20, 2020

I would eleminate white lights for a few days and do a good water change. What is your phosphate levels from both water source and within your tank?
What would I do if this were my tank in this state?

- add some ChemiPure Elite ( lowers phos and nitrate and keeps it in check
- Add cleaners: Turbo snail, astrea snail, trochus snail, nerite snails and a few blue leg hermits
=- add cleanup crew after youve slowed down the cyano process. ChemiClean works well on this stuff.

GoVols · Sep 20, 2020

vetteguy53081 said:
I would eleminate white lights for a few days and do a good water change. What is your phosphate levels from both water source and within your tank?
What would I do if this were my tank in this state?

- add some ChemiPure Elite ( lowers phos and nitrate and keeps it in check
- Add cleaners: Turbo snail, astrea snail, trochus snail, nerite snails and a few blue leg hermits
=- add cleanup crew after youve slowed down the cyano process. ChemiClean works well on this stuff.

It won't work until pure RO/DI water starts coming into play.

Rjukan · Sep 20, 2020

Next time you do a water change, take the rock out and use a toothbrush to brush off the rock in a bucket of the old water.

Sm51498 · Sep 20, 2020

I would either switch to RODI as suggested or start trying to out compete the display with a powerful algae scrubber or large macro algae refugium. That'll be your only hope of beating the nuisance algae.

snowhite · Sep 20, 2020

Scrub it off, suck it up, Net it out... get as much of the algae out manually as you can. At that point you can start guaging if if you're winning or losing the fight progress wise.

Expect to repeat multiple times. If diligent, you'll win.

M-Pod · Sep 20, 2020

Thank you so much everyone i really appreciate all your help time will tell !
will keep you all posted

M-Pod · Oct 16, 2020

I bought a 5 stage RO filtration seems to really be working of course some cyano still lingering here and there and algae build up occasionally on the glass but nothing like before.

also I got a bubble tip anem. He’s not fully open like at the reef store should I be worried Sunday will be a week he ate a Piece of raw shrimp yesterday.

M-Pod · Oct 16, 2020

Bubble tip anem.

ScottR · Oct 16, 2020

M-Pod said:
I bought a 5 stage RO filtration seems to really be working of course some cyano still lingering here and there and algae build up occasionally on the glass but nothing like before.

also I got a bubble tip anem. He’s not fully open like at the reef store should I be worried Sunday will be a week he ate a Piece of raw shrimp yesterday.

Good call on following through with RODI. Even with treated water, you still never know what’s in it.

M-Pod · Oct 16, 2020

Thanks guys!
also any help with the bubble? I was really hoping it would be more open, also my clowns don’t want anything to do with it... but they’re captive bred

KrisReef · Oct 16, 2020

M-Pod said:
Thanks guys!
also any help with the bubble? I was really hoping it would be more open, also my clowns don’t want anything to do with it... but they’re captive bred

It might take a week or a month before the clowns find Nem-
Once they do they will move in. Just wait.