Red algae on my coral

[Reef beginner Fe]

Hi all-

I’ve had my tank for about 7 months now and most everything is going pretty good. Just recently, some fine red algae started growing on one of my corals which since then hasn’t opened.
I was wondering if someone knew what that is, why that is and how I can fix it?

 

[thomas_neil]

Hi all-

I’ve had my tank for about 7 months now and most everything is going pretty good. Just recently, some fine red algae started growing on one of my corals which since then hasn’t opened.
I was wondering if someone knew what that is, why that is and how I can fix it?

Is it anywhere else in the tank? Mainly on the sand bed?

 

[brrdawg]

Try taking a turkey baster and blowing it off. Could be Cyanobacteria. That would probably be the best method of keeping it off your corals and try tackling the cyano problem if that is what it is.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hi all-

I’ve had my tank for about 7 months now and most everything is going pretty good. Just recently, some fine red algae started growing on one of my corals which since then hasn’t opened.
I was wondering if someone knew what that is, why that is and how I can fix it?

This is early stage cyano. Blow gently with a turkey baster and dislodge it and siphon up, then reduce white light intensity.
Cyano blooms typically start when water nutrient concentrations of phosphate, nitrate and other organic compounds are too high or increase.
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

If it worsens, 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.

 

[Reef beginner Fe]

Thank you! That’s very helpful!

 

[educatedreefer]

Just out of curiosity, are you using wood as a reef structure in your tank?
That aside, I completely agree with @vetteguy53081
Once you have Cyanobacteria, it’s a bit difficult, although not impossible to get rid of it.
A way to combat nuisance algae growth would be to increase the water flow in your tank, especially with soft corals such as the leather coral in your photo, they enjoy high flow so that they can extend their polyp and “shed” their skin when water quality diminishes or they are covered in algae.
Make sure to NOT USE TAP WATER as it often contains a lot of unwanted chemicals and sources of silica, metals, and nutrients that may encourage algae growth.
In the wild, all kinds of algae and bacteria, both benefitial and nuisance grow, however they compete with each other for “territory” in which in your case, the cyanobacteria has taken over due to exposure of bacteria + high nutrients.
I’d recommend using Distilled or preferably RODI water from your LFS or from an RODI machine, lowering nutrients (food or supplements), introducing competitive benefitial bacteria such as Dr. Tim’s Aquatics Waste Away or any Reef Saltwater bacteria culture from Amazon.
Another additional approach (combining these previously mentioned methods will increase chances of removing cyano) includes using ChemiClean (algae-killing agent) to target the red algae, however read the instructions very carefully and perform a heavy water change after 24hrs to remove excess chemicals along with adding carbon to your filter.
Be careful where your water source is coming from, find your sweet spot for nutrient levels (nitrate & phosphates), increase aeration with slimmer or water flow (30-50X tank volume), and perform (at least for now) large water changes and physical removal of nuisance algae. Good Luck!