Red stringy algae anyone know what this is?

[Luka]

Anyone know what this algae is?

Its gone in the morning back throughout the day. I personally don't think it is cyano as it gets stringy and only grows on my sand bed. All parameters are fine.


Thanks,

Luka

 

[brandon429]

yes cyano
there are so many ways to try and fight it not possible to narrow down one, just pick a mode and run~

the thick grained substrate takes on the nutrients to fuel it, that w always be at play and there are ways you can still have that nice look sub and be without cyano, many modes to choose. if it was mine id do no mode other than hand remove it during increased water changes and sustain that until it stops. others go all kinds of different ways. cyano 100% ID

cyano doesn't imply the water is bad or the tank has been compromised, this is a universally traveled invader present in every tank in the world, its either expressing as a colony or not, depending on conditions. cyano is a world traveler invader among all water systems fresh, marine and brackish and heat vent and arctic this stuff is amazing.

 

[Luka]

Okay, thanks! I have been adding a lot of corals and frags that's probably where I got it from. How do I hand remove it? I heard blackout is good against cyano as well.

 

[brandon429]

I would just siphon it out over and over with a small hose until other preventative measures are taken, it simply wouldn't show in my tank even if I didn't adjust the preventatives because it would be removed daily as needed.

 

[Luka]

I have some fluval biological cleaner laying around (I got it for free) but I am not sure if i should use it. Other than that I turned off my lights for today and think i might do a 1 gal water change. I can't siphon w/o doing a water change because I don't have a sump. My tank is a small 15 gallon. Should I make the cyano loose then scoop it out. Or flip the agitate the sand to try and release some of the excess nutrients?

thanks I really appreciate it brandon!

 

[brandon429]

it wont do any good to flip the one spot since the other spots still have some waste, but all tanks that have sandbeds carry some waste so making the system pure of it is often not possible, and yours doesn't look bad at all or really packed in with waste. unable to recommend removal steps because there are so many ways, have to just pick one and run it off someone elses cyano thread to see if it works. mine would always be a few gallons siphoned out with a strong hose, taking the topical cyano with it. wouldn't disturb the bed regarding cyano, id disturb the bed if cleaning it was the goal

 

[Luka]

Okay cool thanks Brandon! I tried pulling as much as I can out... looks better. It started coming when I fed coral feed then it was gone when I stopped. Then it as back when i started again. I think its the coal feed but we will see.

 

[brandon429]

Check out the chemistry forum on that big nopox thread that's kicked up. Those are water additives some people use to bring nutrients down and that thread is people reviewing those additives