Spirulina not Cyano. Need help

jeflen651 · Feb 1, 2017

I thought I had a lime green cyano on my sand bed, but it turned out to be spirulina algae I think. I did a peroxide test to determine whether it was cyano or spirulina and it did not turn the water green. I was told that Chemiclean would help get rid of it but I am not seeing any results after 48hours. I am in the process now of doing a 30% water change. It is like dust on the sand bed and you can mix up the sand bed and it looks like it is gone, but an hour later you can see it settling again on top of the surface of the sand. My tank is 3 years old and all parameters are good. I am not sure what started it. I do not over feed and do water changes weekly. Any ideas, thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated.

twilliard · Feb 1, 2017

1.5x the recommended dose is needed for spirulina typically dosed twice. The "dust" is concerning as spirulina does not form in this way.

jeflen651 · Feb 1, 2017

I am going to give it a couple of days and I will treat it again this weekend. I vacuumed the sand bed real good when I did the water change just now and it looks good, but I can see where it is starting to form again. I would start pulling my hair out, but I do not have much to start with.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Feb 2, 2017

Spirulina is a type of cyanobacteria.

jeflen651 · Feb 2, 2017

Thanks Randy, I thought cyano was a bacteria and spirulina was a algae. So is spirulina a bacteria?

Randy Holmes-Farley · Feb 2, 2017

http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/bacteria/cyanolh.html

The cyanobacterium Spirulina, shown at right, has long been valued as a food source; it is high in protein, and can be cultivated in ponds quite easily. In tropical countries, it may be a very important part of the diet, and was eaten regularly by the Aztecs; it is also served in several Oriental dishes. In the US, the popularity ofSpirulina is primarily as a "health food", being sold in stores as a dried powder or in tablet form.

Many other species of cyanobacteria produce populations that are toxic to humans and animals. Blue-green pond scums have been linked to the poisoning of cattle and dogs, and occasionally people. It is therefore not recommended that wild populations be gathered and eaten without some knowledge of the organisms involved.

Cyanobacteria may cause other problems as well; a species of Lyngbya is responsible for one of the skin irritations commonly known as "swimmer's itch."