What is this?

[Stege_saurus]

This "algae?" has been showing up alot recently. Some of it I can hand remove or blow it off, some of it I can't. What is it and how do I get rid of it?

 

[BighohoReef]

It's cyano, you can remove it by blowing it off the rock. Typically happens when there isn't enough flow in the area to keep it from building on rocks. What type of wavemaker do you have? I would try and increase the flow if you can.

 

[Stege_saurus]

It's cyano, you can remove it by blowing it off with a pipette. Typically happens when there isn't enough flow in the area to keep it off the rocks. What type of wavemaker do you have?

For now I have a couple "Super Aquatic JVP-102A 1300 GPH Wavemakers". I'd like to get a couple gyres in the future, but that requires more money...

 

[K7BMG]

I assume your tank is fairly new and this is part of it being so.
Flow will help but watch your feedings and get some competing and beneficial algae.
Also try to reduce your white lighting.

 

[Stege_saurus]

I assume your tank is fairly new and this is part of it being so.
Flow will help but watch your feedings and get some competing and beneficial algae.
Also try to reduce your white lighting.

It's a little over a year, I have an algae scrubber in the sump that grows algae really well, and a skimmer if that helps. Currently I have my whites on for about 10 hours a day. Is that too much?

 

[K7BMG]

It's a little over a year, I have an algae scrubber in the sump that grows algae really well, and a skimmer if that helps. Currently I have my whites on for about 10 hours a day. Is that too much?

IMO yes that's too much white.
I had it bad, it was all over everything so I went all blue with my lights, along with adding a DIY scrubber, and drained my frozen foods prior to serving them.
I was Ciano free after some six weeks, not chemicals or additives.

 

[BighohoReef]

Do you have CuC that can attack the cyano?

 

[Stege_saurus]

Do you have CuC that can attack the cyano?

Somewhat of one. I'm waiting to get my quarantine system going before I add anymore to the tank. For now I'm gonna have to manually remove it. Are there any specific crabs, snails, or shrimp etc that you would suggest?

 

[BighohoReef]

Check out reefcleaners.org I get all my CuC from John. I roll and army of trochus, cerith, nerite snails, conchs, and blue legged hermits. They'll help with a lot of algae issues.

 

[K7BMG]

As far as I know there are no CuC's that will eat the red slime.
I have many Trochus snails and they did not touch it.
My research on red slime never revealed a critter that touched it.

There are many threads on this subject and a search for Cyanobacteria will bring them to your computer screen.

Most have sucess with adjustments on lighting, not over feeding, and manual removal.

I do not like chemical treatments, so though I have Chemiclean I chose not to use it.