red algae id

parrotchute

parrotchute

DUSTOFF MEDEVAC
Trying to ID some algae that is starting to sprout up under my new, more intense lighting.

I can't figure out if it is cyano, dino's, or diatoms - I know all 3 can be red with bubbes in it.

The algae is primarily stringy, likes bits of red thread. I'm close to ruling out dino's because of my high pH (8.4).

I'd get pics, but right now it hasn't built up big enough to get a good pic. Debating whether to stop ramping up my LEDs to let the system adjust, or continue ramping it up to just get it over with. I changed out my carbon and increased my skimming. Will probably do a water change tomorrow...
 
Not really, I have a lot of flow and no real dead zones. I've got a refugium packed with caulerpa, high pH, and rodi water w/new filters...I'm pretty sure it's a reaction to the increasing light. I wish I had a microscope to ID it with.
 
I get that crap too. Last outbreak was when I put in this carbon fuel food stuff, fed the red hair algae. Blast it off with a turkey baster into the water column. Mine comes in the day and goes away after dark, yours do that? Mine is hairy, dark red and bubbles in it sometimes too. Watch your feeding and cut back on the light a little, then blast it off with the turkey baster. Mine comes on the rocks, and sand sometimes.
 
Ruled out diatoms for it's appearance and I'm starting to think it might be dinoflagellates due to its appearance, which is weird with my higher pH. I think it's gambierdiscus, which could be bad, because its toxic to snails.

Going to up my carbon dosing...
 
ugh, I'm kind of wary turning the lights down, because I feel like once I turn them back on, it'll just come back. My pH is now 8.5, and no change, so I'm still hoping it's cyano or a form of diatoms. Water change tomorrow to suck it out.
 
Does it look similar to this?
algae.jpg
 
yup, exactly. I haven't resorted to extreme measures yet, I'm hoping it will cycle through as a result of the new lights, just like a new tank cycle. So far, it hasn't exploded, but definitely isn't looking good either, so we'll see. I've upped the phosban, and am doing a large water change tonight...
 
Don't do any water change, that only feeds them the nutrients they need to survive. Someone else was going through the same thing, I'll post what he did.
 
1. Total Darkness for 1 week.
( Turn off all lights, Actinics, MH ) Everything that has to do with light.
Place your corals in a QT tank if possible, otherwise, the total darkness period will stun their color and growth. Possibly kill them.

2. Kalk Blast the tank ( Kalkwasser/Calcium Hydroxide )
I mixed 100 - 150 grams of Kalk and diluted it into the tank slowly. The tank will look milky, but you'll need a lot of kalk to actually kill your corals. They're hardier than we take them for.

3. Water change
Change the water every week at about 20% with a fresh new salt mix.

What the Kalkwasser does is raise your PH and kills off unwanted inhabitants.
( I removed 90% of my corals during this procedure, the fish remained in the tank )

Try this for a week and you'll start seeing a difference, if you still see DF anywhere in your system, try another week.

Forgot to mention, don't stir them up in your tank by blasting them away.
Siphon them out, by stiring them you'll allow them more space and locations to grow.

You'll know when they're completely eradicated. As Charles stated, you'll see nothing but dust. Light brown colored dust. Just the millions of bodies of the DF all in a pile of poo!


Goodluck!
 
From what I've read you should turn off your phosban reactor (it will clog). Also it supposedly will kill what coral it comes in contact with if not taken care of.
 
Thanks Fast!

Turning off the lights...won't they just come back once the lights are back on? I kind of want to just leave the lights on and let it do its thing and cycle by - not really sure if that's a viable solution, just me theory - any thoughts?

There is no way I could put all my corals in a QT, my tank is full of them.
I'm also not going to kalk blast the tank - the weird thing is, I already have a high pH so I'm not really sure how they are growing. Frustrating because I feel like my tank already has a lot of the steps (besides shutting off the light) to get rid of it.

I'm really banking (gambling?) that it's just a temporary bloom due to the sudden increase in lighting. Basically going from 50% t-5's to full LEDs at MH brightness.

Don't want to seem like I'm blowing off your quality advice - if it keeps growing, I'll have to resort to shutting off the lights - my biggest question is, why, when the lights go back on, will it not happen again?
 
I really wish I had more to tell you, however I have not gone through it. Was actually looking at a thread on another site when I noticed the similarity between the two algaes. All the info I gave you was given by a person who did go through it. There were others that chimed in, and all said to black out the tank. If you want the link PM me and I'll send it to you.
 
not really, I've had the lights limited the past few days, my corals seem a bit pissed. My plan is to keep my pH up, limit the lights for about a week, and skim heavy.
 

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