Question about red bacteria/algae

[Ravenmore]

I know I'm new to this board, but I've been in the hobby for years (off and on).

Please don't take this as a criticism - it's just a very common trap people fall into. People always always always post that they don't understand why they have an algae problem but they don't detect high levels of any nutrients. They actually DO have a nutrient problem - the algae is simply doing them a favor and removing the nutrients from the water column, which is why it doesn't show up on any tests. The presence of the algae itself is the best 'test'. It wouldn't be there without the nutrients. So you do have a nitrate or phosphate issue. The thing is - if you just kill the algae while it is in the tank, you will release all those nutrients it filtered back into the water column.

I'm fighting a big hair algae problem right now, and am taking a multi pronged approach.

1.) I'm trying to physically remove as much algae from the tank as I can. This exports the nutrients it absorbed out of the tank as well.

2.) I'm introducing critters that eat it - snails and a lawnmower blenny so far.

3.) I installed a refugium. I think a fuge is a simple and extremely effective way to export nutrients. You could also do an algae turf scrubber.

Also -with cyano you might want to up the flow in the tank.

Hope this helps!

[DerrickH]

Pic doesnt really show much for direction. Buy if LED then deffo not excessive light.

Obviously, you have not dealt with quality LED lighting.... Here is a pic I just took of my 110g xhigh, 31" deep with Current USA LED Pro strips.

This is what I am talking about. I took this pic last night. Notice the spotty coraline algae on the back glass is very pale, or there is a "hole" in the middle.

My experience was with a fowlr tank and all the coraline was dead in a week. But like I said it was a few years ago and the formulation may have changed. I'm assuming you've checked the pH, alk and calcium in you tank to see if they've changed any. Looks like a nice Fungia by the way.

I literally just got through treating last Friday, and after the treatment, I did a 50% water change. Nothing affected but red cyano and coraline algae on back glass. Thanks for the compliment on the fungia. I got him as a purple/green fungia, with him almost half and half. Now, he is mostly green. I must be doing something right.

Good looking tank. Lights look good. Your right, I have not dealt with LED's, only T5's and halides. I find that my coraline spreads and grows thick and healthy when extended actinic time. If I run my aqua blue spl and purple plus for a long time the coraline looses color and looks bleached out in the centers.