I see a funny bubbly red area. Can I get an Id? Cyano?

Reef Puncher · Apr 30, 2024

Can anyone tell me what I’m looking at under microscope. It’s kind of reddish so I was thinking cyano. But there are bubbles on it too. I did positively ID a tiny portion of Dino’s in the video. But what’s the other 90%?

Dan_P · May 1, 2024

Reef Puncher said:
Can anyone tell me what I’m looking at under microscope. It’s kind of reddish so I was thinking cyano. But there are bubbles on it too. I did positively ID a tiny portion of Dino’s in the video. But what’s the other 90%?

My stupid iPad won’t play the movie.

vetteguy53081 · May 1, 2024

Reef Puncher said:
Can anyone tell me what I’m looking at under microscope. It’s kind of reddish so I was thinking cyano. But there are bubbles on it too. I did positively ID a tiny portion of Dino’s in the video. But what’s the other 90%?

Appears to be cyano and bubbles are likely gas bubbles trying to escape. Please post pic of the tank.
Cyano blooms typically start when water nutrient concentrations of phosphate, nitrate and other organic compounds are too high. Often, when there are areas with little flow, detritus builds up and becomes a holding bed for cyano. Water changes are important unlike what s the perception of not doing so which reduces the organic nutrients that feed cyano.
Some of the most common causes include:
- Protein skimmer which fills water with air bubbles which form from the reaction chamber, dissolved organic compound molecules stick to them. Foam forms at the surface of the water and is then transferred to a collection cup, where it settles as skimmate. When the protein skimmer has low efficiency or you do not have the suitable protein skimmer to cover the tank, the air bubbles created might be insufficient and can trigger cyano .
- Use of Aminos which actually feed them.
- Overstocking / overfeeding, your aquarium with nutrients is often the culprit of a cyano bloom
- Adding live rock that isn’t completely cured will act as a breeding ground for red slime .
- If you don’t change your water with enough frequency, you’ll soon have a brightly colored red slime algae bloom. Regular water changes dilute nutrients that feed cyanobacteria and keeps your tank clear
- Using a water source with nitrates or phosphates is a welcome mat for cyano. Tap water is an example of po4 and no3 introduction.
- Inadequate water flow, or movement, is a leading cause of cyano blooms. Slow moving water combined with excess dissolved nutrients is a recipe for red slime algae development

I recommend to reduce white light intensity or even turn them off for 3-5 days. Add liquid bacteria daily for a week during the day at 1.5ml per 10 gallons. Add Hydrogen peroxide at night at 1ml per 10 gallons. Add a pouch of chemipure Elite which will balance phos and nitrate and keep them in check.

After the 5 days, add a few snails such as cerith, margarita, astrea and nassarius plus 6-8 blue leg hermits to take control.

exnisstech · May 1, 2024

Can't help with ID. It works best if you upload videos to youtube and paste the link here in the thread. Many people can't or won't download them to watch.

Reef Puncher · May 1, 2024

vetteguy53081 said:
Appears to be cyano and bubbles are likely gas bubbles trying to escape. Please post pic of the tank.
Cyano blooms typically start when water nutrient concentrations of phosphate, nitrate and other organic compounds are too high. Often, when there are areas with little flow, detritus builds up and becomes a holding bed for cyano. Water changes are important unlike what s the perception of not doing so which reduces the organic nutrients that feed cyano.
Some of the most common causes include:
- Protein skimmer which fills water with air bubbles which form from the reaction chamber, dissolved organic compound molecules stick to them. Foam forms at the surface of the water and is then transferred to a collection cup, where it settles as skimmate. When the protein skimmer has low efficiency or you do not have the suitable protein skimmer to cover the tank, the air bubbles created might be insufficient and can trigger cyano .
- Use of Aminos which actually feed them.
- Overstocking / overfeeding, your aquarium with nutrients is often the culprit of a cyano bloom
- Adding live rock that isn’t completely cured will act as a breeding ground for red slime .
- If you don’t change your water with enough frequency, you’ll soon have a brightly colored red slime algae bloom. Regular water changes dilute nutrients that feed cyanobacteria and keeps your tank clear
- Using a water source with nitrates or phosphates is a welcome mat for cyano. Tap water is an example of po4 and no3 introduction.
- Inadequate water flow, or movement, is a leading cause of cyano blooms. Slow moving water combined with excess dissolved nutrients is a recipe for red slime algae development

I recommend to reduce white light intensity or even turn them off for 3-5 days. Add liquid bacteria daily for a week during the day at 1.5ml per 10 gallons. Add Hydrogen peroxide at night at 1ml per 10 gallons. Add a pouch of chemipure Elite which will balance phos and nitrate and keep them in check.

After the 5 days, add a few snails such as cerith, margarita, astrea and nassarius plus 6-8 blue leg hermits to take control.

great answer thank you. it is growing on the one rock that is brand new and not fully cured. and i am sure the flow there could be better too. im still searching for a used mp10. but thanks so much, i figured it was cyano just wasnt sure. could those small amount of dinos cause bubbles or do you think trapped air is the culprit?

Gumbies R Us · May 1, 2024

Dan_P said:
My stupid iPad won’t play the movie.

It's completely hit or miss for me if a movie will play (on a mac, iPhone and PC sometimes)

Reef Puncher · May 1, 2024

exnisstech said:
Can't help with ID. It works best if you upload videos to youtube and paste the link here in the thread. Many people can't or won't download them to watch.

funny you said that, i did it right before you mentioned it. here is youtube link

youtube link here