This has taken over my tank. Plz help!

[Oceanis]

Hi,

Ive been out of the hobby since HS (used to be very active on Reef Aquarium Guide) but recently got back into it and got a waterbox Peninsula 25 for Christmas.

Everything was going great until I moved house and left by aquarium to be looked after by family for a couple months.... when I finally got it moved over this brown red stuff had taken over. Idk if it came from the food they fed (they mistakenly fed low quality food for my freshwater tank) or what...

My nitrates are almost non registering as well as phosphates. The guys at my LFS said low nutrients were causing it and that it was probably dinos.

So I get some fish, nutrient levels slowly going up, but this stuff isn’t going away. I blow it off with a turkey master and scrub it with toothbrush... then it’s back the next day.

It’s weird in that it aggregates on the sand, and esp around my corals and the glue on the bases.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!!! Apologies for the poor pictures, you can see my poor Euphyllia is completely retracted, just a month ago she was growing like a weed!

 

[lapin]

To me the blue light makes it impossible to tell what it is

 

[Oceanis]

Sorry, I’m color blind so I can’t even tell if it’s showing it. Let me know if these help! Ty

 

[lapin]

Im going to guess as i cant really tell so dont bet the Frerrari on this.
Cyano or Diatoms
Both blow off easy and grow in the light.
The green is prob some sort of algae. oops ... you cant see colors sorry *_#

 

[vetteguy53081]

Looks like cyano. First recourse- Siphon it up.
Cyano blooms typically start when water nutrient concentrations go haywire. Just like when you eat too much sugar and your waistline starts to bloom, the same happens in your tank when concentrations of phosphate, nitrate and other organic compounds are too high.
Some of the most common causes include:
- Protein skimmer which fills water with tiny air bubbles. As bubbles 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 rests as skimmate
- Overstocking / overfeeding, your aquarium with nutrients is often the culprit of a cyano bloom
- Adding live rock that isn’t completely cured which acts like a breeding ground for red slime algae
- 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 beautifully clear
- Using a water source with nitrates or phosphates is like rolling out the welcome mat for cyano. Tap water is an example
- Inadequate water flow, or movement, is a leading cause of cyano blooms. Slow moving water combined with excess dissolved nutrients is a recipe for pervasive red slime algae development

I recommend to reduce white light intensity or even turn them off for 5-7 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 week, add a few snails such as cerith, margarita, astrea and nassarius plus 6-8 blue leg hermits to take control.

 

[ScottB]

I cannot tell much from the pics, sorry.

a) When you baste the stuff, are you removing it from the tank? Siphon it into a sock, or run a canister filter?
b) What test kit are you using for NO3 and PO4 and what are the numbers?

If you are going to make the effort to baste/brush it then makes sure to remove it from the system.

For nutrient testing, Hanna is now the goto. Hanna High range for Nitrates. Hanna ULR for phosphates.