Calcium Dosing/Coraline Algae..

[mindy2577]

So recently I started dosing my tank with Amino Acid and Calcium because I was told at my lfs that this would help with coraline algae.
Here is my problem. Its starting to take over my sand bed. And its like a thick blanket. But since I'm still new, Im afraid that it might be something else.
Here are my water parameters:
Salinity: 1.023
Ph: 8.0
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 40-60 -this fluctuates ALOT! And I can't seem to bring it down.
Calcium: 430
I do weekly 20% water changes on a 44 gallon tank. When I get home later tonight..I will try to get a good picture. I tried last night, but my fish are camera hogs!

 

[meowzer]

What's taking over your sand bed?

 

[fau8]

coraline does not grow on sand, I think your are experiencing a cyno outbreak. If it red and stringy it is not coraline which is circular calcium deposits. Usually green or red they start out small circiles and can get the size of a nickel or quarter.
Cyno is caused by too much nutrients and lack of water flow.
If you have live rock already with coraline on it, it will seed itself, and you will not have to add anything provided you are doing normal water changes.

 

[mindy2577]

I really do think its cyano. And I've never had it before, so Im really clueless on what to do.
I did not turn my lights on yesterday. And I skipped feeding also.
Oh yea..and my mom is coming to visit me tomorrow and she is all excited about seeing the tank and Im sooo not! haha!

 

[bizzmoneyb]

is it red/green or brown? stringy or slimy looking?
if its really thick then its probably cyano.
cyano lives off of low flow and excess nutrients in the tank. cut back on feeding, increase the flow in your tank and do more frequent water changes.

 

[jackri]

Your high nitrates are fueling it... it's not coraline (although pics would help).
Coraline will grow naturally with time and calcium above 380 (380-450ish). The more coraline you already have, the more it will grow -- kind of exponentially. If you have only a little, it will take more time.

 

[spanko]

The Amino Acid dosing is fueling the cyano. Why are you dosing this?
Red Slime (Cyano Bacteria)
Cyano grows on top of nutrient rich areas of low flow. There are a number of things that need to be correct or possibly corrected to combat this without the use of chemical additives. The biggest thing is to get rid of the extra nutrients.
1.Evaluate your feeding. If you are feeding more than can be eaten in about 1-2 minutes it is too much and the remainder of it is falling to the rock and sand and becoming nutrient.
2.Evaluate your flow. If you have areas in the tank where there is little to no flow this can be corrected by adding power heads or repositioning the ones you already have. You don’t need to create sand storms just have water moving over the area to keep detritus suspended in the water column for removal by your filter – skimmer.
3.Evaluate your water changes. The solution to pollution is dilution! You want to continually remove unneeded nutrients as well as replace those things that are used by the system. 10% weekly is a good change schedule. Some do 20% every other week and some vary the schedule from there, but a good start is 10% per week.
4.Evaluate your lighting schedule. About 10 hours of daylight is all that is needed.
5.If you have a Cyano outbreak do the above 4 items and:
a.At water change time siphon off the Cyano first. It will come up easily almost like a blanker.
b.After siphoning stir the affected areas a little to suspend any detritus for the water change and filtering - skimming removal.
c.Use a turkey baster now and at every water change in the future to again suspend the detritus for removal by the water change and your filtering – skimming.
Keeping nutrient levels low to non-existent will help to avoid Cyano outbreaks and any algae outbreaks as well as keep your tank and you happy happy.
Hope that helps.

 

[fau8]

You can syphon out the cyno and top layer of sand and you should be fine, it will grow back quickly until you solve your nutrient problem. There are a number of cyno / red slime removers available. I have found them to work very well, but they will not allow your protien skimmers to work for a week after treatment and this requires you to pay close attention to your nitate levels and this will require at least a 20 % water change after the treatment to get things back to normal.

 

[mindy2577]

Originally Posted by BizzMoneyB
http:///forum/post/3005038
is it red/green or brown? stringy or slimy looking?
if its really thick then its probably cyano.
cyano lives off of low flow and excess nutrients in the tank. cut back on feeding, increase the flow in your tank and do more frequent water changes.
Its more of a burgandy red. It is semi-thick. When I pulled one end of it up to take it out..the whole thing came with it. It was really like a blanket!
Originally Posted by jackri
http:///forum/post/3005085
Your high nitrates are fueling it... it's not coraline (although pics would help).
Coraline will grow naturally with time and calcium above 380 (380-450ish). The more coraline you already have, the more it will grow -- kind of exponentially. If you have only a little, it will take more time.
My nitrates have been high for awhile. I just can't seem to get them down.
Would stepping up my water changes to twice a week help?

 

[jackri]

What kind of water are you replacing it with? If you're not using RO or RO/DI you may be just adding the same nutrients in you're taking out.
Have a skimmer or macro algae?
Actually a run down of your system would really help as well -- including the equipment/lights/filtration/flow/etc.

 

[mindy2577]

Originally Posted by spanko
http:///forum/post/3005098
The Amino Acid dosing is fueling the cyano. Why are you dosing this? Its stupid. I asked a guy at the LFS about "purple up" and he suggested that I use Amino Acid and Calcium. He stated "This will work much faster then purple up." A little part of me wants to find him and scream.

Red Slime (Cyano Bacteria)
Cyano grows on top of nutrient rich areas of low flow. There are a number of things that need to be correct or possibly corrected to combat this without the use of chemical additives. The biggest thing is to get rid of the extra nutrients.
1.Evaluate your feeding. If you are feeding more than can be eaten in about 1-2 minutes it is too much and the remainder of it is falling to the rock and sand and becoming nutrient. I only feed every other day. I have 4 fish, so I only feed half a cube of mysis shrimp.
2.Evaluate your flow. If you have areas in the tank where there is little to no flow this can be corrected by adding power heads or repositioning the ones you already have. You don’t need to create sand storms just have water moving over the area to keep detritus suspended in the water column for removal by your filter – skimmer. I only have a koralia 3 powerhead in a 44 hex. I guess I should buy another.[/COLOR]3.Evaluate your water changes. The solution to pollution is dilution! You want to continually remove unneeded nutrients as well as replace those things that are used by the system. 10% weekly is a good change schedule. Some do 20% every other week and some vary the schedule from there, but a good start is 10% per week.
4.Evaluate your lighting schedule. About 10 hours of daylight is all that is needed. -At the moment I don't have the lights on. Should I go on ahead and keep with my regular light schedule..or keep the lights off for a couple days??
I really do appreciate everyones help.

 

[mindy2577]

Originally Posted by jackri
http:///forum/post/3005160
What kind of water are you replacing it with? If you're not using RO or RO/DI you may be just adding the same nutrients in you're taking out. I am now using R/O water. When I first started my tank I used tap water.
Have a skimmer or macro algae?
I did have a skimmer. It was a Seaclone piece of junk. But since I got my tax return back..I am searching.
Actually a run down of your system would really help as well -- including the equipment/lights/filtration/flow/etc.
44 Gallon Pentagon - I know I said Hex earlier..sorry.
Marineland Canister Filter 530
(1) Koralia 3 power head.
Heater
and thats about it..I don't know how much live rock I have in pounds..but I do have quite a bit.
As for fish:
Black/White False Percula/Bicolor Blennie/Mandarin Dragonet
1 emerald crab/5 hermit crabs
I haven't added anything new in about a month..with the exception of the hermit crabs.

 

[natclanwy]

No snails? Sounds like you need to up your clean up crew significantly either a variety of snails, more hermits, or both.
You also need to increase your flow
How high are your nitrates?
How often do you clean your canister filter?
Water changes will decrease your nitrates but it is a bandaid solution to nitrate export, it just covers up the real problem. You need to identify the source of nitrates whether it be from a dirty canister filter, over feeding ect...
Leaving your lights off won't solve any problems either, just delays the problem resume your normal lighting schedule.

 

[bizzmoneyb]

yea it def sounds like cyano.
i would try adding another pump to increase your flow.
im sure using tap water to start off fueled it.
keep doing water changes to get as much out as possible.
like nat said i would get some snails. grab some nass snails. they will keep your sandbed stirred, might help alittle.

 

[woody189]

I think its your canister. Make sure you clean it out every 2-3 weeks. No need to feed those fish every other day I don't think. maybe feed every 3 or 4 days for a bit. You can turn ur lights off for a bit to get rid of what you do have, but it'll just come back unless you fix the problem.

 

[mindy2577]

Originally Posted by BizzMoneyB
http:///forum/post/3006003
yea it def sounds like cyano.
i would try adding another pump to increase your flow.
im sure using tap water to start off fueled it.
keep doing water changes to get as much out as possible.
like nat said i would get some snails. grab some nass snails. they will keep your sandbed stirred, might help alittle.

When I did water changes when I first started..I used to tap water everytime. I just recently started using RO water. I did buy some snails..but of course I don't remember what kind they are. But they only stay on the glass and rocks.

 

[mindy2577]

Originally Posted by woody189
http:///forum/post/3006019
I think its your canister. Make sure you clean it out every 2-3 weeks. No need to feed those fish every other day I don't think. maybe feed every 3 or 4 days for a bit. You can turn ur lights off for a bit to get rid of what you do have, but it'll just come back unless you fix the problem.
I clean my canister every two weeks. This is including dumping out everything and washing it by hand. I also buy a new sponge pad to replace it. I have cut down on feeding to every 3 days. But everything is just spinning out of control.

 

[mindy2577]

My nitrates vary from 20-40

 

[meowzer]

Have you checked your phosphates?

 

[mindy2577]

Originally Posted by meowzer
http:///forum/post/3012906
Have you checked your phosphates?
No..There wasn't one in my test kit I bought.
But when I get paid, I will definetly buy one.
I have been out of town for most of the week..and when I got home things have gotten some what worst. On Sunday, I scooped all of the bad sand out. But when I got home yesterday..it had already came back. Now its almost black and stringy. I did another water change and tried to use a baster this time to suction it out. I managed to get most of it again..but it will be back. I just don't know what to do anymore.