Help!

[cabin7882]

I have this horrible algea grwoing out of control! its covering the rocks and the sand in the back of the tank now too! it's dartk purple and soft looking with bubbles underneath it. some spots have long peices of it like strings. anyone know what I should do? it's getting worse everyday! please help! thanks!

 

[b00st3d]

Sounds like Cyano growth. Is it a reddish purple?
Low flow along with high nutrients and bad parameters lead to these types of outbreaks. Can you maybe show us a picture?
Look like this maybe?

 

[cabin7882]

yeah kindof looks like that but a lil darker I need to do some testing I just did a water change so I dunno? is it gonna ruin my tank or what? how do I get rid of it? I'll get a pic later when the lights are on. should I scrub it off? never had this in 4 years then all of a sudden I got new lights and some corals and I get a ton of green hair algea now this crap i'm so mad my tank was lookin sooo good till this!

 

[b00st3d]

Do you test for phosphates?
With the hair algea outbreak then this, I would suspect that you have high nitrates and/or phosphates.
Also if the new lights were used, you might try new bulbs as old bulbs can lead to aldae problems as well.