I Need Help W/ Red Algae

[kackey]

I have a burgandy-colored matter that appears to be raising up from the sand instead of falling and settling on the sand. It appears to be 1 1/2 in dia.and then grows together and becomes very webby.I can gather it up in my hand and pull it out it will be back in 24 hrs.I have a 55 gal with55 lb.LR,a Jebo260PC,a Penguin 350 Bio-Wheel,Red Sea Protein skimmer,3 powerheads. My flow is aprox 1400 GPH.I have blue leg hermits,Nass. snails,10 turbo snails,2 emerald crabs,1 peppermint shrimp,1-brittle star,1-serpent,1 orange star. I have 2 condi anemone,1 pink cucumber,a pink cabbage leather,Red mushrooms,a small feather duster, a green brain and a small yellow tang. I use RO water and instant Ocean for my water changes.I put no chemicals in the tank.I have been using Seachem Reef Calcium and Salifert Natural Iodine since Thanksgiving.This is when I got my first Anemone and the pink cabbage leather.My ph is 8.4--- Amm---0 Nitrite---0 Nitrate---10 sal----1.024 temp---76.5 I was not able to add my pictures, as they were too big. If someonecan help me and wants to see a picture,I could email it to you.Thanks ahead for help in identifing and correcting this.

 

[fishieness]

my guess is cyano bacteria.
check for these signs and see what could be your problem
old bulbs (jebo bulbs get old faster than others)
poor water conditions
over feeding (are you feedign all of yoru corals/anenomes frequently?)
inadequate flow in that area
tank is in a window?
photo periode of too long
ect

 

[murph]

My guess(s) Photo period to long and or young tank.
Almost without exception every tank I have seen under 6 months old has some cyano breakout after the initial diatom outbreak comes and goes, unless something has been added to the tank to kill it off which is often the case with LFS displays. In most cases it becomes less and less a problem after that time period unless water quality is an issue and should disappear all together as the tank ages.
If it where me I would go with a 10 hour photo period with actinics on for the full ten and daylights on for as little as six and no more than eight hours during the middle of the period.
Since it appears water quality and flow is not an issue with your tank some experimentation with the photo period will most likely do the trick.

 

[merredeth]

Originally Posted by Murph
My guess(s) Photo period to long and or young tank.
Almost without exception every tank I have seen under 6 months old has some cyano breakout after the initial diatom outbreak comes and goes, unless something has been added to the tank to kill it off which is often the case with LFS displays. In most cases it becomes less and less a problem after that time period unless water quality is an issue and should disappear all together as the tank ages.
If it where me I would go with a 10 hour photo period with actinics on for the full ten and daylights on for as little as six and no more than eight hours during the middle of the period.
Since it appears water quality and flow is not an issue with your tank some experimentation with the photo period will most likely do the trick.
Someone needs to keep this post to reference back to. It seems like every so often I come across someone experiencing this. You summed it up short and sweet.
Denise M.