my tank has the red and its spreading

morgan175

morgan175

Member
Ok I don't want to use any chemicals only as a last resort. I have read more then enough on this subject and my head hurts from here to Kansas. Well my plan will go like this so please put I. Your two cents.
Tonight I turned off the lights will be for at least 24 hours.
Tomorrow I will be doing around 25 gallon water change in a 110 with 30 sum
Before water change will try to remove some off rocks. I feel a brush is the only way and vacuming it out. Cant scrape it off.
I added a gfo unit added carbon to it to.
What else am I missing some people say bacteria but I don't understand. Vinegar dossing I wouldn't know where to start or finish. Vodka I don't get.
Tank readings I will do tomorrow.
Salinity 1.022
temp 78
All help wanted
 
beaslbob

beaslbob

Well-Known Member
Quote:Originally Posted by Bang Guy http:///t/396897/my-tank-has-the-red-and-its-spreading#post_3536237
What is it?

I presume he's trying to fight cyano.
Hopefully he's not fighting corraline algae.
If it is cyano, the soft fuzzy red stuff, I would just kill the lights and stop feeding until it clears up. Then resume with less lighting and feeding and adjust so thing thrive but the cyano doesn't come back.
A refugium with macros would help also but they may already have that.
my .02
 
2quills

2quills

Well-Known Member
Coralline would be the only red stuff I've ever found to be difficult to scrape. But I wouldn't necessarily consider it a bad thing.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bang Guy http:///t/396897/my-tank-has-the-red-and-its-spreading#post_3536270
It's the "can't scrape it off" comment that has me confused.

I had red Coraline algae, and when you chip it off it's orange under the lights for a day or so. Coraline has many colors...I even had yellow.

From personal experience:
Yellow coralline will become greenish color as it ages.
Pink Coraline will become purplish looking.
Orange will become red

People see a red color, and automatically think it's cyano.
 
morgan175

morgan175

Member
Sorry I thought you all were right beside me.. cyano is what I'm fighting. No the part about scraping it off meant on the rock. I cant rip it off in sheets like I did on the glass. Its snowing here and I worked late I couldn't spend time on the tank. Still I have the lights off. I ordered new bulbs for my hood.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by morgan175 http:///t/396897/my-tank-has-the-red-and-its-spreading#post_3536288
Sorry I thought you all were right beside me.. cyano is what I'm fighting. No the part about scraping it off meant on the rock. I cant rip it off in sheets like I did on the glass. Its snowing here and I worked late I couldn't spend time on the tank. Still I have the lights off. I ordered new bulbs for my hood.

Ahhh...beat it off with a turkey baster or power head, and catch whatever comes loose with a fish net. You won't be able to remove it all, but you need to get as much as you can off.
 
tahoereefer

tahoereefer

New Member
I'd use a turkey baster too, but I'd try and suck it up as much as possible without stirring it up. Stop feeding and turn off the lights for a bit. It'll clear up. :)
 
morgan175

morgan175

Member
Ok step one is done blasted rock with pump and did 30 gallon change of water.
New bulbs go in on Monday. Went with 14000k instead of 10000k. They are double ended halide
bulbs. There are two power compacts what should I get and how often should they be changed.
Could this be the root of my problem.
 
morgan175

morgan175

Member
Well it's back. I have no clue what to do 3 water changes in 2 weeks. New bulbs in the halide. Didn't change power compacts. Could my rock be leaking phosphate
 
morgan175

morgan175

Member
I guess I never cycled the rock. Just put it in the tank when I bought it. What do I need to do. This is why I gave up on the tank a year ago. It just ran for a year with topoff water. I'm ready to give it another go. I do use ro/di water. Not very happy.
 
bang guy

bang guy

Moderator
If it has been running for a year then it doesn't matter how the rock was cycled. Any phosphates trapped in the rock should be depleted by now.

Eric's question is pertinent now.
 
morgan175

morgan175

Member
I have a 1400 and 1500 korolla or whatever the name is. The pump is a Pentax forget the size but it pumps out good. The overflow is a CPR. I use a filter sock to the fuge where my charto is and I use a gfo with two little fish and black diamond carbon. Chaeto does not grow much.
 
morgan175

morgan175

Member
I added a 100 snails yesterday plus 5 hermits and a fighting conch to stir sand. When I siphon sand I only do the top layer and I can't pick the algae up but when I tried a bigger siphon it took sand out and algae. So I use a 10 gallon siphon.
 
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