Purple-ish Coat Covering Everything

[jessicarabit]

This stuff won't go away! I have removed as much of it by hand as possible. Mostly by brushing all the LR, glass & sand, then letting the filter remove as much as possible. My LFS said it was a bacteria from added too much Selcon to the tank. I even removed as much LR & set it aside so I could concentrate on the bigger LR & get all the corners of the tank. I was recommended on getting another PROTEIN SKIMMER to remove even more of this stuff. I was told it is called "Sino/Cyno-bacteria" & there is an antibacterial treatment. Does anyone have knowledge on this subject?

 

[beth]

Is it red cyanobacteria?? Do a search here for pics on this. If that is what it is, then ChemiClean is the answer.
http://www.boydenterprisesonline.com/chemiclean.html

 

[jessicarabit]

That's what it is & Chemi-clean was recommended to me by this online company I use (Foster & Smith). They also recommended a Phosphate & Silicate Magnet (using a media bag). What do you think on that?
P.S. Beth, how is the R.O. coming along? Did you get one yet?

 

[beth]

Forget the phosphate media bags stuff, IMO that is waste of time [and money].
I resently had a cyano problem and worked daily at resolving it for a month. Efforts improved the situation, but I just could not keep up with it. Used chemichean, INSTANT CLEAN TANK. No ill effects.
You must, however, dose according to water in the tank, not tank size. And, following treatment, do a large water change. It cleaned off everything. Its not antibiotics. I did do some research on it prior to dosing, and I'm satisfied.
Got the RO up and running. Will do a water test on it this weekend and hopefully get some pics up too! Great not having to haul bottles from the grocery store anymore.