Red Algae Problem

oldskool89

oldskool89

New Member
I have a 29g FOWLR tank that has been up and running for a couple of years now. My current problem involves a strange looking algae. It grows on the live rock, and comes back even when I remove it (physically) from the rock. I have tested the water numerous times, and everything checks out fine. Here are my results (as of last night) using API's Saltwater and Reef Master Test Kit:
Phosphate: 0 ppm
Nitrate: 0 ppm
Nitrite: 0 ppm
Ammonia: 0 ppm
pH: 8.2
I have a Coralife 53005 Compact Fluorescent light. I have two power heads running with a Penguin Bio-Wheel 200. I use the carbon filters and i also stuck some phosphate remover in the filter as well. As you can see from the pictures, there are some green areas forming in the red flakey algae, and a different texture of red algae forming on the sand. The fish stir up the sand a bit, so they break it up but it does not go away. I know I'm going to get the finger what when I say that i use tap water, but I have friends who use the same city's tap water in their tanks and do not have the same problem. I am going to invest in an RO unit with a couple of friends, but will this be enough?
I am planning on moving migrating into a 75g I currently have, and I want to make sure I can tame this before I invest in the move. What do you all suggest? (sorry for the pictures, I could't get them all to load right-side-up)


 
oldskool89

oldskool89

New Member
I changed the bulbs out a couple months ago. I did get some cheaper bulbs, and I'm wondering if that could cause the problem. I got 4 50/50 bulbs for around $40. I'll try the powerhead trick, but I don't want to put this rock on the new tank if I'm going to have the same problem.
 
deejeff442

deejeff442

Active Member
yea i bought some cheap metal halide bulbs a year ago and my hair algae went nuts.the red is not algae though.i would just suck it up with water changes and it will go away.it does sometimes take a couple months to get rid of it though.
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
Yeah man, water changes, water changes water changes. Suck it up as much as you can while doing a water change - reduce your lighting time - feed less and use RO water. It will go away with time.
Does it have a texture or is it just slime?
 
geoj

geoj

Active Member

I have a 29g FOWLR tank that has been up and running for a couple of years now. My current problem involves a strange looking algae. It grows on the live rock, and comes back even when I remove it (physically) from the rock. I have tested the water numerous times, and everything checks out fine. Here are my results (as of last night) using API's Saltwater and Reef Master Test Kit:

Phosphate: 0 ppm
Nitrate: 0 ppm
Nitrite: 0 ppm
Ammonia: 0 ppm
pH: 8.2

I have a Coralife 53005 Compact Fluorescent light. I have two power heads running with a Penguin Bio-Wheel 200. I use the carbon filters and i also stuck some phosphate remover in the filter as well. As you can see from the pictures, there are some green areas forming in the red flakey algae, and a different texture of red algae forming on the sand. The fish stir up the sand a bit, so they break it up but it does not go away. I know I'm going to get the finger what when I say that i use tap water, but I have friends who use the same city's tap water in their tanks and do not have the same problem. I am going to invest in an RO unit with a couple of friends, but will this be enough?

I am planning on moving migrating into a 75g I currently have, and I want to make sure I can tame this before I invest in the move. What do you all suggest? (sorry for the pictures, I could't get them all to load right-side-up)








Are you from Australia?
 
A

adam57

Guest
As Snake asked is it slimy and thick or is it more hairy, I had a hard time telling from the pics. If it is thick and slimy you could use chemiclean. I have used this on my tank multiple times over the years whenever I would get an outbreak of that red slime stuff. It works great, dose the tank turing off skimmer and sterilizer and two days later do a water change and it will all be gone.
 
oldskool89

oldskool89

New Member
It does start off as a slimy looking algae. I will reduce the lightning time and i feed 1-2 times a day either frozen plankton or mysis. No, I am not from Australia. Whatever is on the rocks is completely different than what is on the sand. The rock problem is what I am after.
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
Use a four punch combo.
1 wet skimming
2 algae scrubbing
3 chemical filtration medias
4 water changes
Flow does come in to play a little bit, but if you improve your water quality you will see it go away eventually. Using an antibiotic like chemiclean can potentially crash your tank if improperly used.
 
geoj

geoj

Active Member
It is good for water quality, but may shade some corals. I have not had it but have read that Tangs and the Diadema Urchin will eat it. So I would expect that if your plan is to move it to the big tank and you get some Tangs they will help clean it out for you.
 
S

saltymac2012

Guest
When I first started I also used tap water and got the same stuff. It only came back after I bought a rodi once and that was because my bulbs were old/ out of freq.......just my .02 worth.
 
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