Algae ID
 

I'm getting a lot of this algae on my sand bed lately. I try to stir up the sand so it isnt so noticeable, but it always comes back the next day. It's really red and almost slimey. My levels are all fine. Any ideas on what this is and how to eliminate it?

What brand are your test kits,your algae is actually cyanobacteria(bad).
How old is your system?

Thats cyano, increase your waterflow along the substrate and siphon out as much as possible when you are doing water changes, its not a big deal pretty easy to get rid of. Its usually caused by high phosphates i think... check out the link for some ways to control it.

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/cyanocontrolfaqs.htm

Should I just move my powerhead near the bottom of the tank so its blowing towards the substrate?

I cant get rid of this stuff. I have tried adding PhosGuard to lower my phosphates, but that didnt help. I tried aiming a powerhead at the sand, but that didnt help. Tried cutting the hours of lighting, but that didn't help. I stir up the sand to get rid of it, and it comes back again within hours full force. Im getting very frustrated. I did a 50% water change using RO/DI water a few days ago and that hasn't helped eiter. I have no fish in my tank anymore, so I only feed my inverts a bit of food every 3-4 days, so its not from over feeding.

Change old light bulbs, increase oxygen (more flow) in the water, more water changes, feed less, increase skimming and most of all patience :biggrin:

How much flow should I have in a 10g tank? Right now I have a nano-skimmer, hang on back filter (running PhosGaurd), and a small powerhead. Is this enough?

How small is the powerhead? I would think at least 2 powerheads would be better, like a couple of maxijet 400s or something

Its a very small cheaper powerhead, does 70 GPH. Right now I have it set up in a back corner pointed diagnolly towards the opposite corner in the front of the tank. Should I get another powerhead and place it on the opposite side and do the same?

Or.......go the chemical route and try Chemi-clean. Greatest stuff EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bump. Can anyone offer me their insight to this?

Well for my 2 cents worth I have a small reef system 30G and was plagued with the red slime algae for months, I tried a lot of methods but it always came back. I added plants (to get nitrate down as that was recommended nitrates dropped but slime disn't)
Then I decided to get CPR overflow and put a 10Gal sump under the tank, and withing a day the slime gone.
Jim

Yes. I think you should increase flow. Add another small powerhead and create some random turbulence.

The red slime is still there and now worse than ever. I only have a few corals, CUC, and a coral banded shrimp, so I only feed a bit of mysis like once a week or so, so I doubt its caused from overfeeding. How much GPH flow should I have in a 10g tank, and where should my powerhead be pointing? up towards the surface? down towards the sand? somewhere in the middle towards my live rock? If this is not gone by the end of the week, I will resort to using a red slime remover medication.

Have you tested your phosphate levels lately? Could your phosguard need recharging/replacing?

I battled cyano for a long time in a previous set up and in my case it was the result of phosphates. I was careful to do weekly water changes with RO/DI water, and to use a phosphate remover, like you are. I also made sure to arrange my flow so that there were few "dead spots" in the system.

Try pointing your powerhead lower, but be careful you don't mix sand into your water making everything cloudy. The goal should be to get water movement all over your system. Maybe for now try aiming it at one area, say a particular corner and see if it helps with the cyano you have now.

2 powerheads one in each corner of the tank pointing towards the center front would create a good flow.
Do another large water change, siphoning out as much of the cyano as you can, add a second powerhead and maybe put some carbon in your filter. Check your alk, some people have had good results keeping a higher alkalinity (around 11 or 12 dkh) and the cyano will go away (maybe not by weekend but it will go) .

If you are impatient then go the chemical route but that only gets rid of cyano tempararily, it doesn't fix underlying problems and doesn't guarantee cyano won't come back

Strange that reducing your photo period didn't do the trick, it's always worked for me. Any cyano I've had goes away every day only to reappear the next day. All you need to do is shut your lights off each day before it gets too bad, and usually the stuff doesn't have a chance. Once you've reduced it you can gradually increase your lighting again. Cyano is in all aquariums, it's one of the good guys, it consumes nutrients. It's only when you get the ugly blooms due to an imbalance that it becomes a problem.

i've had this problem before
 

Go to lfs and get red slime control phycially take out as much of the slime as you can then follow directions on box. I found with out this it always came back then lower phos and maintain good water flow. I did this about 6 months ago and problem disappeared it seems to have no impact on reefs either

Everyone has fought this at one time or another. In my case, I decreased feeding, ran phosphate removers, did massive water changes, ran carbon and finally resorted to red-slime remover. None of those made an improvement.

I upgraded my skimmer and the cyano vanished in 24hrs.