[Myka]

Well said Canadian. What I refer to as "excess nutrients" is whatever the live rock and livestock cannot process. With that definition algae is a result of excess nutrients every time. I agree that many people have poor quality live rock, or end up damaging it in their attempt at curing. Many people have a tendency to add too much livestock to a tank too quickly, which the liverock (bacteria) can't keep up. It takes time to develop a good healthy store of bacteria.

Cyanobacteria and dinoflagellates are both bacteria, and not algae. Dinos are often mistaken for diatoms. Fortunately, both will also respond to attempts at lowering nutrients.

Most people don't know how to set up a reef in a way that prevents many algae and bacterial issues. Most people don't stop to think about how one's rockscape may affect the end result, or how the rocks that make it up will affect things. Or, or, or... For the most successful reef you need to take so many things into consideration that many people either don't think about or just don't know about.

When people ask about an algae or bacteria problem, they aren't usually willing to rip their takn apart and start again with a new and improved design. Most people won't even hear that as a viable option.