algae!!

so i come up to my tank after i get home from school and bam! everything is absolutely covered with this gross maroon colored slime algae type stuff. i just did a water change and just started doxing calcium so do you think this could be the problem? its getting all over my coral and i dont know how to get it of! please offer your advise. how do you think this happened?

 

Cyanobacteria. I don't remember reading anything about your tank before, how long has it been running?

 

Please post your parameter numbers. pH, alkalinity, calcium, magnesium, nitrate and phosphate.

 

I know you have had a problem with ich, please account for ALL of your livestock. I had a goby die and it was a day before I realized it. My skimmer went nuts and I had an algae outbreak. Removed what was left(not a lot) of the goby and my tank is slowly returning to normal.

 

i had the same thing happen where a monti died now im battling this stuff.luckily it has not spred very much. keep your water params in check and get rid of anything dead and it should go away it just gets frustrating. if your still cycling hang on it can get bad but will go away just doesnt look very good. good luck

 

my params are as follows
nitrite-o
mitrate-0
ammonia-0
phosphate-0 after water change on saturday
ph-8.3
salinity-1.025
calcium-260ppm
alkalinity-125ppm
and my tester doesnt do magnesium so kinda bad right there

also i have all my fish accounted for the ich hasnt really taken a toll at all on them it seems i am trying to rid them of it with garlic.

 

That calcium seems way low for a reef. How old are your lights also?

 

lights are brand new just bought them last week, also i know the calcium is low and i am starting to dose it regularly.

 

How old were the old lights? It could just be that big of a shift in spectrum that is causing the outbreak.

 

How are you for flow in your set up bvb?

cyno appreciates areas of calm water and thrives close to or on the sand bed and lower rock formations , also the tank sides as these are generally areas which have the least amount of flow

consider if you could increase flow or redirect existing flow to increase water movement in the areas that have cyno

syphon the cyno out at next water change, and that coupled with increased water movement can help IME

Next look at your nutrient levels are your nitrates and phosphates high as this cyno is a bacteria and utilisised the same nutrients other bacterias use

so running GFO or Phosgaurd ( if you have leather type corals stick with GFO) can also help to prevent further outbreaks IME


Steve