Black slimy algea in a very bad tank

I am going to be tearing this tank down soon, as for some reason (nobody has figured it out) for 2 times now, EVERYTHING I have placed in the tank has died. Water parameters had been perfect (ammonia 0, nitrites 0, nitrates 0 ph was a little low at 8) of course would do small spike when I lost the fish. It is FOWLR so I kept hyo at 1.014. First time there was no reason, second time it was a massive ICK explosion. Right before I had the ick my water tested out fine (perfect...I usually bring it to LFS to test as I am a little color blind between the colors), ph was down a little to 7.8. I had a Palastine butterfly and Majastic angel, both doing well, both came down with ick really bad really fast. Stopped eating, lethargic everything. Well, we decided (LFS and I) that I was going to loose fish if we did nothing at that point (I had treated several days with No Sick Fish), so we decided to do LifeGuard. I threw in MANY extra powerheads, they lent me their massive 4 in 1 airstone to increase the O2 as it would deplete O2 levels so bad. Did not really do anything for butterfly and I lost him on last day of treatment. It also caused me to have a major cycle, Ammonia between 1-2, ph 7.8, nitrate was still 0, nitrite 1-2. On day 6 like box said I did 25% water change and added Bacterboost. It did seem to do well on the angel. Until day 7. The angel developed Popeye, first on one eye, later in day on both eyes and ick again. Now today, day 8 I think he is dead and can not find him anywear and he did not come out to eat and I looked everywear. I am almost positive the way that he was laying last night, sideways, that he crawled in a rock and died.

But now I also noticed that several of the rocks, along with the usual brown algea that you get with a major cycle now has this flaky, slimy BLACK algea. I have never seen black algea before. I dont want to rub it off, as I do have 3 chromis left (of course the $3.00 fish survived, the $135.00 fish did not.)

Now, I am going to be taking the 55 gallon down and my 75 gallon down and setting up a 125 gallon tank soon. I am now ready to take the 55 gallon down that the angel has died. The LFS store guy has said all along that he has no concern over the rocks. Any suggestions? What is the black algea? I dont want to introduce Ick into the new tank....my 75 gallon has been perfect for so long...should I nuke them with freshwater for awhile, should I pitch them? There is probably about 80 pounds of rock? After the first crash I did nuke them with freshwater before I readded them in the tank again, obviously with no help

And no I do not have a QT tank, and please do not lecture about that. I have kicked my self over that one already.

Any suggestions on anything would be appreciated.

 

Melissa,

Black algae would most likely be cyanobacteria. Sometimes it's red, sometimes it's green, sometimes it's maroon, and sometimes it's black.

You're going to get different opinions on the rock. Amcarrig, Tangster, and I prefer dead rock. Most other people don't.

 

The black slime/bacteria is different then the red from my experience. Its more photosynthetic then the red. I saw some in one of my tanks, and it just happened to be one that the lights stayed on all night a couple times(timer going out). I kicked the lights off for about 2 days and it went away. Its came back a few times when I would forget about the lights, and everytime kicking the lights off for a day or two would do the trick.

and Curt, I prefer dead now days, lol! I dont trust rock from a store either.

 

i say nuke it , for a week and then put it in the cycle.

1+ to dead rock too

 

How long has this tank been up? Quite possible that it never completly cycled. I am a fan of live rock, I don't run a canister or wet/dry or sump. Just have always let my tanks cycle for at least 2 months only adding a couple of B/G chromis after the ammonia is gone and trites are down. I thought Ick doesn't like low salinity? After my 75G was ready for tank mates, I was having the same problem, all the new fish kept dying while the fish I had from my other tanks, lived. No explained reason. I ended up not adding anything new for months. It's great now, but man "new tank syndrome" is frustrating. I feel your pain and can only suggest going slow, like coma slow with this one. The black algea, last time I had some cyno I got some buckets of fresh saltwater and scrubbed them in it, sifted it out of the tank and increased flow. Haven't seen it since.

 

I've got some of the black cyano now, PITA. Im getting ready to upgrade to a bigger tank so Im gonna get new substrate and scrub anything off my rock that even looks at me funny!
Good Luck

 

Live rock only way to go when first starting out, as long as proper precautions are taken, salt water dip, close observation for baddies...

But have to agree, would never add to existing tank now. I don't even want to risk adding any coral attached to LR.

Guess I am pretty stuck on using only propagated frags in future.

Used to be I worried much more about adding new fish then rock...no more.

 

So LR in the beginning, dead rock once the tank has cycled. The existing rock will seed the dead rock and life is good? Is that the deal?

 

Tangster and I use all dead base rock but will use one piece of live rock from a trusted source to seed the dead stuff.

 

I had fowlr for about 5 years, never had ich. sorry to hear about your problems with the algae too. I would bump up the SG to 1.022. The 1.014 is just too low, it may have been stressing the fish out, making it to where they had to constantly work at floating(then adding more powerheads). Salt water makes things very buoyant.


are you using ro/di water? do you use any kind of phosphate media?