From this world??

[calamari]

Please help me i.d. these things. I Put a 6 inch piece of fragile, airy, pourous live rock full of 3 types of zooanthids, 3 shrooms, 2 types of polyps and a small sponge in my tank about 1 month ago. I have enjoyed starring mindlessly at this little mini world and have noticed the growth of low lying purple fuzz which I assume is some type of algae. In this algae are small (size of a pen ball point) chrome -like sphares which are rising up from the purple fuzz and sticking elewhere on the rock. It seems everyday a new batch comes up. What is it?? The obvious answer is micro alien space ships hatching from the rock after millions of years, waiting for the mother ship to suck them up and... well maybe not. Any ideas?

 

[krb]

can we see some pics?

 

[burdundi]

Sounds like red slime algae aka Cyano with the nitrogen bubbles forming. A pick would help. Are you keeping up with your water changes? You'll need to reduce your phosphates for sure. Flow might help as well, it won't get rid of it, but it will help prevent it. Please give us your system specs and I'm sure people will jump in and help as best we can.

Here is a good pic of red slime: http://www.melevsreef.com/id/cyano.html">http://www.melevsreef.com/id/cyano.html</a>



-Andy

 

[xyzpdq0121]

I second the cyno ID. Sounds like what it is to me. Pic is definatly needed. If the tank is fairly new, you are going to get cyno. I do not know one person that has avoided it yet. Increased water flow to avoid dead spots is needed.

 

[calamari]

Cyano it is. Specs on tank set up 2 months ago:
Biocube 29, 10 lbs live sand, 32 lbs live rock, 7 lbs live rock in middle back compartment, stock pump, minijet 900 stuck on back wall, Stock lighting (one compact power florescent 10,000 k & actenic, plus added additional one 50/50 bulb and another atenic.(nanotuners 4.36) 144 watts total. Temp kept at 78,
20% water changes weekly- ro water.
Lights on 12 to 8 pm
Creatures:
fire shrimp,pepermint shrimp, six line wrasse, royal gramma, 8 snails,10 mix of red leg and blue leg hermit crabs, one emerald crab.
green star polyps, leather, zoozntids, frogspan, candy cane coral

Questions:
How can I get rid of cyano
Is my bulb selection good for coral growth/ attractive lighting?
Is 78 degrees suggested?
How often do you feed? Im adding phytoplankton at least every other day-1/2 capful, mysis shrimp and or dry food every day.
Will try to post photos tonight.
Its all new to me so thanks for all your help!

 

[calireefer]

I had it for about three weeks when I set up my 20g cube and about a month when I upgraded to my 75g and when I add more live rock that I thought was cycled. It will go away on its own. I second the more Flow comment also my Queen conch and Fighting conch eat it. Good luck

 

[calireefer]

Forgot to add that I would slowly increase your photo period to a 12 and 12 and maybe think about adding a refugium on a reverse photo period.

 

[fishwhisperer]

I would stop adding the phytoplankton while you have the algae problem.

 

[xyzpdq0121]

MOre flow is about all you can do.. A tank at two months is going to have some cyno somewhere. I don't care who is settin git up. Give it time. But flow and good lighting help "kill" off cyno. Maybe add another powerhead.

 

[vettesarebest]

Xyzpdq0121 wrote: MOre flow is about all you can do.. A tank at two months is going to have some cyno somewhere. I don't care who is settin git up. Give it time. But flow and good lighting help "kill" off cyno. Maybe add another powerhead.

I thought lighting contributed to the growth of it?

 

[xyzpdq0121]

You put cyno under a Halide and it will not grow, you will burn it up. (Or so has been my experience) A lot of people get it when the bulbs are going bad because of bad spectrum.