green algae covering sand that wont go away

[velocityoflove]

I have no phosphates or nitrates. Ammonia and nitrite are also 0. I vacuum the sand and it just covers it again within two days. Any idea what else causes it?

 

[ripped tide]

Hairy or slimey?

 

[containerman1]

velocityoflove;792011 wrote: I have no phosphates or nitrates. Ammonia and nitrite are also 0. I vacuum the sand and it just covers it again within two days. Any idea what else causes it?

I had a similar algae issue on one side of my tank I and added a power head pointed towards the sand to add flow in that area and it cleared up after a few days? The tank had good flow but for some reason a area of sand kept getting algae.
I skimmed up the surface algae and added the flow and it went away.
Good luck

 

[ralph atl]

velocityoflove;792011 wrote: I have no phosphates or nitrates. Ammonia and nitrite are also 0. I vacuum the sand and it just covers it again within two days. Any idea what else causes it?

It's prob a bacteria, cyno....however, wiithout Pics, further discretion...no clue. Chemi-clean works greats as long as you follow directions.....exactly.

And btw, everyone has phosphates, you just aren't using a kit that measures low range phates...you want phates below 0.03

 

[velocityoflove]

Here's a picture!
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[velocityoflove]

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[ralph atl]

hard to tell, but I'm thinking cynobacteria....

more flow, but your phates prob are too high....

try chemi-clean, but you must follow the directions exactly or it can wipw out your entire tank. Suck some of that up first, too......

I've used it 10-12 or so times without any issues.

nice looking rock, btw!

 

[velocityoflove]

Thanks! And when I vacuum the sand it gets worse. It's still under a year old tank. I've been trying to avoid chemical treatments but Maybe another powerhead would help.

 

[thanh386]

The area in the pic looks like a dead spot. If u do add another power head try placing it in between the rock work. Or it could something as "new tank syndrome" . I had a layer of green in my entire tank. I am a lazy person so I threw in lawnmower blenny to deal with the algae.... That and like 20 tangs lol.

 

[fish scales2]

Kinda related....your alk is low and so is your mag and calcium. When was your last w/c. Tell us about your lights and bulbs...age

Not cyano...but maybe a bacteria

 

[mc524]

What is your lighting interval? Stack that along with what others mentioned-phates being just a tad on the fence level wise...and or combo with the lack of flow.
Looks like it is also on your LR as well, one spot almost looks like GHA too. What color is the stuff there between the rocks, near the back? Looks brown or possibly purple.

I've had to play with my light intervals during my first year to get it right. I still get some cnyo (mine is dark purple/blackish) every now and then. Mostly when I have a couple of my Power Heads out for a vinegar bath.

 

[velocityoflove]

Alk, calcium, and magnesium are all good. I do a 25% wc every week. T5ho light less than 6 months old and on for 9 hours a day.

Edit: There is still some reddish from either cyano or just diatoms thar mostly cleared up except for small amounts here and there, nothing hugely noticeable.

 

[velocityoflove]

I have an sps that wouldn't appreciate decreasing the light time very much =

 

[mc524]

I think even 2 hours would help clear up some if not all of that. Along with adding or adjusting existing Power Heads. I have had my light intervals anywhere from 6-8 hrs with no ill effects.
Well until recently when my Auto Timer somehow ended up on off for a week!
That's right, lights out! Only thing that seem to not care too much for that was my Torch Coral.:sad:
One more reason why a Apex controller is in my sights!

 

[falos]

<p style="text-align:left">adding more flow will help how much do you have now in the tank? it looks like a film algae not sure if its bga but could be. by your post about it gets worse after you clean the sand you could have a build up in the sandbed that is causing it.vacuuming helps but will only tumble the algae and never rely removes it. thats why it comes back worse then before you started. you can take the hose and suck the top layer of the sand out and then vacuum the rest of the bed.
you can also git tiger tail cucumbers diamond gobies, or fighting conch to help you keep it clean.you still need to vacuum the bed they will just keep it nice and neat as they feed off sifting the bed.

 

[gregoryleonard]

<span style="color: Red">"It's prob a bacteria, cyno....however, wiithout Pics, further discretion...no clue. Chemi-clean works greats as long as you follow directions.....exactly.

And btw, everyone has phosphates, you just aren't using a kit that measures low range phates...you want phates below 0.03 "</span>

+1 on the Chemiclean.
I just treated my 125 with a lot of SPS colonies as well as Lps, Zoas/Palys and after just 1 day most of the blueish green slime on sand and rocks has dissapeard. I took my skimmer and carbon reactor offline during treatment and just put my carbon back online, skimmer will go back online tomorrow and a 20% water change tomorrow eve. So far I am impressed with results with no harm to livestock.
I did not alter my light cycle and had full polyp extension on SpPS, Zoas, Lps during treatment, all fish and inverts are A OK.