What is this stuff and how do i kill it?

[hammcd]

So this is the stuff ive been battling since i realized i had a clog in my return pump that had cut the flow in half for a couple weeks....during that time this stuff began to grow and it is still growing now..the emerald crab seems to love it but cant keep up with it...ive started scooping it off the surface and it kinda rolls up in sheets...is it bubble algae(there are very small bubbles), cyano bacteria, diatoms...

tank specs
14 gallon biocube
1.025-1.026 SG
0 ammonia
0 nitrites
5-10 nitrates

i do 2 gallon water changes weekly..although i AM still using only distilled water...the fish and coral seem to be doing fine..just this unsightly reddish brown crap

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thanks

 

[glxtrix]

Diatoms.

 

[jef4y]

Diatom bloom. Common with starting up a tank. It'll go away on its own in a few weeks.

 

[hammcd]

well this tank is about 7 months old and it didnt start until i had the clog in the pump...now it never seems to go away...think the distilled water is causing it?

 

[gnashty]

I get this too when my flow is diminished - thought it was cyano...

 

[hammcd]

i thought it was cyano too...im hoping it is diatoms cause thatll be easier to get rid of..although i havent suceeded so far

 

[glxtrix]

Was anything major changed in your tank? Rock, sand...stuff moved around to stir up sand?

 

[smoothie]

Was there a temp spike when the pump clogged?

 

[hammcd]

i did move some rock around a bit and ive been trying to fish out the larger darker brown spot off the sand cause someone said it was cyano when it first started ...the emerald crab cant stop eating it..its driving me crazy though...the temp has stayed the same in the tank..when the pump clogged i had a rock covered with lavendar polyps that slowly died and became covered in brown goo..i tossed it but that was the beginning of the problem

 

[hammcd]

would that make it diatoms for sure then?

 

[rskillz]

More water flow and sand sifting snails. Also check Nitrates and phosphate levels. Do you have a large enough clean up crew?

Most likely it will go away within a month, but I'm a big fan of a large CUC:thumbs:

Certainly diatoms though, I saw that in the first two months of my main tank as well.

 

[fish scales2]

+1

rskillz;591270 wrote: more water flow and sand sifting snails. Also check nitrates and phosphate levels. Do you have a large enough clean up crew?

Most likely it will go away within a month, but i'm a big fan of a large cuc:thumbs:

Certainly diatoms though, i saw that in the first two months of my main tank as well.

 

[schwaggs]

Sipon it off the sand and rocks when you do your water changes. If you don't want to toss the sand, you can clean the sand you siphon out with tap water, then rinse with RO water and place the sand back in the tank.

 

[jaredloo]

Diatoms, definately not cyano. Cyano is red. Pray you don't get it. You should check your nutrient levels. Likely have high Nitrates.

Increased water flow, filtration, water changes, carbon, skimming will do the trick.

 

[jaredloo]

This is a symptom of an underlying issue in your tank. Algea needs light and nutrients to live. Since you can't turn off your lights permanently then the only solution is to get rid of nutrients. This is accomplished through increased skimming, carbon filtering, water changes, flow, and time to let beneficial bacteria grow.

 

[hammcd]

this stuff IS kinda red...does cyano look just like diatoms but red?...would the emerald crab eat cyano?

 

[hammcd]

the reason im afraid its cyano is that even after i scoop it all off the top of the sand its as if more raises up within an hour or 2

 

[toeside]

Relax, it's not cyano. Your corals look healthy (as does the algae on your glass ). Just *really* keep up the water changes. And don't overfeed, which adds lots of nutrients. I had exactly the same problem. It goes away eventually, but never soon enough

 

[ichthyoid]

Hammcd;591023 wrote: So this is the stuff ive been battling since i realized i had a clog in my return pump that had cut the flow in half for a couple weeks....during that time this stuff began to grow and it is still growing now..the emerald crab seems to love it but cant keep up with it...ive started scooping it off the surface and it kinda rolls up in sheets...is it bubble algae(there are very small bubbles), cyano bacteria, diatoms...

tank specs
14 gallon biocube
1.025-1.026 SG
0 ammonia
0 nitrites
5-10 nitrates

i do 2 gallon water changes weekly..although i AM still using only distilled water...the fish and coral seem to be doing fine..just this unsightly reddish brown crap

The 2 gallon weekly water change is only 14% of total volume. You might consider increasing the size of water changes until the nitrate drops significantly. Example- going to 3 gallons weekly would be 21%, or 4 gal would be 28%. Better dilution = less pollution.

There are some reefers that can get by with smaller amounts of water change, and have excellent water parameters. However, IME this requires some combination of advanced filtration/super skimming/nitrate reactors/phosphate control media/carbon dosing, plus feeding control.
-JMHO

 

[raisedonnintendo]

Blue legs blue legs GO BLUE LEGS!!!!!!!!!!!