Help, its taking over!!!!!!

[pbd61]

I need some help quick. I have never seen this type of bacteria or algae before. It is not red slime as I just tried to treat it with erythromycin and did a 50 % water change. Now its coming on with a vengance.

It is a golden brown in color and is starting to form air bubbles inside it. I can see it branching over onto the rocks now as well. I had a small outbreak of this a while back and just vacuumed it out and did a water change and it went away. until now!!!! Someone told me maybe a snail died, but I didnt see any. You guys have any clues?????

http://www.auctionmethis.com/pics/funk1.jpg http://www.auctionmethis.com/pics/funk2.jpg http://www.auctionmethis.com/pics/funk3.jpg

[graveyardworm]

Could be dinoflagellates, hard to say without pics, and even with pics a definate id is tough. It could be a whole mixture of algaes growing together. I would not start off treatment of something with chemicals, rarely cures the problem long term.

Need to get it at the source, and something like this or cyano usually means excess nutrients.

How long has the tank been setup?
More tank and equipment description.
Have you done any water testing yet?
Do you use filtered water for top off?
Livestock?

[graveyardworm]

Okay now that I've posted the pics appear. It doesnt really appear to be dino's. I would guess a mix of diatoms and cyano. Too much excess nutrients. What do you have for filtration? I have similar stuff, it doesnt seem to bother anything. I attribute it to overfeeding and not enough sand bed herbivores.

[pbd61]

I use RO/DI water. Just did a 50% water change 2 days ago. I did just start a new regiment of feeding my zoas etc... I use a turkey baster loaded with a mixture of DT's and other foods and feed the tank without the pump running for about 20 minutes. The tank has been set up for about a year now.

[graveyardworm]

What does your cleanup crew consist of? Any sand bed cleaners?

[pbd61]

My clean up posse consists of 4-5 margaritas, 4-5 turbos, 4-5 nassarus, and about 10 small hermits. Oh, yeah and the tank is 30gal.

[skeeter-doc]

How long has the tank been set up?

[pbd61]

The tank has been setup about a year...Not sure where to go from here, maybe i'm feeding to much?

[StunnaShadez]

diatom?

[graveyardworm]

Feeding too much too fast, start slow and gradually work your way up. You need to give the cleanup guys ( worms, pods, etc.. ) time to reproduce and bring their populations up to meet the new feeding regimen. You could also probably add a few more nassarius, plus some sand bed cleaners ( cerith, fighting conch ).

You could back off a bit on the feeding until things stabilize, and the algae goes away, and then slowly increase.

[Socotroco]

Do you know of something that can eat ciano algae on the rocks?

[graveyardworm]

I am unaware of anything that will eat cyano. Use a small diameter siphon hose and siphon it out. I use 1/4 inch rigid airline tube and a length of 1/4 inch rubber hose.

[Socotroco]

the problem is that some of the red slime is in places dificult to reach