A little help

Mpdan

Premium member
So after a flooded basement the tank was moved to the laundry room and neglected. I finally am attempting to get things back in order. I haven't lost anything except my green Monti (still have a small piece that's alive). Anyway, all I did for about 4-5 months was top off everyday no feeding no water changes. I have been getting this dark brown/red looks like cyano but the tank is reading 0 nitrate 0 phosphate. I have started weekly water changes blowing this stuff off the sand and rock then syphoning it out. I have tried res slime remover 3x with an air stone. The day after a water change it is the way it was before the water change. I did the shake strain and wait test and it does come back together maybe dinos? I just bought a sea hare that seems to be eating it. Looking for some opinions and how I might have a chance of getting rid of this. Tank is 3 years old, rock is 10 years old took straight out of my old tank. 30 gallon 2 clowns and a royal gamma. Hydra 26hd 9 hour schedule. Thanks


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fishyfish22

Premium member
Try killing the lights for an extended period, maybe a few days. If you have no corals then you should be fine.

Also I've heard really good things about redgone-by aquamedic
 

#theMatrix

Active member
Any chemicals will make it worse. By killing benecial bacteria. That will mess with the stability later.

To me. I would minimize it by using a suction hose and toss it through a filter and back into the sump.

It's an algae. You can let other algae compete with it. Believe it or not. If you get your nitrates up the green algae will compete with this kind and can win.

Here's my guesses as to where it can come from.
Top off for weeks in the laundry you say? Definitely check your top off. If rodi then filters are due for a change. If you kill the lights it goes away and comes back (assuming your on t5, then bulbs need to be changed it as theres q bulb or two that's feeding that type of algae to grow usually purple plus and antinics or blue plus).

I kept my tank incredibly clean. And always got this type of algae/cyano. So I fed syphoned most of it out. And over fed and now. After months and months of no algae on the rocks.( I always had white rocks) the tangs are happily grazing the algae on the rocks. Yes, score!

Sorry for the log rambling post
 

Mpdan

Premium member
Try killing the lights for an extended period, maybe a few days. If you have no corals then you should be fine.

Also I've heard really good things about redgone-by aquamedic
I do have coral. Maybe reduce the time of the lighting?

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Mpdan

Premium member
Any chemicals will make it worse. By killing benecial bacteria. That will mess with the stability later.

To me. I would minimize it by using a suction hose and toss it through a filter and back into the sump.

It's an algae. You can let other algae compete with it. Believe it or not. If you get your nitrates up the green algae will compete with this kind and can win.

Here's my guesses as to where it can come from.
Top off for weeks in the laundry you say? Definitely check your top off. If rodi then filters are due for a change. If you kill the lights it goes away and comes back (assuming your on t5, then bulbs need to be changed it as theres q bulb or two that's feeding that type of algae to grow usually purple plus and antinics or blue plus).

I kept my tank incredibly clean. And always got this type of algae/cyano. So I fed syphoned most of it out. And over fed and now. After months and months of no algae on the rocks.( I always had white rocks) the tangs are happily grazing the algae on the rocks. Yes, score!

Sorry for the log rambling post
I have changed my rodi filters. I started feeding again hoping to bring the nitrate and phosphate up a little for something to out compete this.

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#theMatrix

Active member
I do have coral. Maybe reduce the time of the lighting?

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I have changed my rodi filters. I started feeding again hoping to bring the nitrate and phosphate up a little for something to out compete this.

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Your corals won't die with a full black out for two days.
I've gone four days with out lights on the aquarium before. . Only thing affected was the wrasses because they didn't show up till three next day after lights came on. I thought I lost em.
 

Mjl714

Well-known member
I’m also in this camp, stop adding chemicals go for a long term solution. Lights out helps, I’ve also heard uv can be helpful, in short term.
 

Mpdan

Premium member
Thanks I syphon as much I can usually everyday with a turkey baster. On the plus side the sea hare seems to be helping with removal has been eating it pretty well

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That’s a good start. Keep up the husbandry of the tank, I have been down this road before and it usually doesn’t end overnight. Thankfully it’s also something that does seem to run its course. It’s probably still in there in small amounts, but it seems to run out of things to feed on and just fizzles away.
 

#theMatrix

Active member
If it starts to come back. Take note of it comes on during mostly white or blue lighting.

Tank looks nice and clean
 

Mpdan

Premium member
Well so far so good 7 hours of light and nothing. Before it would be covered already

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Mpdan

Premium member
Update: No more nasty slime or dinos whatever it was. Hoping I have finally gotten rid of the problem for good.


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Mpdan

Premium member
Looks like this shit is coming back super slow this time. These are the best pictures I can get of it. Any thoughts would be great.


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