View Full Version : HELP!!! What The Hell Is This Stuff???
My tank had almost become taken over by this red moss like algae. Noticed it a couple of months ago, took a couple of rocks out and scrubbed them. It always came back in no time and was starting to grow over some of my corals. Today I dismantled the whole set-up. Every rock was taken out and scrubbed, the back glass which was also grown over with the stuff was scraped, a bunch of the sand which had collected a pile of it was chucked and finally a 90% water change was done. What in the hell is this crap and where did it come from? An aquarium store suggested possible overfeeding and high phosphates. The smell of this stuff is almost enough to make you puke and I sure as hell don't want to rip apart my whole set up again. Any advice would be appreciated.
http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o122/jgo555/CIMG0942.jpg
http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o122/jgo555/CIMG0943.jpg
http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o122/jgo555/CIMG0945.jpg
fishoholic
10-05-2008, 02:48 AM
Looks sort of like cyano. Here's a link for more info.
http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=43463&highlight=cyano
silverplanet
10-05-2008, 02:55 AM
It could be asparagopsis taxiformis. look through this search and see what comes up.
http://www.joefaraoni.com/ReefCentral/RCSearch.html?cx=014717940561475215169%3Aek7ihbs5w a0&cof=FORID%3A11&q=red+algae+takeover&sa=Search#1237
HTH
Jason
Delphinus
10-05-2008, 03:10 AM
Pictures are a bit fuzzy but what I can see, and from what you've said, I'm thinking this is red turf algae. Long story short: get a number of Mexican turbo snails.
Here is some additional reading for you:
http://canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=31253
http://canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=30942
http://canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=37293
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-12/nftt/index.php
fishoholic
10-05-2008, 04:06 AM
Pictures are a bit fuzzy but what I can see, and from what you've said, I'm thinking this is red turf algae. Long story short: get a number of Mexican turbo snails.
Here is some additional reading for you:
http://canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=31253
http://canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=30942
http://canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=37293
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-12/nftt/index.php
Oops, guess I should of read the 1st post better. It does seem more like red turf algae.
Thanks for the info guys. Do any dealers in Edmonton or Calgary have any Mexican turbo snails. I think someone in Edmonton had Austrailian turbos. Do they work the same?
Delphinus
10-05-2008, 04:48 PM
I've never heard of an Australian turbo so don't know if that's the same species or not. The articles about it seem to specifically go out of their way to label the turbos snails that eat this stuff as "Mexican". Having said that, I thought all turbo snails came from Mexico and area anyhow. If you see turbo snails offered just ask where they came from.
Failing that I'm pretty sure you can order them from J&L. Seeing your pictures, you don't exactly want 1 or 2 here, you want something like maybe minimum 20 or thereabouts, which surely is on the verge of justifying the mail-order shipping expense. Or see if anyone wants to go in on a group order with you, or see if there's one already going on that you can piggyback onto..
20 snails? I only have a 20 gallon tank, I was thinking about maybe 5 to 10. How big are they?
untamed
10-05-2008, 08:00 PM
Today I dismantled the whole set-up. Every rock was taken out and scrubbed, the back glass which was also grown over with the stuff was scraped, a bunch of the sand which had collected a pile of it was chucked and finally a 90% water change was done.
What are you using to provide biological filtration on this system? If it was the rocks, you have potential problem there because you would have destroyed your bio filter when you scubbed all your rocks....
I had this problem for 3 months. I did the same thing by taking all the rocks out scrubbing them only for it to grow all back in a week. I just started up my tank and had been battling this red turf algae until.....................................I went to Red Coral and got a Sea Hare, (thanks Kevin). Saviour! It devoured all of my red turf in about a week. 30lbs of rock covered in this. This is what worked for me. I have not seen any grow back, its been over a month. Good Luck!
The rocks were scrubbed in salt water from the tank. I also have a Fluval cannister filter filled with live rock and live rock rubble.
JDigital
10-05-2008, 08:56 PM
Is it soft like cotton, or bristle-ish like grass?
edit... w00t! Post #500.. :D
It's definatly not like cotton, it's bristley. Sort of reminds me of moss.
christyf5
10-05-2008, 09:16 PM
yeah that stuff is a bit tougher. I'd still try the red turbos if you can get them. If you don't mind the shipping I'd try ocean aquatics I think they get them in on a regular basis.
Delphinus
10-05-2008, 11:16 PM
Sorry didn't realize the tank size. Yeah, maybe 5 to 10 is a good amount. Average size seems to be in the 3/4" - 1" range but they can grow larger like 2" over time.
20 snails? I only have a 20 gallon tank, I was thinking about maybe 5 to 10. How big are they?
Whatigot
10-06-2008, 03:46 PM
RSM< you should hook him up with your sea hare now as if its eaten all your turf algae it's probably starving in your tank....
The Sea Hare was a rental from my LFS. Agreed it would starve without algae as this is all they eat. Try Red Coral MMAX I know you can rent one out, it worked for me!
I'm pretty sure I know what went wrong after doing a bunch of reading. I did mention overfeeding as part of the problem, my tank also sits in the basement under an east facing window. I would always open the curtains and let the morning sun shine into the tank. The corals seemed to enjoy it so i didn't think anything about it. The green algae also enjoyed it and then the red joined in the fun. I also got lazy during the summer and instead of using RO water for changes started experimenting with tap water. The overfeeding and tap water probably overloaded the tank with phosphates and the sun caused the red stuff to multiply out of control. I have been keeping the curtains closed, used RO water when I did my clean up job and increased the flow inside the tank. There's a few reminants of the red algae here and there that I'll have to clean out but so far so good. A few more days and I should be able to tell if it's going to come back or not.
Picked up 3 fairly good sized turbos today. They started working the minute I put them in. For the most part the algae hasn't come back....yet. There's still a few tufts of it around so the snails should be able to take it out quickly. Hope to hell I get lucky and have this thing beat. Tested my water yesterday and phosphates and nitrates are next to nothing.
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