Coraline Algae?

[adamo]

Hi,
I was just wondering if anyone could help me. I have had my tank set up for a few months and had lots of red and purple algae growing but recently i added a uv sterilizer, switched the powerheads around facing the rocks so theres more flow, i ran a diatom a few days ago for a few hours and went from shutting the lights off at night to leaving two actinics on because of some ich. Has anyone had this experience before? Is this bad? I am just trying to narrow down what i changed or did in the last few days.
Thanks

 

[Pistol]

Coraline algae requires calcium, what are your parameters?

 

[adamo]

Calcium-420ppm
phosphate-0.25
kh-11
Salinity- went from 1.023 to 1.020 because took all inverts out

 

[saltyair]

Not sure I understand the question so I will ask a question to see if I can help.

is your coriline algae turning white? Or you just want to grow more?
Coriline algae can overwhelm a tanks chemistry by sucking up mag, dkh and calcium.

Fyi having actinic on all night does not cure ich and can be a stressor

 

[jeffopentax]

Not sure I understand the question so I will ask a question to see if I can help.

is your coriline algae turning white? Or you just want to grow more?
Coriline algae can overwhelm a tanks chemistry by sucking up mag, dkh and calcium.

Fyi having actinic on all night does not cure ich and can be a stressor

Did not know actinic affected fish. Will have to be more diligent in making sure i turn off my actinic leds every night!

 

[adamo]

The coraline just stopped growing and is turning a light green very slowly. Before I would put a rock in and by the next day it was covered in red and now it stopped growing. As for the actinic lights IME I have noticed with the actinic's on it doesn't give the ich time to go into it's dormant stage thus the ich will stay free floating longer in the water column for the uv to pick up.

 

[saltyair]

The coraline just stopped growing and is turning a light green very slowly. Before I would put a rock in and by the next day it was covered in red and now it stopped growing. As for the actinic lights IME I have noticed with the actinic's on it doesn't give the ich time to go into it's dormant stage thus the ich will stay free floating longer in the water column for the uv to pick up.

Interesting theory - personally I have never tried it. That being said actinic light is still light and will effect corals and fish down time.
Coriline algae is effected the same way other algaes are to nutrients like no3 and po4. Maybe the lowering of nutrients has slowed down the growth. An easy way to increase coriline - start dosing iodide - just be very careful not to overdose.
Imo your better off with less coriline algae due to excessive mag, cal and alk requirements. And some theories say it can smother out bacteria in the rocks. Advanced aquarist web site has a good article on coriline algae.

 

[adamo]

Okay thanks thats good to know. Will definetly look into dosing with iodide. I have shut the actinics off for the last few days and haven't noticed any increase with coraline it seems to be turning white and light green and almost like a white flim on some of the rocks. Thanks for help

 

[KBennett]

The coraline just stopped growing and is turning a light green very slowly. Before I would put a rock in and by the next day it was covered in red and now it stopped growing. As for the actinic lights IME I have noticed with the actinic's on it doesn't give the ich time to go into it's dormant stage thus the ich will stay free floating longer in the water column for the uv to pick up.

If it was covered in red the next day, it wasn't coralline algae. Sounds more like cyanobacyeria.

 

[adamo]

Yea usually within 24 hours I would already see red algae growing then over a few days it would be pretty much covered in red and some of it was long like red strands of algae. What is cyanobacyeria? Is it bad?
Thanks

 

[KBennett]

Sorry. Spelled it wrong. Cyanobacteria. It is natural. Everyone has it. Study up on ways to get rid of it. It can get out of control. There isn't much that eats it.

 

[saltyair]

Yes that is cyanobacteria not corilline algae. Corilline algae is hard and made of calcium. Cyanobacteria is the oldest organism - part bacteria part algae- everyone in this hobby has seen it in their tanks at one point. Usally caused by low flow and combined with high tds, nutrients.

 

[scubasteve]

If your fish are stressed enough for ich to gain a foothold your parameters are prob high nitrate and phos.

if you have strong enough flow you shouldnt get cyano on rocks unless your nutrients are way too high the sandbed is always problematic for some people as long as you have a goby and some snails constantly moving sandbed it should stay clean.

and test your source water for contaminants may need to change ro filter or add higher dose of prime if tap water....

3 main things i used to get rid of my cyano issue was to shorten lighting a bit since i was running a long day setting try not to overfeed or feed every other day and have a diverse cleanup crew( i found this worked the best as they eliminate all the excess food in the tank stopping nutrient buildup at the main source)

And always remember if you have alot of cyano or gha your nitrate and phos levels will register ok when they are actually high because the algae is consuming it try to suck out as much as possible every other day with small water changes and should clear up if not overfeeding

Just how i go about it myself when i was in the same predicament

 

[onecansay]

Well ya' all know how it is.

How the heck within the start of this thread from the info given that this problem was a DT that had FISH!!!

No wonder this small forum cannot grow.

BETTER DESCRIPTIONS EVERYONE!!!!!

Pick up the phone should you all have a desire to keep the $$SECRET$$.

Really!!

 

[jeffopentax]

Well ya' all know how it is.

How the heck within the start of this thread from the info given that this problem was a DT that had FISH!!!

No wonder this small forum cannot grow.

BETTER DESCRIPTIONS EVERYONE!!!!!

Pick up the phone should you all have a desire to keep the $$SECRET$$.

Really!!

Mentioned having a problem with ich. One could reasonably assume the tank had fish.

 

[pulpfiction1]

lol

 

[Poseidon]

Well ya' all know how it is.

How the heck within the start of this thread from the info given that this problem was a DT that had FISH!!!

No wonder this small forum cannot grow.

BETTER DESCRIPTIONS EVERYONE!!!!!

Pick up the phone should you all have a desire to keep the $$SECRET$$.

Really!!

not sure how this was provoked? just a bunch of hobbyists trying to help each other....
if he has ich ( which he said he did), he most definitely has fish... (obviously)

and for the insult to this forum, its been growing just fine thank you, other Ontario forums have been crashing and BURNING (because of ridiculous description requirements hehe), and this one is as stable as can be!

 

[sunnykita]

Well ya' all know how it is.

How the heck within the start of this thread from the info given that this problem was a DT that had FISH!!!

No wonder this small forum cannot grow.

BETTER DESCRIPTIONS EVERYONE!!!!!

Pick up the phone should you all have a desire to keep the $$SECRET$$.

Really!!

REALLY? Having a bad day? Go watch your tank for a while and chill. We like our forum and try to help each other out, we don't feel the need to intimidate other members and furthermore it isn't welcomed here (in my humble opinion). Are you on the wrong forum? We aren't. Don't like small and family friendly and helpful? Feel free to hit the other big forums Nuff said
Have a great day

 

[reeferkeeper420]

Someone musta pissed in his wheaties lol.

 

[onecansay]

No, I spilled my Rice Crispy's all over the floor.