algae growth quickly happening for some reason?

[supamarine]

ive had my tank setup for 3 mths now and my fish have been in there for 2 weeks now and suddenly im getting algae growth..its red and spreading to my rocks and glass ??wat could be the reason??thanx..^^

 

[NaH2O]

supamarine - how are your water parameters? Is the algae more like a red film or mat? How many fish are in the tank (what size tank), and what is your filtration? Were they introduced all at once? Any snails? Sorry for all the questions, just trying to nail down the source.

 

[supamarine]

.

yeh its like a redish brownish film just spreading over the tank using a nature reef filtration with 5nitrate and 0 amonia and had 2 clown and one damsel fish and one dottyback right at the beginning and then wen i introduced the singapore queen and 3 snails it occured...thanx

 

[NaH2O]

Sounds like it might be cyano. Cyano typically will grow in areas with lower flow. Tap water can be a source of excess Nitrogen and Phosphates, both of which will aid in the growth of cyano. Feeding food containing high phosphates, over feeding, and old bulbs are all sources for cyano to outbreak. Are you using RO/DI water or tap?

 

[supamarine]

im using RO/DI water bought from the aquarium..i realised the aquarium salt water have a high PH when i buy it..

 

[wrighty]

hi Supermarine - the good news is your a long way from being on your own with this problem almost all reef tanks in Uk and the ones i have set up in China do go through this early Cyno bacteria bloom - The reasons as Nikki stated are high nutrients and lack of adequate water circulation - it develops best in areas of low water movement

The good news is it syphons of real easy so you can manage the problem at water change time - and eventually as the tank matures the problem ceases to exist - it may take a few weekly water changes to erradicate it but it will go

I have had it last a dozen water changes and syphoning excercises or go as quickly as second attempt

As algaes go this is one of the easier ones to erradicate

 

[supamarine]

ah okay thanx very much

 

[wrighty]

hi supamarine your welcome I did search of your previous posts and find you have tank 4ft which is 3 months old but firts 2 months you had no light on it and during that stage you had Nitrate level of 40ppm?

This is reason why cyno has waited until now to appear - it needs both lighht and nutrients

Deprive it of either light or nutrients and it recedes or fails to establish

You water parameters and tank specs will help so please update on current test results for SG, PH, Nitrate, Nitrite, Amonia, and Phospate - others is you test for others

also what equipmemt you have filters, skimmers etc as this may help others to advise you in order thios algae bloom recedes and disapapears quickly and others do not take its place
Steve

 

[wrighty]

PS - Sorry about the awful spelling - no spell checker, no use, thats me with computers that is

Steve