Question about tank.

Kuggie · 07-27-2010, 09:33 PM

I just have a couple quick questions which may end up being one question that I was hoping someone here could help me with.

First off I've been noticing a purple jelly like substance/organism growing on my SPS corals. While it's easy to just siphon off it seems to keep coming back. I wasn't sure if anyone had any idea what it was or how to get rid of it.

Secondly, there is what looks like red algae growing on my gravel. I understand that they could be producing some pretty dangerous things for my tank but I'm having troubles getting rid of it. I wasn't sure if anyone knew any tricks?

Thanks for any help you can offer.

wil0311 · 07-27-2010, 09:57 PM

I would guess it is cyanobacteria. Just google it, it's mostly because of excessive nutrients.

dplaskett · 07-28-2010, 08:59 AM

I think most new tanks get hit with cyano if not set up perfectly.
The purple jelly might be brown jelly? Is it killing off your sps very quickly?

Kuggie · 07-28-2010, 11:51 AM

Thanks for all the help. My tank has been running smoothly for a year. It is growing very quickly. I removed all that I could see last night and there is a decent patch. I think I'll just do watch changes more often and hope that I can remove it. Think it'll work?

wil0311 · 07-28-2010, 12:59 PM

That's the best thing you can do. Try to blow off the rocks with a turkey baster and suck up as much detritus as possible. Maybe cut back on feeding a little. I cleaned up my refugium (plucked all the macro algae and vacuumed detritus, took out some rocks that were just collecting detritus) and my orp jumped up 50 points from 300 to 350.