red algae problem

[Pez]

The tanks has been runnning good 20 gallon with Live rock a goby yellowtail damsel a C B shrimp and a clean up crew Lately I have been having the red algae problem in the sand not real bad but enough to bother me any help on this problem will be great all the parameters are fine I do a water change every 10 days. I am thinking my lighting has something to do with it I have a orbit 150 watt. Thanks

[cocoa_pleco]

lighting shouldnt be doing it, how long has the tank been running? do you have a skimmer?

also, if youre using tapwater for topoffs, that can cause cyano too

this should answer many questions

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[Pez]

I am using ro water for the top offs The tank has been going for roughly 4 months I am not using a skimmer thanks for the reply

[cocoa_pleco]

hmmm, then those arent causing it. do you have powerheads? how much do you feed?

generally, skimmers are only needed on 25g+ tanks, but theyre always a good idea. they will get rid of the junk that feeds the cyano, off of ebay a nano skimmers only about $30

[Pez]

I have a Koralia #1 in the tank I have a canister filter I could pick up a nano skimmer if that would rid me of the red alage. Thanks again

[cocoa_pleco]

yep, a skimmer will help, just something like this

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i too had severe cyano about 4 months ago, originally when i started my 55g last october i filled it with tapwater, and eventually all of my live rock and sand was pure cyano, nothing else. eventually i bought a coralife skimmer, and now my sand bed is all white, and i only have the odd tuff of cyano left

[Pez]

Thanks will that skimmer handle a 37 gallon tank because when I move I will be setting up a new tank of that size thanks again cocoa your alot of help Pez

[cocoa_pleco]

its a nano skimmer, so it will only handle 20g and under. however, on a 37g this will work, its the same one i have on my 55g

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[ILuvMyGoldBarb]

pez, if your tank is 4 months then the cyano outbreak is right on time. Every reef tank goes through a maturing process where there are a number of different algae outbreaks. The first one you usually face is the diatoms and then you get the green hair and then you get cyano. The cyano is the most difficult of these to get rid of. You just have to keep up with your water changes, keep it back from your corals and wait it out. It's natural part of the maturing process in any SW tank.

[Pez]

Ok I did have a minor outbreak of the green hair algae now its at the red algae so if it is normal I am not worried about it being new to the sport I am always worried that it's me causing the problem doing something wrong I'll just keep up my water changes Thnks Pez

[ILuvMyGoldBarb]

It wouldn't hurt to make sure you are not overfeeding at the same time, but it is still a natural process.

[Halelorf]

Yea my nano reef had diatoms and a tuff of hair algae, i've had a outbreak of cyano but i've been doing water changes and sucking up any that gets near corals. Hopefully it will go away soon.