Help with Phormidium

[Shawnts106]

I have an algae in my aquarium that I have IDed at Phormidium according to Julian Sprungs Algae Problem Solver guide and it is getting on my last nerve!

It is ONLY on my SSB (shallow sand bed)...
This tank is 8 years old.

I have a ASM g2 skimmer with a Recirculation mod on it...
I run ROWA phos in a Phosphate reactor.
I use RODI water, and according to my TDS metter (brand new) my TDS is 0.

It is not growing anywhere else but on my sand... There are no other algaes growing except coraline and green film that grows on the glass that I have to dust off about once a week or so...

Flow is provided my a Mag 7 return pump, a Maxijet 1200 and SEIO 1500 all on full blast..
I have a mix of SPS, LPS, and SOFTIES

According to the book, this is a type of Cynobacteria that grows in Nutrient Poor systems that are brilliantly lit. I have MH and T5s on the tank..

How can I get rid of it?
I read that Tricolor Hermit Crabs eat it, but I do not want to add a bunch of hermit crabs into the tank because I dont want them eatting my snails.

Anyone have any experience with this s#*t?

thanks.

[Plantbrain]

As stated, it grows well in nutrient poor systems, and I'd say systems where the waste that is generated in mostly organic based.

I have no issues with this or any cyano, but then again, I run richer systems and refugiums that allow higher levels of nutrients, but remove them effectively as well.

You can get rid of it with antibiotics, 3 days of blackout(no light, cover tank with trash bag), blasting it with high flow reef crest current.

There's likely some organic build up in the sediment, clean it good, do some water changes, clean filters, you can also cover the region infested with a trash bag 2-3 layers thick to kill off a local infested region.

Then follow up with good parameters and clean the tank more etc.
Use several approaches and ones that help the health of the other critters.

Not one big hammer.

Regards,
Tom Barr

[Shawnts106]

I have tried these things... it just keeps comming back...

Antibiotics huh?

[Plantbrain]

Cyano is a gram positive bacteria, so most of the red slime removers are simply.....anitbioitics like EM(Erythromycin ) etc which does little harm to filter bacteria.

Skimmers etc will remove EM, carbon etc.
You want to keep the EM in there for 5 days or so so stop using those while you treat.

Have you tried using a refugium?
That tends to resolve many issues.

You can also blast the system with fine micro bubbles and a wave maker surge system.

The micro air bubbles attach, they are "sticky" and can dislodge smaller biofilms and sheets of Cyanos and individual cells. This worked well for me in a couple of tanks.

Regards,
Tom Barr

[Shawnts106]

I have a lot of current already in the tank, yet it still grabs hold of the substrate... He developes bubbles under the mat, probably from escaping Nitrogen bubbles from the sand... I think it might be using this as a food source???

I am unable to put a refugium on the system at this time... I might later on, but as it stands my custom built sump can not handle any more additions in it.

Mardel Brand Marycn for FW is EM and I have used it sucessfully on RED CYNO Years and years ago.. I imagine it would do the same for Phormidium...?

[Plantbrain]

All BGA's are gram positive related....so it should work for all of them.
The gas under the sediment is often CO2...........not N2.........organic matter=> aerobic respiration => CO2.............and a lot more than the N2 which is pretty slow.

do not get hung up on N2 fixing BGA's, they are far from NO3 or NH4 limited in anyone's tank.....................

And they use N2 only when the other two are limiting.
Also, while your cheap test kit might measure 0ppm NO3 and generally will never even pick up the NH4 low levels..........it does not mean it's not there in abundance for micro algae.

It's just used before you have a chance to detect it, assuming you could detect 100 to 10 ppb of NO3 to begin with. Pretty low.

The limiting levels for most micro algae are very very low.
I'd not worry about them, just focus on giving good conditions for the corals and not going too far with low NO3 or PO4.

Absent levels are not good for large organisms like macro algae.
I think the refuge will help.

Sump hell is a common issue, I use 3 things, canister mechanical, then a refuge(one live rock, the other soft sediment daisy chained) and finally a skimmer.

Tom

[Shawnts106]

I treated with EM the other day... Sunday night I believe..

I used Mardel's FW Maracyn as I have had sucess with this in the past

I used 80gallons worth, or 8 packs (tabs)...
should I retreat after a few days....

It is dieing, but you can still see it, its just alot lighter in color...