# black algea slime?



## rastarainy (Jul 23, 2008)

when i got home from school today, and looked at my 40 gallon saltwater reef tank, there was a thin layer of black "slime" on top of my sand bed. im not exactly sure what it is, but i do know that my snails have not been trying to clean it at ALL since i've been home. not sure what to do....get a sand sifting star maybe?


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## Fishfirst (Jan 24, 2005)

black cyno algae is typically found in newer tanks or very old tank with a big or even slight nutrient problem or even just dead spots in a tank. More flow in combination with biweekly water changes while siphoning the stuff out should help... btw this stuff is fairly toxic to most things that eat it... thus your snails weren't trying it.


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## rastarainy (Jul 23, 2008)

oh. well is there anything that does eat it, and doesn't die after?


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## rastarainy (Jul 23, 2008)

i've been reading up on google that a blackout of the whole tank for 3-4 days can eliminate it too...but is that just for a short period of time? or for good?


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## Fishfirst (Jan 24, 2005)

a black out will probably do a disservice to your other photosynthetic organisms in your tank and will create more anaerobic conditions for this BACTERIA to prosper... like I said... this stuff is created in dead spots, or in over fed tanks, or in new tanks where there isn't a correct "balance" of bacteria, and algae yet. It FEEDS off of itself... making it totally self reliant. 

Increasing flow with another powerhead placed in the right spot... and sucking it up in the first place with a water change is THE ONLY way to get rid of it... all other remedies have serious and deadly consequences in a reef tank.


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## Felicia (Jul 17, 2008)

I have to agree. A whole bunch of people at work were trying out the "blackout" method last year, but it's only temporary and seemed to make things worse in the long run. Get your nutrient levels under control and take care of those dead spots. Koralia powerheads are awesome for that.


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## Sea-Agg2009 (Aug 2, 2008)

I was always under the assumption that black algae was a result of poor or low lighting.


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## Felicia (Jul 17, 2008)

Cyanobacteria can also result from old bulbs. When the bulbs age, the spectrum shifts and kills other microscopic photosynthetic thingsys, favoring the growth of the Cyano.


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## rastarainy (Jul 23, 2008)

i have a current lighting fixture, which is fairly new....probably only 5 months old. so i would suspect its not the bulbs.


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## rastarainy (Jul 23, 2008)

as far as the Koralia powerheads....what wattage would you recommend for a 40 gallon?


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## Fishfirst (Jan 24, 2005)

two Korellia 2's would probably do it


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