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Old 03-27-2006, 03:07 AM   #5 (permalink)
BoomerD
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Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Northern California
Posts: 5,637
Re: weird red stuff on the substrate, need advice HELP! :)

Yep, definitely a case of cyano in the making there. To help you combat it, we'll need lots more information from ya Charlie...
Water testing? We'll need to know nitrates, and phosphates, (if you test for those) as they are the 2 most common causes of cyano.
Water source? Are you using RO? RO/DI? Tap water? Most city water sources contain lots of nasty crap that we don't want in our tanks. RO/DI is the best for our uses, as it removes 98%+ of the bad stuff...
Bulbs...What kind, and how old? While the lights themselves usually don't cause cyano, as they age, their specrum changes, and can work with low levels of nutrients, to make things worse.
Flow? Cyano generally won't grow in places that have high flow rates. I said GENERALLY, because once it gets a good start, it may indeed grow in places that it might not otherwise be able to. You need to stop this in the early stages, rather than let it get out of control first...
Most of us will recommend a good phosphate removal media, like Phosban or RowaPhos, run properly in a reactor, to help absorb the phosphates from your water. Run correctly, and changed when needed, it can be a good tool in the fight against cyano.
Let's have some answers to the questions posed above, and we'll get to work...
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