Help... Coral is not happy!!

[Yourmedic]

So, when I first saw this in my tank, I was excited because I thought it was coralline algae, then someone told me that it didn't look right and to see what happens if i touch it with my cleaning stick. I did so and it floated off my rock. "Yep, thats not good stuff and need to get it out of your tank." I was told to turn my lights off for 3 days and that should take care of the most of it, but now what? 

 

My Polyps were doing so awesome and growing huge, then this purple stuff came along and now they won't even open up. 

 

I don't think it's "red algae" because it looks like it was all over my live rock only, not stringy or on my sub straight at all. What is this stuff and are my polyps doomed??? 

 

Before of polyps

 

 

During the "purple attack"

 

 

 

Any and all help/advise is great!! Would love to know what this is, why it is in my tank all of the sudden, and how to get rid of it. Also, will my polyps come back??

 

 

As for the tank, nothing has been done to it in the past week to two weeks. I do water changes once a month, some times twice a month, but have been cutting back. Nothing new in the tank, well established, over a year old. 

[Blue Z Reef]

 

 

But seriously....its just guessing without them

[bowen1022]

 

 

But seriously....its just guessing without them

Hahaha[emoji23]

 

 

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[bowen1022]

It might be cyano "red slime"

 

 

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[SteveHash-fish20]

Looks like cyano to me, testing, plenty water changes and upping the flow should help.

[chewie]

Siphon it out while doing water change. Turkey baste every nook and cranny of the rocks. Cut back on feeding. Add more hermits/snails. Increase flow. Rinse and repeat. ????

[pledosophy]

The polyps are fine, and will be.

 

Did you do the 72 hour complete black out? If so did you do something to monitor/stabilize your pH during that time?

 

Without knowing more about your system there is really not much else in the way of meaningful advice I can offer.

 

Sure increased water movement will help to keep the tank cleaner if you have adequate filtration, but if your running an all natural system it's not going to help you much. Cyano Bacteria (it is a bacteria not an alage) feeds off excessive nutrients in the system. It is actually a very efficient feeder and can drop your levels low so you think the water is clean, but really it is just being cleaned by the bacteria. Cyano is also a very efficient reproducer and can double itself every 20 minutes. So even if you do a water change and remove half of it, you have bought yourself 20 minutes. 

 

There is a source problem that needs to be fixed. Once that source problem is fixed then you can do a 72 hour no light period that will kill the bacteria mostly, but enough to where if the source is resolved it will no longer be an issue. 

 

I would highly recommend against using the additives or supplements they sell for it online, as a medic you know the responsibility associated with antibiotics. 

 

If you want to geek out on something it is a pretty fascinating bacteria. It is thought to be one of the oldest bacteria's on the planet. Absolutely fascinating stuff but, not really for our tanks. Fix your nutrient problem and you will fix this problem.