# Weird unknown black thing on live sand and now queen conch



## clgaston24 (May 6, 2008)

My aquarium is only half a year old and I still need to introduce more live rock. but anyways a dark green or black substance appeared on my live sand and now it has moved to my queen conch snail. I need any help possible Here are some pics to help


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## Age of Aquariums (Apr 13, 2007)

It looks like algae. Just use a gravel vacuum to get it out.


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## clgaston24 (May 6, 2008)

Thanks I am new to aquriums and was freaking out I already got rid of it thanks though


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## gymnothorax (Sep 20, 2007)

That's cyanobacteria, what are the inhabitants of your tank, filtration, lighting?


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## clgaston24 (May 6, 2008)

I got two Clown fish, a green Chromis, with an emrald crab, a Queen conch a few hermits. and Then for filtration i have a proteinskimmer(just put it in) and a bio wheel. I dont know what the lights are but I know that there new and appropiate(There good enough for corals from what a friend of mine told me


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## MattD (Apr 25, 2007)

Definitely cyanobacteria. Cyano operates using highly complex systems of photosynthetic membranes. The next step is obvious.

I once battled a bloom and I swear by the method of starving this stuff. I kept the lights off for three days and observed as it disappeared from my sand and partially my rocks. It covered my sand much as it has yours, and after three days the sand was white as bone.

On rocks it's slightly more difficult to rid but it can be done by hand if you have tried all methods of stopping it (water changes, maintaining proper parameters, using various chemical-absorption pads etc). I completed the removal of it from my system by using a turkey baster to suck up the growth, and then spitting the contents of the baster through my finely woven fish net which caught the detritus, but filtered the water.

Good luck with this, it's painful to deal with but you'll be happy once it's gone. I know you've vacuumed it out for now, however if it returns I say you employ the above method.


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## clgaston24 (May 6, 2008)

well it was there before I put the skimmer in it I did a water change and I believe that the skimmer picked up the rest


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## aegis (May 30, 2008)

if it looks gone, it's gone, but skimmers won't rid you of a bacterial infection. microbes aren't ampipathic.

if you see anything starting to grow at all, I'd vacuum it out again and go with the blackout for two days to make sure it dies off.


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