Algea or maybe something mock algea problem, will a UV sterlizer help?

[rachyl756]

OK, this is a little odd.

I have a mysterious 'algea' it shows up part way through the day and disapears around lights out. It is red/maroon. It may be tied to my Silicate problem that is being resolved.

I have the water changes going and ROWA in a phosban reactor. However, while cleaning the garage I found a UV Sterlizer... I believe it works.

Worth a go hooking it up?

I know .. normal people don't find UV sterlizers in their garages...

[Doug1]

It sounds like Cyanobacteria, they are capable of fixing nitrogen, but phosphates or the lack of seems to be the limiting factor if I remember correctly. You have a PO4 source in your tank, it's not silicates, thats a diatom issue and that will resolve itself as the available silica is used up.
PO4 is more problematic as its ini virtually all organic compounds and processes, algae binds it up, grows like a weed and you cant measure it, cause its bound up but its there feeding unwanted algae blooms. Its in curing live rock, fish and coral waste, food, its hard to get away from it

[Doug1]

Sorry to wander off on a tangent, to address the issue of UV helping, UV can only affect water born organisms, and only if the flow rate and exposure dwell time is suitable for the task at hand. Its not going to do a lot to remedy algae that grows from the rock or the substrate

[rachyl756]

It doesn't look like slime though....

The tank has a very low bio load and gets fed very infrequantly.

For all the world it looks like hair algea if I were color blind! Its like maroon hair algea, but it comes and goes?