Troubleshooting & ID

Algae ID, pest removal, coral health diagnostics, and quarantine protocols - figure out what's actually wrong before you make it worse.

Green, fast-growing filaments are hair algae, not the feathery, darker Bryopsis. Reddish flat mats on sand or rock are cyanobacteria, not the brown diatoms typical of a new tank's early cycle. Getting the ID right first avoids wasting weeks on the wrong treatment.

Flagship Tool

Reef Tank Problem Identifier

Symptom-based diagnostic tool - describe what you're seeing, get pointed to the right guide.

Guides in this pillar

Algae-eating fish grazing on green hair algae in a reef tank
How-To

Green Hair Algae: Causes and How to Get Rid of It

What actually causes it, how to tell it apart from Bryopsis, and why removal alone never sticks.

 Reef aquarium tank with live rock, the kind of setup where cyanobacteria outbreaks occur
How-To

Cyanobacteria (Red Slime): Causes and Treatment

A treatment ladder that starts with the safest option, not the fastest chemical fix.

 Textured green algae on aquarium rock, the kind of surface bubble algae also colonizes
How-To

Bubble Algae Removal Guide

Popping doesn't spread it, missed fragments do. And emerald crabs aren't a guaranteed fix.

 Sea anemone inside a home reef aquarium, illustrating the rock crevices where Aiptasia typically establishes
Ultimate Guide

Aiptasia: Identification, Removal & Prevention

Chemical vs. biological control, and why combining them backfires.

 Healthy, vividly colored reef coral, the visual baseline against which bleaching color loss is judged
Ultimate Guide

Coral Bleaching: Causes and How to Save It

The acute reef-tank triggers, and the real recovery window before it's too late.
27 pieces planned for this pillar - algae ID & treatment, pest ID & removal, coral health diagnostics, and quarantine & disease. More going up as they're written.