Algae?

[Temp]

I don’t know if this is Dino or just dead algae. I kept getting about 8-10 on nitrate test so I went and syphoned my frag tank, which was my original display tank, for a year and I added a 90. So I disturbed an old substrate and I’ve been getting what looks like cyano on the substrate. And the first time I did it, it caused a sand storm and this stuff with brown color algae shows up on my live rock. But it comes off with a toothbrush.

 

[Ludders]

What are we looking at here and what was the question?

 

[Temp]

What are we looking at here and what was the question?

The picture isn’t the best but by the setons there what looks like hairs. They might be dead as they are grey in color. And I was wondering if someone would know if it’s just hair algae or possibly Dino or byrop. I have been having issues with me syphoning my sand. It’s got what looks to be possibly cyano on my substrate because I disturbed a 2 year old substrate because I couldn’t get my nitrates under 10. So I syphoned it. Now it gets black like. And a day or two later it comes back on my white substrate.

 

[Hemmdog]

Looks like a setosa

 

[cbellm]

This picture does make it difficult to determine. Any chance you can place it into a microscope, or take a few extra pictures maybe one that is zoomed out? The gray color in the picture is unique, however I am sure someone has had to deal with it. I have a hair algae turn different colors in the past however it is usually because cyano or diatoms are attached or in its mats

 

[Ludders]

Looks like a setosa

;Woot that was exactly what thought when I first looked at the pic.

Being serious though it does just look like the beginnings of an algae and from what you describe, possibly cyano, but disrupting the substrate could cause a spike, so I would advise to keep siphoning out any large amounts of bacteria like cyano, keep your water changes going and keep stirring up the substrate, it should all eventually calm back down and you should be able to get your nitrates down to an acceptable level.

 

[Temp]

Are these better pictures? My nitrates are reading 8 and my phosphates are at 0. I’m just hoping it’s not dinos and just cyano. The problem I have, is it just keeps coming back on the white sand the next day. My only question is, can dinos grow in shaded areas or the need light