Algea ID help please....microscope show and tell

[deemoe]

Can someone please help ID the predominate algae seen below? It's mostly on the sand bed and appears to go away to some degree at night.

So far, I have identified Pennate Diatoms and Amphidinum Dinos, but I cannot get a handle on the other brown translucent organism, which seems to be the juggernaut in my samples. Is this also a type of dino or perhaps a diatom? I had nutrients bottom out around the 5-month mark of the system, and currently, the nitrates are up to 7.1 ppm, and Phophapates = 0.09.

Any help is much appreciated.

 

[deemoe]

Bump....any thoughts?

 

[Beachbilly]

Flow or bioload may need more beneficial bacteria. Adding livestock??

 

[Beachbilly]

It's a delicate balance tank looks great lighting seems good visually

 

[Beachbilly]

I'm only 3mo into the hobby I just got an emerald crab took care of alot very cheep. Research but I think theyey won't bother coral

 

[Beachbilly]

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Bump....any thoughts?

It looks like a different type of diatoms to me, but microalgae ID isn't a strong point of mine at the moment.

 

[Beachbilly]

What ever you do always starts with filtration and cuc

 

[Beachbilly]

What is your filtration like?

 

[deemoe]

It's an AIO biocube 20. I change the filter floss every two days.

No skimmer, I was doing 20% weekly water changes and bottomed out my nutrients. I have raised nutrients by dosing neonitro as I thought I had dinos and needed to increase nutrients.

Since then, I wanted to confirm if I've created a diatom bloom or if I still have a type of dino.

I've got two bioblocks in rear chamber and some live rock rubble in center chamber. I have been dosing MB7 and also adding pods and live phyto. I don't think it's a bacteria issue.

Still looking for an ID on these? Diatom or dino?

 

[deemoe]

@vetteguy53081, you seem to have a lot of knowledge here. Could you share your thoughts?

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

@taricha - sorry to keep tagging you in these, but any thoughts?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Can someone please help ID the predominate algae seen below? It's mostly on the sand bed and appears to go away to some degree at night.

So far, I have identified Pennate Diatoms and Amphidinum Dinos, but I cannot get a handle on the other brown translucent organism, which seems to be the juggernaut in my samples. Is this also a type of dino or perhaps a diatom? I had nutrients bottom out around the 5-month mark of the system, and currently, the nitrates are up to 7.1 ppm, and Phophapates = 0.09.

Any help is much appreciated.

Looks like Protista which represents fungai and diatom organisms

 

[driciladr]

Pretty sure this one solo guy is a form of Dinoflagellates

 

[vetteguy53081]

Pretty sure this one solo guy is a form of Dinoflagellates

possible amphidium but single cell.

 

[deemoe]

Pretty sure this one solo guy is a form of Dinoflagellates

Yes, that's the conclusion I came to. But the Amphidinum are far and few to show up in my sampling.

 

[deemoe]

Looks like Protista which represents fungai and diatom organisms

Many thanks for weighing in.

So, in your opinion what's a good course of action to combat these? The brown algae on the sand is still showing signs of worsening... Perhaps it's due for the course given the system has been set up for 5 months.

After bottoming out nutrients, I started dosing nitrates, and I believe the dinos were out-competed at this point, given I don't see too many in my sampling. I am seeing far more fuss and hair-brown algae now. Should I stop dosing nitrates and bring nutrients back down to 2.5? Something is out of balance but I do not know what it is. I have been dosing MB7 and adding pods and phyto as well.

I have added more hermit crabs and snails to the existing clean-up crew. I also have a lawnmower blenny with a stomach looks like it could pop.

Current tank parameters:

Age: 5 months
P04: 0.06 ppm
No3: 7.8 ppm
Ca: 447 ppm
dKH: 8.6
PH: between 7.9-8.2

Here are the current pics as of this morning. I am going to do manual removal tomorrow.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Many thanks for weighing in.

So, in your opinion what's a good course of action to combat these? The brown algae on the sand is still showing signs of worsening... Perhaps it's due for the course given the system has been set up for 5 months.

After bottoming out nutrients, I started dosing nitrates, and I believe the dinos were out-competed at this point, given I don't see too many in my sampling. I am seeing far more fuss and hair-brown algae now. Should I stop dosing nitrates and bring nutrients back down to 2.5? Something is out of balance but I do not know what it is. I have been dosing MB7 and adding pods and phyto as well.

I have added more hermit crabs and snails to the existing clean-up crew. I also have a lawnmower blenny with a stomach looks like it could pop.

Current tank parameters:

Age: 5 months
P04: 0.06 ppm
No3: 7.8 ppm
Ca: 447 ppm
dKH: 8.6
PH: between 7.9-8.2

Here are the current pics as of this morning. I am going to do manual removal tomorrow.

Siphon and reduce white light intensity. Avoid over feeding and realize more unsightly than if harm. Add snails such as nerite, cerith, trochus and margarita as well as nassarius and even a few blue leg hermits

 

[taricha]

@taricha - sorry to keep tagging you in these, but any thoughts?

I love microscope surveys.

This is correct, there is one single large-cell amphidinium dino...

Pretty sure this one solo guy is a form of Dinoflagellates

However, literally everything else in these pics is just an illustration of the diversity of diatoms.
So the conclusion is that the brown masses are diatoms, and a negligible amount of anything else.

 

[deemoe]

I love microscope surveys.

This is correct, there is one single large-cell amphidinium dino...


However, literally everything else in these pics is just an illustration of the diversity of diatoms.
So the conclusion is that the brown masses are diatoms, and a negligible amount of anything else.

Thank you for having a look!! So, I suspect I'm in phase 2 of the dino treatment, where diatoms are outcompeting dinos. I expect this will take a while to play out.