I am not sure if I am dealing with new tank uglies, bacteria or dinos. Wondering if anyone can help. It is a bare bottom Red Sea Reefer 750xxl. It has been running for 5 months now. Filtration is a roller mat, Reef Octopus 250 skimmer, 40watt Pentair UV (added 2 weeks ago, targeting bacteria and algae running in the sump) , .5 cup of BRS ROX Carbon once in awhile and 4 Brightwell Xport bricks. Not the kind that have nitrate or phosphate remover just pour-us media for bacteria. I test every Saturday, phosphate with the Hanna ULR has been between .02 and .06. This past Saturday it was .05. Nitrate has been 0 for awhile. I have 6 tangs, a clown and royal gramma. I feed nori every day and LRS in the evening. I continue to up the feedings but Nitrate always reads 0. Do the pictures help or would a microscope be needed? It really looks like some strange bacteria but the 0 nitrate has me concerned based on things I have read on Dinos. It is snotty, comes off when I rub the rock with my fingers, it appears white when it brushes off and goes into the water column. Any ideas? Time to take drastic measures or let the tank continue to mature?
Bacteria, Algae or Dinos?
- Thread starter Diesel48
- Start date
- Tagged users None
Bret Brinkmann
Well-Known Member
The pictures are consistent with a dino bloom. Put some in a cup and stir it up to break it up. After 15 minutes if it has reformed, then it's dinos. Dinos are usually worse at the end of the day and get slightly better over night. You can use a scope for visual confirmation.
Consider dosing KNO3, Spectrocide stump remover, to raise your nitrates. A little goes a lllloooonnnngggg way so start slowly and increase as needed. If it is dinos, then a bacterial competitor may help knock it back. If you have bacteria in your sump, then try placing some into your DT. But again, only if it is dinos. Usually people will buy MicroBactor 7 for this purpose but it typically works best against the strains that inhabit sandbeds.
Consider dosing KNO3, Spectrocide stump remover, to raise your nitrates. A little goes a lllloooonnnngggg way so start slowly and increase as needed. If it is dinos, then a bacterial competitor may help knock it back. If you have bacteria in your sump, then try placing some into your DT. But again, only if it is dinos. Usually people will buy MicroBactor 7 for this purpose but it typically works best against the strains that inhabit sandbeds.
I have a microscope. Will do that tomorrow to see what it is and maybe get an ID. I have some KNO3 coming to help and get nitrates up regardless. At least I do not have any corals besides two testers to worry about.
Finally got the microscope out. I took some of the strange bacteria stuff out and put it on a glass slide. This was taken at 1000x with the microscope. This was what I saw. There was no movement. Not sure if these are dinos or not.
Bret Brinkmann
Well-Known Member
That doesn't look like any dinos I ever saw. Don't know what it is though.
