Brown stringy algae

[Theaviator]

Can anyone identify this stuff? It’s all over my rocks and sand bed mainly. I think it’s dinoflagellates but I’m not entirely sure. If it is, any recommendation on how to clear this up? The tank looks horrible.
Back story. I recently moved my tank so I had to start over with the cycle. Maybe this is just a by product of that?

 

[vtecintegra]

Looks like strings of bacteria to me. Dinos look like a dirty brown covering on the sand and rocks.

 

[Theaviator]

Maybe due to the cycle do you think?

 

[vetteguy53081]

It looks kind of like a bacterial bloom to me. It could also be a mucus secreted by unhappy corals. If the rock was not cycled properly things like bacterial biomass or bacterial mats can form until the rock is purged of it's nutrients.
Increasing water flow will help to prevent it from sticking to structures. Siphon up the particles as much as you can.

What are your exact parameters?

 

[vtecintegra]

Maybe due to the cycle do you think?

I've only seen something like that once when I dumped a lot of vinegar in the tank to clean it before draining. Best guess is the rock has a lot of nutrients that favor that bacteria. I wouldn't worry about it too much. Should be self limiting and go away.

 

[Theaviator]

Interesting. I’ll let it run it’s course see what happens. Do you think increasing flow or adding snails would help clean this up?

amonia <.25
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0
PH 8.0
Magnesium 1350
Salinity 1.025

 

[Cory]

Looks like bacterial slime to me too. Are those dry macro rocks?

 

[Theaviator]

Yes dry macro rock. I’ve actually had the rock in this tank a little over a year and had the tank previously cycled. Problem is I just moved and put new sand and water in the tank basically starting over. I added biospira maybe a month ago now?