Can you confirm

GamerDadof4 · Mar 3, 2020

Sorry another algea ID thread.. I am guessing Cyano's and Diatoms? No microscope. Blackish algea on sand comes off in mats and on the rock a turkey baster knocks it right off. Sometime the black algea will be on top of the brown algea and then as you can see in the pics below in some areas the brown algea is by itself. Brown algea doesn't seem to be matted and can blow off easily.

I went through and cleaned the sand off and toothbrushed the rocks and got most of it out about a weeks ago but it's back. I do not notice it leaving at night and reappearing.

-Tank has been set up for 2 months now.
-250 gals total
-Corals: 2 BT anenomes and a Torch
-Fish: Yellow Tang, Blue Tang, 2 clowns, Domino Damsel, Foxface, CUC, and a zebra morray.
My Nitrates bottomed out.
TDS: 0
pH: 8.1
Alk: 8.5
Ca: 445
Mag: 1395
Nitrate: 0
PO4: .03

No reactors. No dosing

I have a refugium that runs opposite light schedule (has been set up for 1.5 weeks) - but I'm not running chaeoto I have some - Red Spike sphere, red ogo, and some leafy ogo. There's small growth but not a lot.

0utworld · Mar 3, 2020

Based on your nutrient levels and the snotty look on that algae, it could possibly be dinos.

GamerDadof4 · Mar 3, 2020

I just tried the Dino Test from this thread: Helpful Method for Identifying Dinos and I did not get any coagulation.

GamerDadof4 · Mar 3, 2020

But now I am really confused.... I just noticed that there is bubbles inside some of the areas... which I thought was indicative of dino's..

Phildago · Mar 3, 2020

That be bubble algae. I have some issues now with it myself. I'm not sure why it grows on sand like that, but on rocks it's bright green

MrDLHughesY · Mar 3, 2020

Phildago said:
That be bubble algae. I have some issues now with it myself. I'm not sure why it grows on sand like that, but on rocks it's bright green

That doesn’t look like bubble algae to me the bubbles are clear where bubble algae is a darkish green

GamerDadof4 · Mar 3, 2020

Phildago said:
That be bubble algae. I have some issues now with it myself. I'm not sure why it grows on sand like that, but on rocks it's bright green

I've had hair algae in another tank and I am not sure that's the start of it. these bubbles are not happening on any of that lime green portions just the slimy black/brownish parts.

I thought that bright green algae is the process of my rock (it was dry) working through it's process.

MrDLHughesY · Mar 3, 2020

0utworld said:
Based on your nutrient levels and the snotty look on that algae, it could possibly be dinos.

+1 dinos

Malifry97 · Mar 3, 2020

Looks more like cyano possibly black cyano?.. #reefsquad

Phildago · Mar 3, 2020

MrDLHughesY said:
That doesn’t look like bubble algae to me the bubbles are clear where bubble algae is a darkish green

Hmmm

So it seems like mine starts off bright green and the areas by the bubble cake up into a goop like that. I'm new to this type of algae in my own tank though, so I could be mistaken

MrDLHughesY · Mar 3, 2020

Phildago said:
Hmmm

So it seems like mine starts off bright green and the areas by the bubble cake up into a goop like that. I'm new to this type of algae in my own tank though, so I could be mistaken

Bubble algae is hard you can actually pic it off doesn’t have no goop coming off it. An algae that looks and is a slimy goop with bubbles is more than likely either dinos or cyano

GamerDadof4 · Mar 3, 2020

Malifry97 said:
Looks more like cyano possibly black cyano?.. #reefsquad

This is what I thought at first but then I saw the bubbles...

Billldg · Mar 3, 2020

It kinda looks like cyano, I believe cyano can also produce bubbles of gas. Does it go away at night and come back in the day? Having just dealt with cyano myself, mine was very photosynthetic. It would be everywhere during the day but would go away at night. I tried several methods and the only thing that worked was Chemi-clean. I would definitely work on getting your N03 up a little.

GamerDadof4 · Mar 3, 2020

Billldg said:
It kinda looks like cyano, I believe cyano can also produce bubbles of gas. Does it go away at night and come back in the day? Having just dealt with cyano myself, mine was very photosynthetic. It would be everywhere during the day but would go away at night. I tried several methods and the only thing that worked was Chemi-clean. I would definitely work on getting your N03 up a little.

I just asked my wife... she says it is quickly spreading.

I can tell you for sure tomorrow - but there is definitely more right now then there was this morning.

0utworld · Mar 3, 2020

Despite what it is right now, I would start working on your nitrate and phosphate levels and not have either bottom out. I would aim for at least 2 for NO3 and 0.05 for PO4

Billldg · Mar 3, 2020

Not using a microscope to confirm dinos, it is hard to say if you have dinos with cyano. I would look at it tomorrow morning before, or just as the lights come and if it is considerably less, then, whether its dinos or cyano it is photosynthetic. You can try a 3 day light out, but IME, I would just start with Chemi-clean, it worked for me. I would also start trying to get your N03 up, maybe 5 to 10 ppm, your P04 wasn't bad, but you can try and raise them to at least .05 ppm, that will get you above most test kits margin of error.

GamerDadof4 · Mar 3, 2020

I will make sure to check in the morning before the lights come on.

So raising N03 and P04 - I'll look into ways to do this.

Billldg said:
I would just start with Chemi-clean, it worked for me.

Is Chemi-clean good to does with bubble tips and also my eel?

Billldg · Mar 3, 2020

GamerDadof4 said:
I will make sure to check in the morning before the lights come on.

So raising N03 and P04 - I'll look into ways to do this.

Is Chemi-clean good to does with bubble tips and also my eel?

I used it with SPS and LPS with no problem. It will make your tank look like junk in a day, it will turn your tank red, but in 2 days it will start to clear up.

OKCorals · Mar 3, 2020

GamerDadof4 said:
Sorry another algea ID thread.. I am guessing Cyano's and Diatoms? No microscope. Blackish algea on sand comes off in mats and on the rock a turkey baster knocks it right off. Sometime the black algea will be on top of the brown algea and then as you can see in the pics below in some areas the brown algea is by itself. Brown algea doesn't seem to be matted and can blow off easily.

I went through and cleaned the sand off and toothbrushed the rocks and got most of it out about a weeks ago but it's back. I do not notice it leaving at night and reappearing.

-Tank has been set up for 2 months now.
-250 gals total
-Corals: 2 BT anenomes and a Torch
-Fish: Yellow Tang, Blue Tang, 2 clowns, Domino Damsel, Foxface, CUC, and a zebra morray.
My Nitrates bottomed out.
TDS: 0
pH: 8.1
Alk: 8.5
Ca: 445
Mag: 1395
Nitrate: 0
PO4: .03

No reactors. No dosing

I have a refugium that runs opposite light schedule (has been set up for 1.5 weeks) - but I'm not running chaeoto I have some - Red Spike sphere, red ogo, and some leafy ogo. There's small growth but not a lot.

Looks very similar to the cyano I had, except mine was more reddish/purple. I definitely had bubbles in mine like that. It is 100% NOT bubble algae. Bubble algae is hard, basically like a little green plastic bubble of water. You can pop it and the fluid comes out. I've had to scrape bubble algae off of a couple frags I got recently, you would definitely know if it's bubble algae. I haven't had any experience with dinos, but I got my cyano under control with a combination of increased water changes, blackouts, phosphate sponge, adding copepods, siphoning sand, adding chaeto, and decreasing feeding by a little bit. I also would brush the cyano off the rocks right before water changes and then immediately change the filter floss.