Cyano or Dino ID

[nmaragh18]

Hello Everyone.
I have Red Sea Peninsula 500 that has been up and running now for about 8 months or so.
I do a regular 15-20% water change every week using RODI water and Red Sea Salt.
In the past couple of days I am now seeing what appears to be either Dinos or Cyanos growing on my sand bed that I would love some assistance IDing.
I have included videos under both Blue and White lights and my current parameters.
Thank you in advance for your advice.

My parameters as of today are
SAL:- 34.5

 

[PeterC99]

The videos are not working. Can you post some pics?

 

[nmaragh18]

Hello Everyone.
I have Red Sea Peninsula 500 that has been up and running now for about 8 months or so.
I do a regular 15-20% water change every week using RODI water and Red Sea Salt.
In the past couple of days I am now seeing what appears to be either Dinos or Cyanos growing on my sand bed that I would love some assistance IDing.
I have included videos under both Blue and White lights and my current parameters.
Thank you in advance for your advice.

My parameters as of today are
SAL:- 34.5

 

[nmaragh18]

The videos are not working. Can you post some pics?

Hi PeterC99, I have uploaded pics. Thank you

 

[SaltwaterGuruNeeded]

Seems like diatoms or cyano to me, because I don't see any bubbles which would indicate dinoflagellates.

 

[Dolphins18]

Closer to cyano, though I have never had brown cyano, I wouldn't be surprised if that is diatoms (many different species of diatoms, given a common name). Throw some snails in there and see if they eat it, snails will not eat cyano, and I do not think that is dinos.

 

[SaltwaterGuruNeeded]

Closer to cyano, though I have never had brown cyano, I wouldn't be surprised if that is diatoms (many different species of diatoms, given a common name). Throw some snails in there and see if they eat it, snails will not eat cyano, and I do not think that is dinos.

Yeah, looks like diatoms too but probably uncommon to have an outbreak like that in an established tank. I'm going to go with brown cyano. However if you can test for silicates in your rodi system, and you got silica coming through. You got diatoms.

 

[jmichaelh7]

Dinos !!

 

[vetteguy53081]

Im thinking diatoms. One way to tell, blow loose with a turkey baster and siphon up well. See how long it takes to return. Cyano is bound to be reddish, not brown and diatoms will be a light film- no bubbles.
Dino will look like diatom but day too will start to look slimy and by day 3, developing gas bubbles.
Dino will blow away fairly easy whereas diatoms will take effort

 

[SaltwaterGuruNeeded]

Im thinking diatoms. One way to tell, blow loose with a turkey baster and siphon up well. See how long it takes to return. Cyano is bound to be reddish, not brown and diatoms will be a light film- no bubbles.
Dino will look like diatom but day too will start to look slimy and by day 3, developing gas bubbles.
Dino will blow away fairly easy whereas diatoms will take effort

Don't diatoms blow away easy?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Don't diatoms blow away easy?

not always especially on the bedding and certain rock surfaces.

 

[jx.reef]

Looks like diatoms and not dinos. I’ve got something almost identical in my new setup and the snails will mow right through it.

 

[Dolphins18]

Snails are a very easy test, in the small chance those are dinos (which I truly doubt) the last thing you want to do is blow them around.

 

[SaltwaterGuruNeeded]

Snails are a very easy test, in the small chance those are dinos (which I truly doubt) the last thing you want to do is blow them around.

I'd say if you see bubbles in the algae, it's dinoflagellates. If you have alot of silicates in your water or you put something new in the tank, like the crushed coral, it's diatoms. Also with diatoms, the amount of brown stuff/algae like stuff will get worse as the day goes on and then it will subside or start to go away. There will be less in the morning. Good indicator of diatoms. Cyano usually likes a lot of light. I definitely don't think it's dinoflagellates based on the pictures you've sent us. So monitor the algae for a day or 2 and see what happens. Once you identify what it is you can take your plan of action into effect. If it just keeps building up without calming down in the morning. It's most likely cyano. Hope this helps.

 

[nmaragh18]

Seems like cyano to me, because I don't see any bubbles which would indicate dinoflagellates.

@SaltwaterGuruNeeded I actually started treating for Cyano using CynaoClean by Korallen-zucht.de and also Coral Snow.

 

[SaltwaterGuruNeeded]

@SaltwaterGuruNeeded I actually started treating for Cyano using CynaoClean by Korallen-zucht.de and also Coral Snow.

When did u start the treatment and do you notice any changes?

 

[nmaragh18]

Yeah, looks like diatoms too but probably uncommon to have an outbreak like that in an established tank. I'm going to go with brown cyano. However if you can test for silicates in your rodi system, and you got silica coming through. You got diatoms.

Would I need to get something like a ICP test for that?

 

[nmaragh18]

When did u start the treatment and do you notice any changes?

I've been treating for about a week and a half now. Its slowly getting better I think. I also did get another Gyre pump to get some flow going in the tank.

 

[SaltwaterGuruNeeded]

Would I need to get something like a ICP test for that?

No, don't have to but would be nice. Ik salifert has a silicate test.

 

[nmaragh18]

Looks like diatoms and not dinos. I’ve got something almost identical in my new setup and the snails will mow right through it.

Any particular snails?