Cyano or ?https://youtu.be/v94n6z-C7fI

[fafafooey]

It looks like I have cobwebs all over my tank. I believe it started on the sandbed and has just been working its way up over time.

Here's a video of the tank:
My tank is about 6 months old now. This issue started 2-3 months ago, maybe longer. However, when it first started it was redder than it is now. I did a lot of siphoning off top layers of sand, but now it's back with this new brown color.

It's ugly as all hell and it's doing my head in. If it's cyano I'm going to nuke it with Chemiclean. I really didn't want to do it, but that's the point I'm at now.

Tank is a 40g AIO with Chemipure Elite and Purigen, filter pads, protein skimmer.

Temp: 78F
Salinity: 1.024
pH: 8.05
Calcium: 450
Phosphate: 0.01
Alk: 8.1 dKH
Magnesium: 1350ppm
Ammonia: 0
Nitrites: 0
Nitrates: 0-5 (API)

I suppose I'm just looking for some positive ID here or anything that jumps at you from the water parameters that's not allowing me to get this in check.

:EDIT: Totally spazzed when making this post, so I apologize for the title. Mods - if you see this can you please change to "Cyano or ?"

 

[Jay Z]

Following.

 

[fafafooey]

Link got caught in your title. I got you!

Thanks for the backup. Edited my original post as well with a lot more information that I meant to include the first time.

 

[Pdash]

Looks like dinoflagellates, would need a cheapy microscope for a positive ID.

 

[sixty_reefer]

Increase your po4 and no3, and your problem will be gone in a couple week. You must remember that the goal in the hobby is not to aim for zero. Even ultra low system got both of the above at minimum readings.

 

[fafafooey]

Looks like dinoflagellates, would need a cheapy microscope for a positive ID.

It's definitely a possibility. I just watched a video on dino's and it looks similar to what's in my tank, and then I watched a video on spirulina cyano and that looks similar as well. Would one of those pocket microscopes do the trick, or is 120-250x not enough magnification for IDing?

Increase your po4 and no3, and your problem will be gone in a couple week. You must remember that the goal in the hobby is not to aim for zero. Even ultra low system got both of the above at minimum readings.

I had Chemi-Clean in my cart this morning, and I just can't go through with it despite my post last night. If it's Dino's it wouldn't work anyway.

Should I remove the Chemi-Pure Elite or Purigen, or both? And instead of doing water changes I'm going to manually siphon as often as possible into a filter sock in a 5G bucket and put that water back in the tank so no "fresh" water is added for a couple of weeks. Would be easier if I had a sump, but I don't.

Anything else, or does this sound like a reasonable plan to start?

 

[fafafooey]

IM also makes a drop-in UV sterilizer that I could run in one of my columns in place of a filter pad caddy.

Auqa Shield UV Sterilizer Midsize

Compatible With all Nuvo Fusion Midsize AIO Aquariums UV sterilization has been used for quite a long time in the medical and other industries for destroying micro-organisms. Innovative Marine's Aqua Shield UV Sterilizer will help reduce free-floating organisms and help minimize the risk of...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

Could this help as well?

 

[Pdash]

120-250 should be fine.

 

[dwest]

This $10 scope will work. I would remove all chemical media except GAC if you are running it. I’m in the dino camp.

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[dwest]

IM also makes a drop-in UV sterilizer that I could run in one of my columns in place of a filter pad caddy.

Auqa Shield UV Sterilizer Midsize

Compatible With all Nuvo Fusion Midsize AIO Aquariums UV sterilization has been used for quite a long time in the medical and other industries for destroying micro-organisms. Innovative Marine's Aqua Shield UV Sterilizer will help reduce free-floating organisms and help minimize the risk of...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

Could this help as well?

I would only go that route if you confirm dinos and that are not amphidinium.

 

[fafafooey]

This $10 scope will work. I would remove all chemical media except GAC if you are running it. I’m in the dino camp.

Excellent. My wife is actually going to take a sample to her lab tomorrow and get an ID on it. If they can photograph brain cells they can most definitely ID whatever this is.

I wish I had a media reactor for carbon. For right now, I'll pull the Chemipure Elite and the Purigen and I'll grab some media bags and carbon tonight and put those in the media basket.

Appreciate all the help with this! I'll report back tomorrow once we've identified it.

 

[musicreefer320]

Following

 

[fafafooey]

Back from lab! Unfortunately, the camera on the scope wasn't set up to take bright field images, but I managed to get a photo with my cell phone through the eyepiece.

Ostreopsis, right? I would appreciate any second opinions.

So far, I've cut down the intensity of the lights by a lot. I've also removed the Purigen and Chemi-Pure Elite from the media caddy and replaced it with a fresh bag of GAC.

I also bought a Red Sea Nitrate Pro test kit to get a better idea of where my nitrates are in that 0-5 range that is almost impossible for me to distinguish with the API kit.

Short of reading 387 pages of the Dino thread here, what can I start doing immediately?

Up the feeding, drop in a UV, and dose some copepods? Skim or no skim?

 

[dwest]

Back from lab! Unfortunately, the camera on the scope wasn't set up to take bright field images, but I managed to get a photo with my cell phone through the eyepiece.

Ostreopsis, right? I would appreciate any second opinions.

So far, I've cut down the intensity of the lights by a lot. I've also removed the Purigen and Chemi-Pure Elite from the media caddy and replaced it with a fresh bag of GAC.

I also bought a Red Sea Nitrate Pro test kit to get a better idea of where my nitrates are in that 0-5 range that is almost impossible for me to distinguish with the API kit.

Short of reading 387 pages of the Dino thread here, what can I start doing immediately?

Up the feeding, drop in a UV, and dose some copepods? Skim or no skim?

I believe I see ostreopsis in there as well. I would eradicate with UV short term. Then make sure to have measurable nitrates and phosphates longer term to help dino competitors thrive.

For UV, we’ve seen the most successes with at least 1 watt UV per 3 gallons system water, run from DT back to DT, at about a rate of 1-3 tank volumes per hour.

For the longer term solution, I would start by using good test kits. I use salifert for nitrates and Hanna ULR phosphorous for phosphates. You can dose if you need to.

Good luck. You can knock these dudes out!

 

[fafafooey]

I do have a Red Sea Nitrates Pro test kit on the way and I'm already using a Hanna ULR phos checker, so we will be good to go on that front after tomorrow.

The good news is that the API test kit showed around 5 nitrates tonight. I'm not banking on that number though. Phosphates are up to 0.04. I believe this rise can be contributed to pulling the chemical filtration I was running.

The UV sterilizer should be here early next week, which can't come soon enough.

Should I be seeding with some sort of beneficial bacteria to give the dino's more competition? MicroBacter?

 

[dwest]

I do have a Red Sea Nitrates Pro test kit on the way and I'm already using a Hanna ULR phos checker, so we will be good to go on that front after tomorrow.

The good news is that the API test kit showed around 5 nitrates tonight. I'm not banking on that number though. Phosphates are up to 0.04. I believe this rise can be contributed to pulling the chemical filtration I was running.

The UV sterilizer should be here early next week, which can't come soon enough.

Should I be seeding with some sort of beneficial bacteria to give the dino's more competition? MicroBacter?

I don’t think the bacteria can hurt, but not sure if necessary. All else is good!