Dino? Cyano? diatoms?

[coralkurd]

Hey guys I am sorry for making another one of these posts but I am a new reefer and need some help and wisdom before I make changes that might ruin everything.

Lately I have noticed that my rocks have a very short algae on it that the snails love. The other day I was sitting on the floor and looking up at the tank and noticed a lot of bubbles all over everything. From straight in or above it was hard to see. Only when I looked at the rank from below could you see it. They pop very easy and float to the top. They also seem to be attached to a very stringy light brown algae. It didn’t look like bubble algae because it wasn’t green or hard. I did a 30 gallon water change yesterday (my tank is 75g).

Today I noticed that on my sand is the stringy brown algae. It does blow off very easy. Also it it getting caught on my corals. Like my toadstool seems to have it caught in its polyps. They close and some of my zoas don’t open well but I think they might be from shrimp walking on or sand being blown in it. Almost forgot, but the tank was bought off someone else who had it set up 10 plus years. I bought and transferred everything including sand.

Anyways I tested tonight and my parameters are below.

Phosphate- .05 (Hanna)
Nitrate- 5-10 ppm (api)

Only thing I can think of is maybe my RODI unit is not 0 tds. It’s a very old brs 4 stage unit without the tds meter. I did get a new filter kit for it about a month ago. I also noticed that the middle cartridge is leaking even after changing the o ring.

I also have these crappy photos lol. Let me know if you have any advice or know what it is please. Also thank you for taking the time to read this and help. Thankful for a community like this.

 

[coralkurd]

Any help? Also why is my post still have the watch sign next to it?

 

[leepink23]

I ended up buying a microscope off Amazon to get a true id, definitely worth it to have specific treatment. Probably best to get pictures with white lights on so people can help id it.

 

[Malifry97]

I ended up buying a microscope off Amazon to get a true id, definitely worth it to have specific treatment. Probably best to get pictures with white lights on so people can help id it.

+1 to white lights

 

[coralkurd]

I will get photo with white lights when I get home. Couple of questions. I noticed that the stuff on the sand will go away at night and come back when lights are on. What does this indicate? Also can I get Dino’s if I have phosphate and nitrates levels in the tank?

 

[leepink23]

I will get photo with white lights when I get home. Couple of questions. I noticed that the stuff on the sand will go away at night and come back when lights are on. What does this indicate? Also can I get Dino’s if I have phosphate and nitrates levels in the tank?

My Dino go away at night and cone back with lights, I had 0.01 phosphate and 5 nitrate when they showed up.

 

[coralkurd]

My Dino go away at night and cone back with lights, I had 0.01 phosphate and 5 nitrate when they showed up.

Have a link to the microscope you use? And that’s interesting that Dino’s show up even when you don’t bottom our. Wonder why.

 

[leepink23]

Have a link to the microscope you use? And that’s interesting that Dino’s show up even when you don’t bottom our. Wonder why.

I got a little bit more expensive one but this would work

 

[bjc451]

I won’t even try pics unless I turn my lights to 6500k.

 

[coralkurd]

Here are some pics under all whites

 

[vetteguy53081]

My Dino go away at night and cone back with lights, I had 0.01 phosphate and 5 nitrate when they showed up.

That's what dino does and in turn you want to leave lights off for 3-5 days or at minimum 5% blue and NO white and add liquid bacteria 2-3ml during the day and apply 1ml per 10 gallons of hydrogen peroxide at night when lights out. Will defeat the dinos. Wash filters daily to rid of dead dino matter and do not feed coral foods which are fuel for dinos

 

[coralkurd]

That's what dino does and in turn you want to leave lights off for 3-5 days or at minimum 5% blue and NO white and add liquid bacteria 2-3ml during the day and apply 1ml per 10 gallons of hydrogen peroxide at night when lights out. Will defeat the dinos. Wash filters daily to rid of dead dino matter and do not feed coral foods which are fuel for dinos

So does my pics look like it is for sure Dino’s? Also if I go the 3-5 days lights out, will corals be ok? By liquid bacteria, do you mean microbecter7?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Microbacter yes and hard to tell from pics But your description and the behavior describes what Dino and even cyano will do with light response

 

[coralkurd]

So I did saw people wrapping the tank in cardboard and going lights out for 3 days. Will corals be ok is first question. I manually dose 2 part, do I still do that during the lights out? Do I feed fish at all during the 3 days? Also I run bra gfo and carbon, do I shut these off?