Dino Diag Please

[Mastiffsrule]

Hi all. New member, old tank and older guy. Anyway......

I was on “another” forum for years but since moved over here to the best. I wanted to run by y’all a question for your opinion that I have been dealing with for about 5-6 years.

My tank-180, eshopps sump, vertex reactor for carbon/gfo, mp40, Nyos skimmer. I dose Kalkwasser thru an avast stirrer and my ATO. Mixed, mostly lps. I dont use supplements otherwise. A few years back I had an illness and surgery which put me down for months. Tank cleaning suffered. Then this started. The years prior it was alway a clean tank.

Not sure strain of Dino and don’t have a microscope. Only grows on substrate and back glass. It goes away lights off, comes back lights on. Water parameters all in line. I do run somewhat elevated phosphate and nitrates. But have always done so and coral thrived. Ignore the aptasia, unless they are attacking my other corals I leave them as filter feeders.

I am on 3 week cleaning schedule, 30% IO.

Any feedback would be appreciated. Thanks and hope I did this post correct, again- new and old. Bad mix

Sorry about the picture order, I gave up after 20 minutes of try to attach them in order. I’m just glad I got them to attach at all.

 

[KJ]

Look like Diatoms. @saltyfilmfolks

 

[Mastiffsrule]

Look like Diatoms. @saltyfilmfolks

I initially thought that 2 but any treatment I did for that did not help. I also tried a 4 night black out with pumps off and a canister filtering the water and then a huge cleaning. No help. I was also hoping to have it cycle out at some point but no. Tanks 10 years old.

Any possibility I would love to hear. Thank you

 

[wattson]

no treatment for Diatoms that i know of,,they feed on Silicates ,usually new tank /new sand syndrome,once they deplete food source then they should wane

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Are you on rodi ?

Could even be just a cyano.

 

[MTBake]

I agree. Looks more like diatoms or cyano. Perhaps a combo of the 2.

 

[Mastiffsrule]

I agree. Looks more like diatoms or cyano. Perhaps a combo of the 2.

The reason I don’t think diatoms isTanks 10 years old, nothing new in years. Didn’t show until my cleaning suffered.
I have run rodi since filling it. Tried 4 day black out a year or so ago and chemi clean 2 months ago. Nothings worked.

It blows of substrate easy and disappears at llights out. That’s why I thought Dino. Also the back glass get thread like build up if not cleaned. Nothing on the rocks or coral though

I think I angered the fish gods somehow and this is their revenge.

 

[MTBake]

The reason I don’t think diatoms isTanks 10 years old, nothing new in years. Didn’t show until my cleaning suffered.
I have run rodi since filling it. Tried 4 day black out a year or so ago and chemi clean 2 months ago. Nothings worked.

It blows of substrate easy and disappears at llights out. That’s why I thought Dino. Also the back glass get thread like build up if not cleaned. Nothing on the rocks or coral though

I think I angered the fish gods somehow and this is their revenge.

One way to be sure is to put a sample under a microscope. That's the best way to confirm.

Here's a pic of the dinos I'm currently dealing with, taken through the view finder of a microscope just earlier today with my phone.

 

[Mastiffsrule]

Agreed, just don’t have one. I read thru the big Dino thread about it. Even if I get a microscope I am sure it would take me weeks to figure out how to get the pix posted. (Barely know how to work my iPad) the pix in this post took me hours even after I read the threads here have n how to do it.

I just had a thought though, maybe I can send a sample out kinda like a triton water test by mail. I google see what

 

[Mastiffsrule]

It just took me 3 edits to the post above

 

[MTBake]

Agreed, just don’t have one. I read thru the big Dino thread about it. Even if I get a microscope I am sure it would take me weeks to figure out how to get the pix posted. (Barely know how to work my iPad) the pix in this post took me hours even after I read the threads here have n how to do it.

I just had a thought though, maybe I can send a sample out kinda like a triton water test by mail. I google see what

No worries. There's lots of helpful people on this forum that'll help get you through this.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

The reason I don’t think diatoms isTanks 10 years old, nothing new in years. Didn’t show until my cleaning suffered.
I have run rodi since filling it. Tried 4 day black out a year or so ago and chemi clean 2 months ago. Nothings worked.

It blows of substrate easy and disappears at llights out. That’s why I thought Dino. Also the back glass get thread like build up if not cleaned. Nothing on the rocks or coral though

I think I angered the fish gods somehow and this is their revenge.

I can and does sometimes happen when silicate slips past the di resin.
Thus the questions.

 

[Mastiffsrule]

I can and does sometimes happen when silicate slips past the di resin.
Thus the questions.

Could be, just replaced the the micron, carbon block and resin last month.

Will silicate show on TDS? My inline meter always read 0.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Could be, just replaced the the micron, carbon block and resin last month.

Will silicate show on TDS? My inline meter always read 0.

Curious it doesn’t seem to always. From other reports. I like to confirm mine with a handheld meter, and even that seems to not be 100%.
That said , if your Po4 isn’t super low you can add some gfo in a bag ina high flow area and it’ll take silicate out.
But as it’s unconfirmed , it could be just cyano. Cyano will follow the light cyclone some times. Yours appearing on the back glass is pretty weird though.

 

[Mastiffsrule]

Curious it doesn’t seem to always. From other reports. I like to confirm mine with a handheld meter, and even that seems to not be 100%.
That said , if your Po4 isn’t super low you can add some gfo in a bag ina high flow area and it’ll take silicate out.
But as it’s unconfirmed , it could be just cyano. Cyano will follow the light cyclone some times. Yours appearing on the back glass is pretty weird though.

I actually run brs highcapacity GFO thru a vertex reactor for po4. My No3 is a bit high but I would say they are within equilibrium of each other to avoid any type of bloom.

I also tried the chemiclean for cyano and it did not work.

Would you think of anything else it could be If I somewhat confidently ruled out Diatoms and cyano?

pS. Really appreciate all the responses and help. I am new here. Last forum I was in for years would never come close to this level of help

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

No worries.
Your running gfo. It’s not silicates so likely not diatoms.

Sounds like cyano.