Dinoflagelattes? What is this?

[Easdem]

So I have this snotty crap all over my rocks and glass. I've done all regular algae protocol to no avail. I believe its dino...There are a couple of things that affect my approach moving forward.

I am upgrading my tank to a reefer 350...new rock, sand, water. I want to transfer the life over into the new tank but don't want to bring this Dino stuff over. I plan on cycling the new tank over the next several weeks, so I have some time to try some things and kill this dino off.

What do you all suggest?

 

[Goaway]

Need some pics in white light. Could be a different kind of bacteria.

 

[Spieg]

Agree this may be a bacteria rather than Dinos... Dinoflagellates is often caused by extremely low nutrients. What do your Nitrate and Phosphate test out at?

 

[Easdem]

Thanks for the quick response...

ALK 9
pH 8.1
PHOS 0.0
Ca 460
Mg 1282
AMMO 0.0
Nitrite 0.0
Nitrate 1

 

[Goaway]

This looks more like bacteria than dinos. A power head could help clean up the rocks. Siphon up what u can with a water change.

 

[Spieg]

Doesn't look like Dinos in white light. They are usually a brownish color.

My best guess is some kind of bacterial bloom. I'd try to siphon as much out as you can and blow off the rest and replace your filter media frequently. Maybe even run some filter carbon. Bacteria will usually run it's course over a week or so if you keep on it.

 

[Easdem]

This looks more like bacteria than dinos. A power head could help clean up the rocks. Siphon up what u can with a water change.

I have even removed rocks and brushed heavy bristles. It aways comes back. Water changes seem to help, its also on my glass as well, it looks a bit more brown-ish there.

 

[Goaway]

No need to take the rock out. Whatever it's doing, its cleaning something off the rock. Like spieg said, it will run its course, solid advice from him.

 

[LuizW13]

Looks like Dino to me- I've battled it twice. What worked for me was manual removal + DinoX, and raising nutrients.

Search the forums and the net..you're about to learn a crap ton, lol.

Good luck.

 

[BostonReefer300]

This is definitely a bacterial bloom. If you have a sump, you'll probably find this slime down there too. You've gotten good advice above already. In addition, you need to figure out why you're having a bloom. Are you adding bacterial products? Are you doing any form of carbon dosing (vodka, biopellets, etc.) or feeding bacterial supplements/food (eg Nopox)? I had a biblical bacterial bloom a few years ago and it turned out it was because I decided to try a small biopellet reactor in my sump. After getting rid of that, siphoning out as much gunk as I could, and a couple water changes, the bloom subsided over a couple weeks.

 

[Easdem]

This is definitely a bacterial bloom. If you have a sump, you'll probably find this slime down there too. You've gotten good advice above already. In addition, you need to figure out why you're having a bloom. Are you adding bacterial products? Are you doing any form of carbon dosing (vodka, biopellets, etc.) or feeding bacterial supplements/food (eg Nopox)? I had a biblical bacterial bloom a few years ago and it turned out it was because I decided to try a small biopellet reactor in my sump. After getting rid of that, siphoning out as much gunk as I could, and a couple water changes, the bloom subsided over a couple weeks.

I am running a bag of reef spec carbon in the sump. I didn't know that carbon could cause bacterial issues. T thought it was a good idea to run it.

I have not dosed any bacteria except when I cycled the tank a few years ago.

 

[anthonygf]

I am running a bag of reef spec carbon in the sump. I didn't know that carbon could cause bacterial issues. T thought it was a good idea to run it.

I have not dosed any bacteria except when I cycled the tank a few years ago.

Carbon dosing is not activated carbon. it is ok to use activated carbon, I rarely use it. Was running it 24/7 with no problems, but may cause some issues with Tangs, hasn't hurt my tang but I will only run carbon on occasion. Causes HITH disease with fresh water Oscars.

What LuizW13 says is good advice. You need to blow off your corals daily, manual removal, I use a small polishing filter inside my tank when I blow this stuff off corals, rocks, sand etc. Raise your nutrients and it will help allowing coraline and other good algae to grow in it's place.

 

[anthonygf]

Carbon dosing is not activated carbon. it is ok to use activated carbon, I rarely use it. Was running it 24/7 with no problems, but may cause some issues with Tangs, hasn't hurt my tang but I will only run carbon on occasion. Causes HITH disease with fresh water Oscars.

What LuizW13 says is good advice. You need to blow off your corals daily, manual removal, I use a small polishing filter inside my tank when I blow this stuff off corals, rocks, sand etc. Raise your nutrients and it will help allowing coraline and other good algae to grow in it's place.

Also you can add MicroBactor7 and bactorClean-m, a beneficial bacteria that will help.

 

[Easdem]

Also you can add MicroBactor7 and bactorClean-m, a beneficial bacteria that will help.

Yes, thank you. I plan on a shot gun approach. I am also starting a new tank soon and plan on bringing the live over into it, so I want to have this managed before I do that.

 

[Easdem]

Also you can add MicroBactor7 and bactorClean-m, a beneficial bacteria that will help.

I was dosing a Red Sea algae management bottle that is carbon to eliminate this (which I thought was some for of algae) I stopped a week or two ago.

Right now I have been managing parameters with just water changes to eliminate possible causes. I think scrubbing the rock to try and control this probably killed of any beneficial bacteria and allowed this nasty stuff to take hold.

 

[anthonygf]

I was dosing a Red Sea algae management bottle that is carbon to eliminate this (which I thought was some for of algae) I stopped a week or two ago.

Right now I have been managing parameters with just water changes to eliminate possible causes. I think scrubbing the rock to try and control this probably killed of any beneficial bacteria and allowed this nasty stuff to take hold.

Probably, but you still need to get a turkey baster or what I use sometimes is a dental water pick cordless and blow off the rocks and any nasty stuff on and around corals. I notice when I do that my corals perk up. Blowing off the rocks also allows beneficial bacteria to colonize in the rock pores. Once the dinos or cyano are gone blow off the rocks weekly to keep detritus from clogging the pores, this will keep beneficial bacteria alive.

 

[anthonygf]

I was dosing a Red Sea algae management bottle that is carbon to eliminate this (which I thought was some for of algae) I stopped a week or two ago.

Right now I have been managing parameters with just water changes to eliminate possible causes. I think scrubbing the rock to try and control this probably killed of any beneficial bacteria and allowed this nasty stuff to take hold.

Is this stuff the same as MicroBactor7 and bactorCleam-M?

 

[BostonReefer300]

You have a bacterial bloom, not dinos or cyano or anything else. Don't dose any more of the Red Sea algae management stuff. I take it you used their NO3-PO4-X (commonly referred to as Nopox)? That is a super-charged bacterial food source (carbon dosing plus other stuff). That's probably what caused your bacterial bloom or, at least, made it worse. Activated carbon is not the same thing---that's for removing complex organics from your water. Carbon dosing is using soluble carbon sources to feed bacteria. Do not add any more bacterial products like microbacter7, etc. That's just adding more bacteria to your tank.

 

[anthonygf]

You have a bacterial bloom, not dinos or cyano or anything else. Don't dose any more of the Red Sea algae management stuff. I take it you used their NO3-PO4-X (commonly referred to as Nopox)? That is a super-charged bacterial food source (carbon dosing plus other stuff). That's probably what caused your algae bloom or, at least, made it worse. Activated carbon is not the same thing---that's for removing complex organics from your water. Carbon dosing is using soluble carbon sources to feed bacteria. Do not add any more bacterial products like microbacter7, etc. That's just adding more bacteria to your tank.

So your saying that microbactor7 and bactorclean is feeding the bacterial bloom? Didn't realize that. I guess will stop using it myself. Thanks BostonReefer300. What about dosing for no4 and po4?

 

[BostonReefer300]

So your saying that microbactor7 and bactorclean is feeding the bacterial bloom? Didn't realize that. I guess will stop using it myself. Thanks BostonReefer300. What about dosing for no4 and po4?

Yeah they may contribute to the bloom. It's hard to know what bacteria strain (or strains) is causing the bloom, but it's most likely one of the useful nitrifying strains so adding more nitrifying bacteria isn't a good idea. Also, blowing off the rocks and even scraping them clean is a good idea as long as the OP is trying to siphon out the gunk that comes off. Don't worry about affecting the good bacteria on the rocks---you already have way too much! Regarding dosing NO3 and PO4, I wouldn't do that right now. Some bacterial strains may feed off of such supplements.