Dinos I think

[JustinMN18]

Hey everyone,

I have a pretty new tank setup. 100 gallon DT, 32 gallon sump. About 120ish total volume.

I used cycled media from a previous tank to help get this one going, along with Dr Tims bacteria. It is about a month old.

Here's my stock: 2 clowns, 1 royal gramma, 1 BTA, 1 Rock Nem, lps and softies, snails, hermits, fire red shrimp, tux urchin.

My parameters:
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 2 (dosing Brightwell neonitro, was 0)
Phosphate 0.05
Alk 8.5
Calcium 440
Mag 1500
Ph 8.1
Salinity 34

Everything is covered in brown, with air bubbles being released, and I just saw some red for the first time on some rock. I have a UV sterilizer going, and a carbon reactor. Uv is aqua ultraviolet 15 watt, plumbed into manifold, going at about 210gph (fill gallon and count method).

Lights are two AI 32HD, running from about 930am to 930pm, 45 minute ramp on beginning and end of that time period (12 hours total lights turned on).

I've been dosing neonitro to get to 5ppm, dosing AB+, and 10% water change / week.

Any thoughts? Continue running carbon? Dosing nitrate? Phosphate? Not sure. I just want my stuff to be healthy.

 

[JustinMN18]

Any thoughts would be incredibly helpful. Been dealing with this for a week and not sure what to do next.

 

[JustinMN18]

Alright, started carbon reactor, changed filter socks, and blasted algae again. Hoping that helps. Skimmer off.

 

[qhduong]

Might be diatom? Did you id ?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Fortunately- this is diatoms associated with silicates and a newer tank. Check Phosphates and nitrates tyo assure theyre not elevated.
What can you do to stay ahead of it?
Blow loose as needed with a turkey baster
increase water flow if you can so it cant stick to surfaces as quickly
Reduce white light intensity a few days

Add cleaner crew snails:
3 turbo snail
3 astrea snail
3 trochus snails
3 nassarius snails
6-8 blue leg hermits (theyre tiny )

 

[JustinMN18]

Fortunately- this is diatoms associated with silicates and a newer tank. Check Phosphates and nitrates tyo assure theyre not elevated.
What can you do to stay ahead of it?
Blow loose as needed with a turkey baster
increase water flow if you can so it cant stick to surfaces as quickly
Reduce white light intensity a few days

Add cleaner crew snails:
3 turbo snail
3 astrea snail
3 trochus snails
3 nassarius snails
6-8 blue leg hermits (theyre tiny )

How do you identify if it's diatoms or dinos? Thanks for your input!

 

[JustinMN18]

Might be diatom? Did you id ?

Do you know how I can identify whether or not it's for sure dinos or diatoms? Thanks!

 

[JustinMN18]

This is my current light schedule.

 

[vetteguy53081]

How do you identify if it's diatoms or dinos? Thanks for your input!

Diatoms is a film of brown whereas Dino will look like string brown/goldish snot with bubbles

 

[JustinMN18]

Diatoms is a film of brown whereas Dino will look like string brown/goldish snot with bubbles

I definitely have tons of bubbles everywhere, some of it is like a bubble attached by a long strand of something to the rock or sand.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I definitely have tons of bubbles everywhere, some of it is like a bubble attached by a long strand of something to the rock or sand.

Can you send another pic and closer?

 

[qhduong]

How do you identify if it's diatoms or dinos? Thanks for your input!

Best would be microscope. Or if you grab some sand with brown stuff and put it in a cup, mix it, see if it forms strings after like 15 mins. If it does probably dino.

 

[Reef Box]

Jump on Amazon and pick up an inexpensive microscope. One of the best things I’ve bought for my tank. It will allow you to know exactly what issue you have ( now and down the line) so you can make an informed plan of attack. Cool to learn some stuff too!

 

[JustinMN18]

Can you send another pic and closer?

I will post some more pictures tomorrow once the lights turn on and things start looking nasty... Thanks for all your help.

 

[Jedi Knghit]

One month seems very early for dinos, but the only way to positively ID is with a microscope.

 

[JustinMN18]

I will post some more pictures tomorrow once the lights turn on and things start looking nasty... Thanks for all your help.

Just checked this AM, and whatever it is doesn't seem to disappear at night. Is that any particular Indication? Bubbles tend to appear later in the light schedule.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Just checked this AM, and whatever it is doesn't seem to disappear at night. Is that any particular Indication? Bubbles tend to appear later in the light schedule.

Dino will disappear at night and be full by evening why blackout period is part of treatment

 

[JustinMN18]

Can you send another pic and closer?

Here's some more pictures. One picture looks kinda red but it's just the lighting. It's very much a brown, almost brown orange color.

 

[JustinMN18]

My nitrates are at 2, dosing to get to 5. Phosphate are 0.05, and just dosed 4 cap fulls of microbacter 7.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Raising nitrates is not helping. Acceptable are .05. Not to say 5 is high but not desired especially for many corals. Pics are very blue to tell anything but still appears as cyano which also can bubble. Dine will be golden brown and sliky stringy with bubbles almost representing snot