Dinos?

[cpschult]

Any input will be appreciated. Will try to get a picture under microscope today.

IM 25 gallon, low nitrates. Nothing to measure phosphates with. Lots of marine pure balls in the back of tank.

 

[mcarroll]

Nothing to measure phosphates with. Lots of marine pure balls in the back of tank.

FYI, it looks like the starvation level-nutrients are having an effect....those florescent tips are probably die-off.

Looks like a really cool algae though...you should save some in another tank before you kill it all off.

Where'd it come from?

FYI, I'd be very careful about maintaining starvation-level nutrients in the water since it will prevent algae, but it will encourage nasty forms of algae instead of beautiful forms like what you have now. Think dino's, cyano, bubble algae and bryopsis. All flourish under "zero nutrients".

Ultimately nothing good will come out of keeping zero nutrient levels.

 

[mcarroll]

LOL....I didn't even see the dino's at first. Just the die-off on the red algae.

If you stop what you're doing to starve out the red algae, it'll dominate and outgrow the dino's.....AND the dino's will recede into the backdrop of tank microbes.

In the short term I would recommend dosing some nitrate and phosphate (a la Seachem or Brightwell, etc) to stop the damage that's already happened.

 

[cpschult]

FYI, it looks like the starvation level-nutrients are having an effect....those florescent tips are probably die-off.

Looks like a really cool algae though...you should save some in another tank before you kill it all off.

Where'd it come from?

FYI, I'd be very careful about maintaining starvation-level nutrients in the water since it will prevent algae, but it will encourage nasty forms of algae instead of beautiful forms like what you have now. Think dino's, cyano, bubble algae and bryopsis. All flourish under "zero nutrients".

Ultimately nothing good will come out of keeping zero nutrient levels.

I’m not really trying to maintain zero nutrients. I had originally put the marine pure balls in to house copepods. I wanted to have multiple leopard wrasse. I have been dosing 20-25 drops of phyto along with a cube or two, daily.

That lighter colored macro algae is called flame algae. Can see here where I got it from.
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/refugium-algae-packs-49-shipped.377555/

 

[mcarroll]

The balls are denitrification media, so they will be in competition with your macro algae that you paid cash for.

Get the balls out and let the macro be the shelter you wanted!!

Viewed from my perspective it really looks like you're trying to kill it off. Ack!!

"Feed it" dissolved nutrients – and don't give it (or your corals) unnecessary competition for nitrogen.

This is important for the dino's to "give up" on their bloom too.

I forgot to mention to stop dosing phyto as well. If dinos ARE blooming, then phyto can be a direct food source to them. Not what you're after... (check out the background info and links on dino's in the first post of: Dinoflagellates – Are You Tired Of Battling Altogether?)

 

[cpschult]

The balls are denitrification media, so they will be in competition with your macro algae that you paid cash for.

Get the balls out and let the macro be the shelter you wanted!!

Viewed from my perspective it really looks like you're trying to kill it off. Ack!!

"Feed it" dissolved nutrients – and don't give it (or your corals) unnecessary competition for nitrogen.

This is important for the dino's to "give up" on their bloom too.

I forgot to mention to stop dosing phyto as well. If dinos ARE blooming, then phyto can be a direct food source to them. Not what you're after... (check out the background info and links on dino's in the first post of: Dinoflagellates – Are You Tired Of Battling Altogether?)

I appreciate your perspective.

I’m not 100% convinced I’m low nutrient.

I used an API kit and got 5-10ppm nitrate and 0-0.25ppm P. Hoping to get to a friends house who has a Hannah checker for the P and Red Sea for the nitrates. Both those tests are much more accurate than what I’m using.

The macro algae is growing and I’ve got film algae on the glass.

I’ve begun removing the marine pure balls but will go slowly.2-3 a day and see how that affects things. Depending on the test results at my friends I may be investing in a higher end P and nitrate test.

Thanks again!

 

[cpschult]

I picked up some test kits;

P-0.55 ppm (Hannah)
N-38ish ppm (Red Sea)


Did a 5 gallon water change. Made up some more water and will do another tonight.

Haven't had issued with this algae so that's a plus LOL!

 

[mcarroll]

IM 25 gallon, low nitrates. Nothing to measure phosphates with. Lots of marine pure balls in the back of tank.

I used an API kit and got 5-10ppm nitrate and 0-0.25ppm P.

I picked up some test kits;

P-0.55 ppm (Hannah)
N-38ish ppm (Red Sea)

Did you dose anything since the first post, or are you saying your old test kits from the first two quotes were really that wrong? (Were they past expiration?)

Either way, I'm not sure I'd start reacting to this info yet.

The thread started off with "Dino's?" and that still seems to be an open question.

Is it?

Can you run some of the tests on that thread I linked, or can you put a sample of what you have under a microscope and get some photos or a movie of it?

Does it still seem to be overgrowing the macro?