Don't know if this is dinos?

[Hectorg214]

Wanted to know if this is dinos. Been battling for a couple of months now and need help on what to do next. I already tried Chemiclean once and loaded my filter with new purigen to see if that helps. Also turned down my lights some. This are my numbers. I couldn't test phosphate since I ran out of reagent.
PH - 8
Ammonia -0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 5
Alk - 9.68
Calcium - 403

 

[FIN&BONEZ]

Looks like it.. Best thing to do is not to over react. Add to the system natural that will out compete it. Pods will help greatly.

 

[roggy23]

Looks like it.. Best thing to do is not to over react. Add to the system natural that will out compete it. Pods will help greatly.

There are different types of dinos and only way to make sure which type of dinos is via microscope.. some dinos go away with uv others don't and need a different approach which can take some time.

 

[FIN&BONEZ]

Believe it or not adding nori with or with out a tang or fox will tick this algae off enough to go back to its parents basement.

 

[Stang67]

Kind-of looks like diatoms to me though. Does it go away when the lights go out? What is the tds of your rodi water?

 

[Hectorg214]

Not trying to over react but have lost some Kenya trees, pulsing xenia and my hairy mushrooms haven't opened in awhile. Been doing a lot of research on this forum and watching plenty of videos and that only seems to confuse me more. Some people say do water changes while some say water changes help dinos. Some say add chemicals while some say just get a turkey baster and blow the stuff off and it will go away. Some say lower phosphates and nitrates and others say raise them. Just trying to get the best advice.

 

[Hectorg214]

Kind-of looks like diatoms to me though. Does it go away when the lights go out? What is the tds of your rodi water?

It does go away when I turn the lights out or do a blackout. I wouldn't know the tds since I get my rodi water from my lfs.

 

[saltyhog]

Impossible to say without a microscopic view (every reefer should have a cheap microscope ;Smuggrin ) but I do think it looks a lot like diatoms...however large cell amphidinium can look very much like that as well. I don't think that's the cause of your coral issues as most of the dinos that look like that are low to no toxicity.

You didn't mention your PO4 in your parameters, what is it? What is your water source? If it's your own RO/DI unit, how long has it been since a resin change?

 

[Hectorg214]

Impossible to say without a microscopic view (every reefer should have a cheap microscope ;Smuggrin ) but I do think it looks a lot like diatoms...however large cell amphidinium can look very much like that as well. I don't think that's the cause of your coral issues as most of the dinos that look like that are low to no toxicity.

You didn't mention your PO4 in your parameters, what is it? What is your water source? If it's your own RO/DI unit, how long has it been since a resin change?

As I was about to check my P04 I realized I was out of reagent. I get my ro/di from my lfs.

 

[FIN&BONEZ]

Whatever it is you will probably never know. We dont all have microscopes for pain in the butt algae. I went through a battle of diatoms to dinos back to diatoms with a little green salad on the side. Two weeks after a $50 purchase from algae barn everything went away and balanced. Im a promoter of natural pods and algae to compete and beat.

 

[Hectorg214]

Whatever it is you will probably never know. We dont all have microscopes for pain in the butt algae. I went through a battle of diatoms to dinos back to diatoms with a little green salad on the side. Two weeks after a $50 purchase from algae barn everything went away and balanced. Im a promoter of natural pods and algae to compete and beat.

Well whatever it is, I have been blowing it off and hopefully the poly fill I just put in my filter picks it up.

 

[Hectorg214]

This is what my tank looks like after lights go out for a couple of hours and then turn the lights back on. So don't know if it's dinos or diatoms but it is gone and my sand is back to being white again till the lights come back and stay on.

 

[FIN&BONEZ]

It doesnt look as bad as my case but with it going dormant with the lights out Im going with dinos. Two other tricks I used was siphoning it into a filter sock in my sump so not having to do a water change. Also there is a product called fritz, a bacteria that some use to help theyre tank cycle quick. Its all about out competing it. I did also raise my nitrates up to about 20 by over feeding the fish and turning the skimmer off which the coral didnt love but they all made it.