Help! Brown algae...

Sharebear · Feb 12, 2021

Tank is about 3 years old, some rocks fell so I moved them...to the side so it’s more lighter...

at first I thought it was cyano... Bc the light was so blue... but after changing it to white... I’ve noticed it seems like diatom?

besides siphoning out and water change.... anything else you guys would do??

EvanDeVita · Feb 12, 2021

Looks like dinos...

Sharebear · Feb 12, 2021

crap, you are right.... it’s like cyano when I blew it with a turkey baster. ***.

Reeflux · Feb 12, 2021

You can dose some peroxide I think. Don't know the portions. Just know it's being done.

Skynyrd Fish · Feb 12, 2021

I’m pretty certain it’s diatoms. Dinos are strands of snot with air bubbles in them. Your tank looks good.

Skynyrd Fish · Feb 12, 2021

If it’s diatoms, stir the sand or siphon it next water change. Was this were some rock was? I have noticed if you have any green algae growing you will Have no Dino. just an observation I’ve made over the years.

vetteguy53081 · Feb 12, 2021

Sharebear said:
crap, you are right.... it’s like cyano when I blew it with a turkey baster. ***.

Dont panic. If it were dino, it would be on the rock also which appears to be clear. It is diatoms- Siphon the bedding up well, and reduce white light intensity a little. Add some cleaner crew. . . snails.

4 turbo
4 astrea
4 nassarius
3 trochus
3 cerith
6-8 blue leg hermits which are tiny. They'll help with control. The diatoms are derived from silicates in which you likely are using an RO unit and silicates are leeching from the DI resin.

Sharebear · Feb 12, 2021

LOL first thing I did was freak out. I went looking for a silicate test kit but they didn’t have any.. so ordering online..

I siphoned most of the sand stuff out.. changed my light setting to completely blue for now... and will reduce light from 12 to 6 hours..
my anemones and corals will hate it.. but better to be safe..

It could be dinos... Bc I had 0 phosphate for a week but I also ordered phosphorus URL test and it just arrived today..

I didn’t think it could be 0 phosphate Bc my corals were growing fine? Figured phosphate wasn’t really reaching to the top portion when I do the test..since some phosphate are supposedly on rocks or sand...

I do have lots of cleaner crew already... but maybe will order more from reef cleaners..
Thank you guys for calming me down hahaha I super appreciate it

Skynyrd Fish · Feb 13, 2021

Corals take a while to react to zero po4.

Sharebear · Feb 16, 2021

So I’m not sure if my phosphate was 0 for a while because I ended up getting phosphorus test and that shows some.... super duper confused now..

Nitrite is 20-30 and nitrate is about 5-7 I would say using Nyos

Debating to add dr Tim’s nitrite Bactria or if I should be super concerned about nitrite..

silicate test to the right bottom and top using white flash light.. sorta feels blue...

brown stuff covering the purple frag rock..
And on sand..

Sigh.... is it time to get a microscope....
any pros know if this is Dino or diatom.. idk what I am doing now... haha

Stuartmercer · Feb 16, 2021

I just dealt with dinos. This definatly doesnt look like dinos, but perhaps an early stage of them? In anycase, its very similer to diatoms. But to be sure get a microscope!

Skynyrd Fish · Feb 16, 2021

Hey sharebear- I use the Hanna phosphorus ulr. It’s the way to go. Your reading of 13ppm equates to .040 ppm phosphates. Still a bit low, but detectable. This is about where my tank stays, and I’d like to see it go up a bit. maybe feed a bit more, or some quality pellet added in. Your nitrates seem fine at 5. Your tank is still looking good, so maybe just feed a touch more to slightly raise po4. I wouldn’t be concerned about nitrite, as I feel the test also picks up some no3.

Sharebear · Feb 16, 2021

Stuartmercer said:
I just dealt with dinos. This definatly doesnt look like dinos, but perhaps an early stage of them? In anycase, its very similer to diatoms. But to be sure get a microscope!

I just ordered one... instead of driving myself nuts... I think it could be because some rocks fell apart and I reorganized them...so some are white and not green? ... fingers crossed it’s diatoms... amazon prime please come sooner

Sharebear · Feb 16, 2021

Skynyrd Fish said:
Hey sharebear- I use the Hanna phosphorus ulr. It’s the way to go. Your reading of 13ppm equates to .040 ppm phosphates. Still a bit low, but detectable. This is about where my tank stays, and I’d like to see it go up a bit. maybe feed a bit more, or some quality pellet added in. Your nitrates seem fine at 5. Your tank is still looking good, so maybe just feed a touch more to slightly raise po4. I wouldn’t be concerned about nitrite, as I feel the test also picks up some no3.

Ahh thank you! I have some neophos neonitrate, no3, gfo, carbon.. but not adding anything yet just doing ton of food... since my fish are hangry af all the time..

I tested about an hour after food and got 50 phosphorus and then test again in the morning to make sure it’s not 0..(usually like 10-13)
For now.. I’m not doing gfo and carbon, but still running skimmer/filter socks and UV..
Fingers crossed.. it’s diatom...