HELP! Dinoflagellates

AquaCultureLife · Oct 17, 2018

Hey guys,
I recently upgraded my tank from a 16Gto a 30G. I put all new live sand but took all existing live rock from the 16g. After the first few weeks the tank went through a little recycle, which caused a diatom bloom on the sand bed. With water changes and carefully siphoning all the diatom blooms off the surface of the sand bed it resolved itself.

Once I saw the tank “recycled” I decided to add more rock that I had left over from an old tank I had. I prepared the rock by pressure cleaning it and letting it dry out in the sun. Then I bathed the rocks in RO/DI before putting them in the tank.

At the same time I added the new rock to the tank I added an IM ghost protein skimmer. The skimmer broke in after 2 weeks but there are still some micro bubbles present.

On all the new rock I added to the tank there is a brown algae film with stringy algae threads with bubbles that is growing on the new rock added plus the sand bed.

Please help to identify if this is dinoflagellates if just microbubbles from the new skimmer.

AquaCultureLife · Oct 17, 2018

Here is a full tank shot plus the new rock I added.

reacclimating 2 the hobby · Oct 17, 2018

nice tank!

When you added the new rock you more then likely caused a mini cycle. Have you tested ammonia? I'd do a couple water changes and remove what I could manually. Eventually your seasoned rock will run its course. That's my two cents

AquaCultureLife · Oct 17, 2018

Thinking of taking out the new rock and scrubbing it in a bucket of saltwater with a tooth brush to get rid of all the algae growth. Some areas of the new rock I can’t clean cause it’s either on the underside or in the back. Only way I can compeletly clean it off is by taking it out. I keep blowing it off with a turkey baster I’ve heard it bad to blow it all around the tank?

AquaCultureLife · Oct 17, 2018

reacclimating 2 the hobby said:
nice tank!

When you added the new rock you more then likely caused a mini cycle. Have you tested ammonia? I'd do a couple water changes and remove what I could manually. Eventually your seasoned rock will run its course. That's my two cents

Thanks for your two cents. That’s what I keep telling myself, I have been doing 20% water changes once a week and siphoning and of it off the sand bed to keep it from taking over the sand bed.