Help! Dinos, algae or bacteria? Id please.

[tom's_tank]

Does anyone know what is on my sand and rocks? It is covering some of my softie corals at the back of the tank. GSP, Zoas and a toadstool coral. Any ideas what it is?

 

[j.falk]

Looks like cyano to me...when is the last time you did a water change?

 

[tom's_tank]

Looks like cyano to me...when is the last time you did a water change?

Last week I have been trying to vacuum it off the sand and get it off the rocks with a toothbrush then changing the filter sock after that.

 

[j.falk]

Last week I have been trying to vacuum it off the sand and get it off the rocks with a toothbrush then changing the filter sock after that.

Did it come back the next day? If so, I would lean more towards dinos...although those are usually long, brown strings with bubbles.

Cyano is usually when a tank is too dirty. Dinos are when a tank is too clean.

 

[tom's_tank]

Did it come back the next day? If so, I would lean more towards dinos...although those are usually long, brown strings with bubbles.

Cyano is usually when a tank is too dirty. Dinos are when a tank is too clean.

Yeah, it was better after that but it came back slowly throughout a few days any ideas on what I should do?
When I look at the algae upwards I can see bubbles and there were a few stringy strands earlier.

 

[j.falk]

If it were my tank, I would try some Chemiclean first. If that kills it off, it was definitely cyano...if it doesn't, it's dinos which are tough to defeat.

 

[Idoc]

It looks like thick dino mats on the rocks and sand. If you have access to a microscope, that will tell for sure.

 

[vetteguy53081]

What is your phosphate level and are you using RODI water or tap water from the faucet?
Reduce light intensity a little and blow loose with a turkey baster and do a good siphoning. Consider getting ChemiClean which works well on Cyano bacteria