Help ID this brown algea?

[Waterbourn]

Anyone know what this brown algea is. Tank is a few months old. I definitely went through a diatom bloom on my rocks and sand that fizzled out awhile ago. But this stuff is left everywhere only on my rocks. It's kinda like these bubbles, but not like any bubble algae I've ever seen. It's stuck to rocks pretty good when I tried to grab some to look under the microscope. It does also have some that gets a bit stringy.

Nitrates right now are 0.25 (although they have plummeted recently from and 3) phosphates are 0 028 right now.

 

[Little c big D]

It's hard to see with the blue. If anything this will get your thread a bump. It doesn't look like a bubble algae I'm used to.

 

[Waterbourn]

I grabed some sample under the microscope. What do you think?

 

[CryptoNautical]

I'm dealing with the same issues. I've let it just take over my refugium, so it stays out of my display tank. But still it's nasty if not kept under control. It's like a snot consistency

 

[Waterbourn]

But what is it?? kinda wondering dinos? They are not moving though. I had them in another tank years ago and they were swimming all over the place. They seem stationary.

 

[CryptoNautical]

From my stand point it acts like an algea. First sign I knew something was off was when I tested and got back 0.0 phosphates. I went into vacuuming the sand bed and cleaning glass and using a pipet and hitting the rocks as often as I could to get detritus out. And so far it's been in recession for me. But it did take a lot of proactive effort

 

[Waterbourn]

From my stand point it acts like an algea. First sign I knew something was off was when I tested and got back 0.0 phosphates. I went into vacuuming the sand bed and cleaning glass and using a pipet and hitting the rocks as often as I could to get detritus out. And so far it's been in recession for me. But it did take a lot of proactive effort

@CryptoNautical

Did the microscope pics I posted look similar to yours?

My phosphates also keep bottoming out quick even though I through in reef roads and feed judiciously.

I'll take a toothbrush to rock and see if I can start some manual removal.

 

[CryptoNautical]

Yeah your microbes look pretty similar. When I posted my build thread there's a photo of the unknown microbe if you'd like to compare.

That and when you blow/ scrape them off. I turned off my filter and left my powerheads on, and used a net to try to net out as much as possible before turning back on the filter.

Now it's still in my reef, but no where near what it use to be. But then again my tank is only about 6 months old with a dry rock start.

 

[Waterbourn]

Sounds almost identical to what I am experiencing. I also had dry rock start. I read so many threads and looked at so many pictures. I am almost positive it is: Symbiodinium-like (Chrysophyte). Some people call it golden algae. I have a sample for some better scope pics I am going to try today.

 

[CryptoNautical]

right on, can't wait to see what you find.