Help identifying algae please!

chadloomis · Nov 30, 2020

Ok I’m not sure what kinda algae this is. I was thinking dinoflagellates but I’m kinda puzzled though as I don’t have a ton of bubbles like traditional dinos and I have nutrients. I did a 10% water change last night I’m pretty religious on weekly water changes but this one was closer to 10 days because shipping on salt was delayed. Anyways I think it’s dinos based on the way the algae looks and the fact it comes back so fast after manual removal. What puzzles me is I thought dinos were a product of near zero nitrates and phosphates. Here’s my numbers. I’m correcting Kh. All tests are Red Sea except a Salifert phosphate test. I also don’t have access to a microscope. Water tests below thanks in advanced!

Ammonia 0
Nitrites .1
Nitrates 10-20
KH 7 dosed to bring it up to 8-8.5 will check again in a couple hours.
CA 510
MG 1480
Phosphates between .1-.25
PH 8.2
Salinity 1.026

DrMrSir · Dec 4, 2020

it looks line dinos but i could be wrong. you could compare what is in your tank to this https://www.reefcleaners.org/nuisance-algae-id-guide

chadloomis · Dec 4, 2020

DrMrSir said:
it looks line dinos but i could be wrong. you could compare what is in your tank to this https://www.reefcleaners.org/nuisance-algae-id-guide

Thank you for the guide! It looks like dinos but not near the amount of bubbles as I’ve seen. I’ve upgraded my refugium light and the chaeto seems to be pulling some nutrients and slowing the growth. Plus constantly blowing it off the rocks and sand.

Sharkbait19 · Dec 4, 2020

chadloomis said:
Ok I’m not sure what kinda algae this is. I was thinking dinoflagellates but I’m kinda puzzled though as I don’t have a ton of bubbles like traditional dinos and I have nutrients. I did a 10% water change last night I’m pretty religious on weekly water changes but this one was closer to 10 days because shipping on salt was delayed. Anyways I think it’s dinos based on the way the algae looks and the fact it comes back so fast after manual removal. What puzzles me is I thought dinos were a product of near zero nitrates and phosphates. Here’s my numbers. I’m correcting Kh. All tests are Red Sea except a Salifert phosphate test. I also don’t have access to a microscope. Water tests below thanks in advanced!

Ammonia 0
Nitrites .1
Nitrates 10-20
KH 7 dosed to bring it up to 8-8.5 will check again in a couple hours.
CA 510
MG 1480
Phosphates between .1-.25
PH 8.2
Salinity 1.026

It’s just a form of green hair algae. Scrape it off and do a water change, and you should be good. I’d take care of that quickly before it gets worse. Dino’s would be darker and cover the sandbed more, in more of a bubbly manner.
One way to check the type of algae is through parameters. Many nuisance algae types rely on high phosphates and nitrates to thrive. Others, like Dino’s, form when there is not enough nutrients to support other algae types.

Subsea · Dec 4, 2020

Dinos grow always, depending on density determines if we see them. The reason many associate dinos with low nutrients is because competition is eliminated when nutrients are low, thereby allowing uncontrolled growth of dino.
In your case you need consumers of dino and more competition for food or more nutrient export.

chadloomis · Dec 4, 2020

Sharkbait19 said:
It’s just a form of green hair algae. Scrape it off and do a water change, and you should be good. I’d take care of that quickly before it gets worse. Dino’s would be darker and cover the sandbed more, in more of a bubbly manner.
One way to check the type of algae is through parameters. Many nuisance algae types rely on high phosphates and nitrates to thrive. Others, like Dino’s, form when there is not enough nutrients to support other algae types.

I’ve got some nutrients in my nitrates and phosphates. I have been blowing off rocks nightly and got a better refugium light and it seems to be helping some