Help me identify: Dino? Cyano? or Ditatoms?

[Scubabum]

Been reefing for over 20 years and started a 2nd tank 8 months ago. I've seen Dino's, Cyano and Diatoms in the past, but this algae looks different to me. It's a redish rust color and in the pictures I included is after siphoning the sandbed. The algae has returned 5 hours later. I use RO/DI water with TDS of 0, all filters less than 6 months old. My Nutrient levels have been constant at 2ppm NO3 and .02-.03 PO4 for several months. I have strong flow using 2 Gyre 150's. Lighting is 3 Radion G4 Pros. There is no algae on the rock only on the sand bed. I had a Diatom bloom at the beginning of my cycle and it was much browner in appearance. My guess is Cyano but the Cyano i've experienced in the past has more of a matting appearance. Any help id'ing or advice on eliminating would be greatly appreciated.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Looks like cyano. New sand. It'll pass.

 

[jtietz]

Been reefing for over 20 years and started a 2nd tank 8 months ago. I've seen Dino's, Cyano and Diatoms in the past, but this algae looks different to me. It's a redish rust color and in the pictures I included is after siphoning the sandbed. The algae has returned 5 hours later. I use RO/DI water with TDS of 0, all filters less than 6 months old. My Nutrient levels have been constant at 2ppm NO3 and .02-.03 PO4 for several months. I have strong flow using 2 Gyre 150's. Lighting is 3 Radion G4 Pros. There is no algae on the rock only on the sand bed. I had a Diatom bloom at the beginning of my cycle and it was much browner in appearance. My guess is Cyano but the Cyano i've experienced in the past has more of a matting appearance. Any help id'ing or advice on eliminating would be greatly appreciated.

Cyano. My vote

 

[jtietz]

How are your phosphates, nitrates

 

[jtietz]

And r u dosing anything. Ex: vodka. I use to dose vodka in my 210 gallon. Had close to 0 phophates, 0 nitrates, nitrite. But had a lot of nutrients that it was feeding off of.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

How are your phosphates, nitrates

IMO. In new tanks, this type of cyano appearing is from the alk c02 being produced as well as the recant exposure to dissolved organics deposited on the sand. So tiny bits of food and poop rotting are producing ammoina and feeding the cyano. As the bio filter strengthens itl out competed the cyano.

 

[Scubabum]

And r u dosing anything. Ex: vodka. I use to dose vodka in my 210 gallon. Had close to 0 phophates, 0 nitrates, nitrite. But had a lot of nutrients that it was feeding off of.

How are your phosphates, nitrates

Nitrates at 2ppm Phosphate .02. No carbon dosing. Controlling nutrients using skimmer and ATS

 

[smh254]

I would bet that it’s a mix of dinos and cyano. I’m dealing with the same problem.

 

[reeferfoxx]

FWIW my dinos(coolia spp.) is cyano colored and only stays on the sandbed but thats a problem child in of itself.. However, in this case I believe it to be cyano as well.

 

[Scubabum]

I would bet that it’s a mix of dinos and cyano. I’m dealing with the same problem.

Ok, I had a bad case of Dino's a few months back. It was covering everything. It appeared when my nutrients dropped off to DEAD ZERO due to fish removal due to marine velvet. I dosed nitrate and phos during the fallow period and the Dino went away. Maybe its a mixture like your dealing with. Yours appear more cyano colored than mine. Appreciate the input.

 

[reeferfoxx]

Ok, I had a bad case of Dino's a few months back.

Hmm.. There is a really good chance you have dinos, knowing this. I would invest in a $10 microscope off amazon to verify. Going from zero nutrients, to correcting the issue, to adding a ATS, could mean a new bloom and may not be the same as the last bloom. I'm on my second round of dinos and its a different specie from the first.

 

[Scubabum]

Hmm.. There is a really good chance you have dinos, knowing this. I would invest in a $10 microscope off amazon to verify. Going from zero nutrients, to correcting the issue, to adding a ATS, could mean a new bloom and may not be the same as the last bloom. I'm on my second round of dinos and its a different specie from the first.

Sounds like a great plan. I almost bought the microscope during the first round after reading the Dinoflagellates are you tired of battling altogether thread. With the microscope I'll be able to verify. Thanks for the advice.

 

[smh254]

Ok, I had a bad case of Dino's a few months back. It was covering everything. It appeared when my nutrients dropped off to DEAD ZERO due to fish removal due to marine velvet. I dosed nitrate and phos during the fallow period and the Dino went away. Maybe its a mixture like your dealing with. Yours appear more cyano colored than mine. Appreciate the input.

I thought all I had was Cyno so I did a round of chemiclean. This got rid of all the Cyno but left a brown dusting on my same bed. I pulled out a sample and shipped it to another member here. He confirmed what I had was dinos.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Dino's appear in pretty much all tanks. You have to figure out what's fueling them.

 

[Scubabum]

Hmm.. There is a really good chance you have dinos, knowing this. I would invest in a $10 microscope off amazon to verify. Going from zero nutrients, to correcting the issue, to adding a ATS, could mean a new bloom and may not be the same as the last bloom. I'm on my second round of dinos and its a different specie from the first.

So I purchased a cheap toy microscope and posted the best pic I could get below. Can anyone help ID??? I'm guessing its round two of the Dino's. Thanks in advance.

 

[brandon429]

agree its dinos the cyano are filamentous TW shows

next step

is that a nano or a huge tank

nanos don't have ongoing dino issues, only large tankers, due to a very opposite and specific prevention action available to nanos and not to large tanks. if you have a tank under 30 gallons, not hard to fix with or without ID. if that's a large tank, not as easy to fix due to inaccessibility.

 

[Scubabum]

agree its dinos the cyano are filamentous TW shows

next step

is that a nano or a huge tank

nanos don't have ongoing dino issues, only large tankers, due to a very opposite and specific prevention action available to nanos and not to large tanks. if you have a tank under 30 gallons, not hard to fix with or without ID.

Its a Red Sea Reefer 525XL

 

[brandon429]

in that case many options avail for sure. if it was mine, id have a UV arsenal that looked like a solid rocket booster ready to fire up but the nutrient dosing is taking foothold nowadays. if that was a nano we'd have blast rinsed the whole sandbed in steaming hot tap water and been done in a round or three.

 

[Scubabum]

in that case many options avail for sure. if it was mine, id have a UV arsenal that looked like a solid rocket booster ready to fire up but the nutrient dosing is taking foothold nowadays. if that was a nano we'd have blast rinsed the whole sandbed in steaming hot tap water and been done in a round or three.

I was about to order a UV sterilizer. Recommendations?? I don't plan on running it forever, so was wondering if the Jabeo UV will do or should I just get something better? Appreciate the advice.

 

[brandon429]

oh im so spoiled on them. plus, black Friday + amazon has nice return policy should you not be wow'ed
check it beforehand, could be 15% stocking fee, still worth it


I wasn't wowed by boots I ordered, they went back. you'll be able to tell in two weeks if that UV is worth keeping, this is not amabuse its literally why they're billionaires, we end up keeping most of the stuff apparently.

do check local LFS for pond people/unused or rentable UV's too.

the trick on uv is don't size it correctly. get the biggest overrated one you are willing to deal with, put water slower through it than rated... this is war and the most insulting thing you can do with UV is buy the right sized one for your tank. I ran my grandmothers pond sterilizer on my 75 gallon in the 90s and as such I had no invasions, though they were deserved. I never got overheating and Ive never heard of overheating from oversizing though its been posted to watch out for.

as big as you can go...$ and space wise, it isn't meant to run forever. its nuc backup if you like

run water slow through it after you've taken detailed time hand siphoning as much of that out as you can, the UV isn't the remover its the growback reducer taking them out in their nightly pelagic phases, whats left of the biomass you didn't remove.

Paul B uses a diatom filter for good reason in his giant tank, that applies here as well as at least a good brainstorm on how to turn over lots of sand without making up water. they'll rip out small particle invaders and put the water back in the tank, prob some kind of filter sock arrangement works the same I dunno


Nitrate and pHosphate dosers cringe at this idea because it could kill the competing organisms you are trying to harness by increasing N and P in the system. That's where plans diverge, I take attack mode others take chemist/competition mode its always so tricky in larger systems.