Help with brown slime algae diatom / Dino's / slime

[Beepinheimer]

I've been battling whatever this is for what feels like 2 or 3 months on a 8 or 9 month old system (120 gallon display.)
I'm using RO water and it's testing at 10-11 TDS before I mix it.
I'm using a protein skimmer and I've tried a refugium, an algae turf scrubber, and a Cheatomorpha reactor and nothing will grow (probably because of what's already growing in the display.)
I've tried black outs, changing 15% of the system water volume weekly, I blow out the sand bed literally every day and it's covering probably 50% of the sand bed the next day, I've given Vibrant Aquarium cleaner a try.
I'm effectively at my wit's end and I'm just kind of looking for last minute suggestions before I throw in the towel.
I've attached the best images I could muster up for you all to look at.

 

[Dj City]

Does it disappear at night then come back when the lights are on during the day?

It looks similar to what I have fought for the past 5 years. I always thought it was diatoms but it turned out to be dinos.

Also, 10 - 11 TDS is VERY HIGH.
You may want to invest in a RO/DI unit. It will go a long was towards making a dent in your issue.

 

[Beepinheimer]

Does it disappear at night then come back when the lights are on during the day?

It looks similar to what I have fought for the past 5 years. I always thought it was diatoms but it turned out to be dinos.

Also, 10 - 11 TDS is VERY HIGH.
You may want to invest in a RO/DI unit. It will go a long was towards making a dent in your issue.

I actually just bought a DI resin so that'll be getting installed tomorrow hopefully.
The sand does appear to clear up at night.

 

[sbash]

Okay, let's break this down a bit:

I'm using RO water and it's testing at 10-11 TDS before I mix it.

Are you getting 10-11 TDS from the RO water itself? Are you making it yourself or buying it?

I've tried a refugium, an algae turf scrubber, and a Cheatomorpha reactor and nothing will grow

What light did you have on these?

I've tried black outs

How long?

I blow out the sand bed literally every day a

Have you tried sucking up the gunk instead of just blowing it around?

The pictures aren't loading for me, due to the computer I am on, so I can't visually identify it.

 

[Beepinheimer]

Okay, let's break this down a bit:


Are you getting 10-11 TDS from the RO water itself? Are you making it yourself or buying it?


What light did you have on these?


How long?


Have you tried sucking up the gunk instead of just blowing it around?

The pictures aren't loading for me, due to the computer I am on, so I can't visually identify it.

I'm making the water myself with an RO unit (no installed DI cartridge yet.)

Lights are an LED / T5 hybrid.
ATI Blue Plus bulbs and some no name LEDs.
Lighting schedule runs for about 9 hours total, blue ramp up from 10 percent at 11am, max out at around 80% at 3pm and ramp back down to 0% at 8pm, the whites stay at 10 percent from 12pm to 7pm.

Corals are growing fine. Acropora, stylophora, Bird'snest, acans, blastos etc.

I've tried 2 or 3 black outs, each lasting about a week.

I siphon the sand bed with every 15 percent water change which is still performed every week.

 

[Beefyreefy]

What are your water parameters? Most importantly nitrate and phosphates? Are your nitrates and phosphates at zero?

 

[Beepinheimer]

What are your water parameters? Most importantly nitrate and phosphates? Are your nitrates and phosphates at zero?

I'll have to run a water test when I get home from work.

 

[sbash]

I'm making the water myself with an RO unit (no installed DI cartridge yet.)

Lights are an LED / T5 hybrid.
ATI Blue Plus bulbs and some no name LEDs.
Lighting schedule runs for about 9 hours total, blue ramp up from 10 percent at 11am, max out at around 80% at 3pm and ramp back down to 0% at 8pm, the whites stay at 10 percent from 12pm to 7pm.

Corals are growing fine. Acropora, stylophora, Bird'snest, acans, blastos etc.

I've tried 2 or 3 black outs, each lasting about a week.

I siphon the sand bed with every 15 percent water change which is still performed every week.

I meant what light did you put on your fuge and scrubber? The light need to be bright enough for the algae to out-compete the problem.

Have you tried daily siphons? You don't need to do a water change every day, as you can siphon into a filter sock into your sump (or a bucket and return the water when finished)...

 

[Reefinmike]

99.8% sure that is cyanobacteria. I've had dino before and it doesn't look like that at all. it's more stringey and snot like and emits bubbles. cyano can look somewhat similar but it is more red and smooth sheet like appearance like your pics. sometimes cyano is a result of poor water quality, flow etc and other times it will pop up for no apparant reason. boyd chemiclean https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/chem...mYtNAxFDR6I6gGp0T-IVOer5C2GRrDjcaAmlKEALw_wcB will take care of it in 24 hours. Read the directions carefully, increase water oxygenation and be prepared to do a big water change. If you have a skimmer you will need to turn it off during treatment and it will take a while to get it running right after treatment. After the magic powder has done it's job I like to add a lot of carbon and turn my skimmer on to let it go nuts and overflow. I have it drain into a 5 gallon bucket as another 5 gallon bucket of fresh saltwater slowly siphons in the tank. Just be sure to not walk away from the tank and forget your skimmer is filling up a bucket. I take the float switch I use to sense the skimmer cup is full and fasten it in the bucket. when the bucket fills, my apex will shut off the skimmer and send me an alert as well as sound alarms.

 

[Beepinheimer]

I meant what light did you put on your fuge and scrubber? The light need to be bright enough for the algae to out-compete the problem.

Have you tried daily siphons? You don't need to do a water change every day, as you can siphon into a filter sock into your sump (or a bucket and return the water when finished)...

The light over the fuge is a 165w horticulture light. The tuf scrubber was actually purchased from clear water scrubbers so the light was just whatever they provided.

 

[Beepinheimer]

99.8% sure that is cyanobacteria. I've had dino before and it doesn't look like that at all. it's more stringey and snot like and emits bubbles. cyano can look somewhat similar but it is more red and smooth sheet like appearance like your pics. sometimes cyano is a result of poor water quality, flow etc and other times it will pop up for no apparant reason. boyd chemiclean https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/chem...mYtNAxFDR6I6gGp0T-IVOer5C2GRrDjcaAmlKEALw_wcB will take care of it in 24 hours. Read the directions carefully, increase water oxygenation and be prepared to do a big water change. If you have a skimmer you will need to turn it off during treatment and it will take a while to get it running right after treatment. After the magic powder has done it's job I like to add a lot of carbon and turn my skimmer on to let it go nuts and overflow. I have it drain into a 5 gallon bucket as another 5 gallon bucket of fresh saltwater slowly siphons in the tank. Just be sure to not walk away from the tank and forget your skimmer is filling up a bucket. I take the float switch I use to sense the skimmer cup is full and fasten it in the bucket. when the bucket fills, my apex will shut off the skimmer and send me an alert as well as sound alarms.

I did have like some maroon or red colored algae growing over a few rocks.
Must of this stuff is like light brown though and it covers the sand bed.
My flow is pretty strong which is why I'm surprised it's even able to grow in the first place.
So ill have to plan on 1. Maybe giving this other product a try and 2. Using that DI resin to help improve my water quality.

 

[Reefinmike]

cyano varies in color from deep maroon to a rusty brown but usually involves some hint of red. the sand is a very common place for it to grow. It will also grow in conjunction with filamentous hair like algae like you have on your glass. If your flow isnt strong enough to blow your sand around it wont prevent cyano from growing there. Your pictures scream cyano to me. Do yourself a favor and just try the stuff. There are very few voodoo magic mystery wonder cures that actually work with minimal side effects and chemiclean is one of them. BRS wouldn't recommend it if it was just quackery nor would I.

 

[Beepinheimer]

Does it mean anything if the water smells kinda nasty?
That and my filter socks fill up surprsingly quick. They're not even the cloth ones, they're like 200 micron nylon socks and they have to be cleaned at least every 2 days. Not disimilar from the sand cleaning I guess.

 

[mattgsa]

+1 cyano, I fought it for a while, and then went with chemiclean. No longer a problem.

 

[leptang]

Check out this thread,
It maybe this
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/chrysophytes-help-me-cure-it.263759/

 

[leptang]

I think im battling the same thing

 

[Reefinmike]

If I recall correctly, cyano can have a funky smell- almost like the smell of mushroom corals out of the water.

as for your filters clogging quickly- I dealt with this recently as a new tank was maturing- excess bacteria in the water would clog an otherwise clean looking filter pad with a slimey feel. I combatted this by running my uv sterilizer and running my skimmer wet to remove the bacteria.

 

[Reefinmike]

I think im battling the same thing

I dont see any cyano in there, just some short green hair algae. I see you have a lawnmower blenny. If you’ve already ensures your water quality is in check, i’d try a long spine urchin

 

[Zach W]

You can at least narrow down if it is Dinos by following some of these methods: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/dinoflagellates-–-are-you-tired-of-battling-altogether.293318/page-50#post-4043274
They wont tell you what strand you have but it is still helpful to have a broad identification without having a microscope. On a treatment note, I have been using Vibrant on a recommendation from another member and it has been working wonders on my issue!

 

[leptang]

I dont see any cyano in there, just some short green hair algae. I see you have a lawnmower blenny. If you’ve already ensures your water quality is in check, i’d try a long spine urchin

It was alot worse then in this picture, been dosing nitrate and phosphate. Been blowing and scrubbing off the nasty suff. Been using a uv sterilizer But yeah hair algae is popping up in between.trying to kick start the biodiversity.