ID please

[VB313]

Only grows on glass in patches I mag float it off comes back in few days was told it’s the beginning of GHA but it’s not green

 

[VB313]

 

[Fairechio16]

diatoms is the tank new?

 

[Fairechio16]

Also could be brown hair

 

[AdamB]

Brown hair..

 

[VB313]

diatoms is the tank new?

Tanks over 2 years old I’ve had it since June 2018 was moved again in May

 

[Fairechio16]

Did you have a GHA before you moved it?

 

[Fairechio16]

Also what are your test reading and are you carbon doseing?

 

[VB313]

Did you have a GHA before you moved it?

Nope

 

[VB313]

Also what are your test reading and are you carbon doseing?

Don’t dose anything
Tested yesterday:
Temp: 79
Ca:500
Dkh:7
PO4:0.04
N03: (see below)
NO2:0
NH3/NH4:0
pH:8
Salinity:1.025
Mg:1520

Nitrate I had a issue with it hit 20 early June from 0 eventually found out LFS was basically selling me tap water instead of Rodi tested 40ppm from there tap and I was using that for water changes and top offs

Calcium and mag have always been high was using aqua forest salt then switched to reef crystals hoping for lower cal and mag now just started using regular instant ocean

 

[VB313]

Don’t dose anything
Tested yesterday:
Temp: 79
Ca:500
Dkh:7
PO4:0.04
N03: (see below)
NO2:0
NH3/NH4:0
pH:8
Salinity:1.025
Mg:1520

Nitrate I had a issue with it hit 20 early June from 0 eventually found out LFS was basically selling me tap water instead of Rodi tested 40ppm from there tap and I was using that for water changes and top offs

Calcium and mag have always been high was using aqua forest salt then switched to reef crystals hoping for lower cal and mag now just started using regular instant ocean

API tested 0 yesterday for nitrate but my Red Sea test is a dark purple tested both 2 times

 

[Fairechio16]

I would the red sea test results I used them for years no issues also did you buy a rodi unit yet? If so I would run a poly filter incase you have unwanted heavy metals and do 20% water weekly also mag and alk work hand in hand raise ur alk to 8 to 9 dkh also wen you moved your tank did the sand bed come along for the ride?

 

[Fairechio16]

Also I'm a big fan of reg iso but I do dose 2part daily

 

[VB313]

I would the red sea test results I used them for years no issues also did you buy a rodi unit yet? If so I would run a poly filter incase you have unwanted heavy metals and do 20% water weekly also mag and alk work hand in hand raise ur alk to 8 to 9 dkh also wen you moved your tank did the sand bed come along for the ride?

Ok I used api tests till recently I got the entire line of Red Sea hoping for better accuracy but either I’m doing something wrong with the nitrate test or the test itself is bad I emailed Red Sea yesterday with the pictures waiting for a response

Haven’t got Rodi unit yet but in the works switched to a different lfs that assured and showed me there rodi system that runs constantly and media changed frequently. My filtration on the tank runs filter floss purigen then chemipure blue also running a refugium with cheato
how do you recommend raising alk? And how high should I go 9?

When I moved I kept the sand bed in the tank with about 1 1/2”-2” water intentionaly so I didn’t disturb it much

 

[Fairechio16]

Use kalkwasser in auto top of water it really depends on the amount of corals you have and the type but kalk will give you a boost on alk and its the easiest way to dose it with out doseing pumps I keep my tank 8 to 9 I use 2 part system but dosed kalk for years with no problems that being said make sure your ato is reliable and if your doing it by hand a easy dripper would be the way to go you can overdose

 

[Bret Brinkmann]

Looks like brown film algae. Just about any snail will eat it. But with 1500 ppm Mg you'll probably have trouble keeping them alive. At those levels Mg becomes toxic to them.

I saw a very good video from BRS about salt stratification which gave Triton ICP testing for about a dozen different salts. The Mg in Aqua Forest and Instant Ocean Reef Crystals was about the same in the 1500 ppm range as was most other brands. The only 2 that didn't follow this trend with closer to the 1300 ppm mark were ESV B-ionic and Tropic Marin Classic salts. I have a high Mg issue currently as well which has killed most of my snails. I'll be giving these brands a try to attempt lowering Mg.

I have found API test kits to be next to useless. The Red Sea test kits have proven to be either the best or very close to it in terms of accuracy and repeatability. BRS also has videos comparing various test kits from many manufacturers. The Red Sea nitrate kit is what I would trust to be accurate and use it myself.

 

[VB313]

But I have tons of snails literally tons they are everywhere
6-8 nerites
4 nasarius
30+ dwarf Ceriths
Hundreds of colinista snails
They all seem to thrive

 

[Bret Brinkmann]

Glad to hear yours aren't getting poisoned. My nerites stick to the glass mainly and seem to prefer the brown and green film algae as do my dwarf ceriths, at least at night. Thirty dwarfs is probably only equivalent to one maybe one and a half regular size ceriths or nerites. The nessarius won't eat algae though. Colonistas are also tiny and it would take tons of them to equal the same algae eating capability of a nerite. So you probably have some where in the ballpark of 9-12 snails the size of a nerite/astrea/trochus type of snail. For a 32 biocube that isn't a whole lot. I do love that you have multiple species and that the colonistas are breeding from the sound of it.

I recommend getting some more snails. Trochus, gold ring cowries, Florida & Caribbean ceriths, ninja astreas, orange chestnuts, maybe even a turbo. Not wanting to clean your glass, like me, is a great reason to get some more snail numbers and diversity.

 

[VB313]

More.........idk myCUC huge I have tons brittle stars, copepods amphipods literally if you shine a light in my tank right now being lights out the glass and rocks are covered in snails or something every now then there’s a chiton on the glass I’ve just recently noticed super tiny white snails eating my cleaner shrimps molt haven’t ID them yet though had Florida Ceriths and turbos and margaritas they don’t seem to stay alive in my tank the margaritas where killed off for their shells by hermits and I have atleast 6-7 mixed hermits but nothing touches this stuff

 

[VB313]

I guess here’s my plan
I’m doing a 5 gal water change this weekend I’m going to take my time and scrape this stuff off glass and siphon it out immediately
Try to raise my DKH with BRS soda ash in small daily doses I’m thinking but I’m reading May up my Ph
But will raising my dkh help lower mag and cal?
I know I really shouldn’t be chasing numbers but Ide really like to get things back to more manageable numbers

Also do you think I would benefit from running a slimmer instead of my refugium?