ID snotty (golden algae)?
- Thread starter afqu
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Yea, I think you nailed the ID, or really close.
Are you on Rodi?(silicates)
what else are you feeding?
I believe in its common but gets cleaned up by the cuc(snails mostly.)
Are you on Rodi?(silicates)
what else are you feeding?
I believe in its common but gets cleaned up by the cuc(snails mostly.)
OP
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afqu
Community Member
YES! Thanks so much for the reply! I use RO/DI, I did double check all parameters with local coral shop, and they matched mine. I did not have the test for silicates, so he did that too. He (like you) was thinking maybe silicates too. He said minuscule amt. I had been feeding frozen cyclopeeze and mysis as my staple, occasionally other things, but am trying a brand of pellets now too. I am a very conservative feeder. My cleaner crew is lacking bad, so he is ordering everything we think I need. We did decide on just snails. Again, thanks so much.
No sweat. I'm going to tag some friends.
Brb
@reeferfoxx @mcarroll @brandon429
What kind of snails and CUC have you had in there?
What's the parameters?
Ph no3 po4 etc.
was it dry or live rock when you cycled.
Do you run gfo?
What kind of snails and CUC have you had in there?
What's the parameters?
Ph no3 po4 etc.
was it dry or live rock when you cycled.
Do you run gfo?
reeferfoxx
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This looks like something @mcarroll had. My best guess is nutrient mulm based on the maturity of this tank. Manual removal and dosing KNO3 helped others. I would definitely clean out as much as possible(toothbrush can help with harder areas) and then proceed with testing po4 and no3. That should help give the best readings in case it's trapped in this stuff. Then a proper approach can be achieved.
reeferfoxx
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Just to add, cleaning needs to be systematic. Meaning, using a temporary canister filter and or vacuumed into filter sock or filter floss. Best not to let it swim around.
I figured to could also just have become the dominant organism too. The tank may have no sponges or cyano ever because it got rooted in first. A possiblity.
That was how my bryopsis worked. Besides being nearly impossible to kill.
+1. Cheap canister with dense floss.
Maybe gfo once we see the parameters.
reeferfoxx
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I like to think this could be silica related but it all depends on your questions being answered. With the addition of new equipment? Were diatoms present prior to this? With my discovery of rocks melting from the inside, could possibly leach unwanted silica and nutrients.
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afqu
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I raise parrots and had to go feed some babies, sorry.
I haven't had snails in about a year. Oh I have 3 zebra turbos, 3 scarlet hermits/half dollar size ad a few small blue legged hermits.
Ph-8.4, no3-0, po4-.03. Had newer readings but threw them away. Not much different.
Live rock when I cycled 9 years ago.
Coral store just suggested GFO, so have been for about two weeks now.
I haven't had snails in about a year. Oh I have 3 zebra turbos, 3 scarlet hermits/half dollar size ad a few small blue legged hermits.
Ph-8.4, no3-0, po4-.03. Had newer readings but threw them away. Not much different.
Live rock when I cycled 9 years ago.
Coral store just suggested GFO, so have been for about two weeks now.
reeferfoxx
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Need to get nitrates up. KNO3 aka 'Stump remover' or Seachem Nitrate would help raise it. Gotta have that nutrient balance. Manual removal is important also. Target nitrates around 5ppm.
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afqu
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I have been doing about 5+ gal. water changes every day or two and siphoning out. Didn't think filter sock would keep it all out. Have been thinking about getting a canister for what you suggested.
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afqu
Community Member
Really? Funny, I never had issues with nitrate higher, and phosphate up. So, do I need to stop the GFO? I hate to admit it, but I am not as serious as all you on these groups and it is a bit intimidating LOL. I am a bit behind the times with all this.
lol/ what are you running chem wise and what are your numbers. A Little bout your system.
you can test tomorrow as well. This isn't the inquisition! this is just the start of your little battle.
this is the canister I have Im pretty sure. It has six different names and Im not sure of my ghp. looks exactly like it.
https://www.amazon.com/Pingkay-3-st...d=1492749211&sr=1-14&keywords=canister+filter
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afqu
Community Member
With the parrots I breed, I lecture and help all over the world, so now I am on the other end. Thanks all for the help.
What do you mean "chem wise". I did list week old test numbers above. Is there any test I need that I didn't mention? I had no idea you could get a canister so cheap, thanks. I'm in FL and have to feed at 6am, so I am outta here for now. Thanks again.
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mcarroll
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Don't feel bad – you're not the first!
I agree this stuff looks like Chrysophytes.....would be cool if you had a microscope. (Me too.....still shopping for one. You can get cheapies for $8 on up!!)
What is your salinity and has it been allowed to drift up or down from normal significantly?
Snails probably starved to death due to there being no dissolved nitrogen for algae to use for growth.
Snails may have been murdered though....your PO4 is pretty low, so it's possible that there have been occasions of P-starvation too. This can cause some algae to generate toxins to assure their own survival vs predators by killing them. (Clever way for them to get some dissolved nutrients too, eh? These toxins are at least sometimes known to have a lysing effect on top of their toxicity.)
If you have not been watching PO4 closely, I would start soing so now.
GFO is something that "everyone is doing" so don't waste time worrying about being "behind the times" – you're experiencing a modern problem!
(In general, a lot fewer people should be running GFO or carbon dosing, IMO.)I would scale back on your GFO usage starting now....maybe take the amount down by 50%, then watch and test for a week or two (or three) and make sure PO4 doesn't explode. As long as you don't see anything crazy happen, reduce the GFO by half again....then next time if it's still ALL OK you can take it offline altogether.
Remember that dry foods have a higher P content relative to whole foods like worms or plankton. (Which is OK as long as it's not all you're feeding....just remember in case you need more P control.)
I would also follow the advice to get a nitrate source that you can dose.....Spectracide stump remover granules (which is pure KNO3) , Seachem's flourish product, anything.
Also, read this blog post:
A Nitrate Dosing Calculator For Better Tank Health (And Better Coral Color!)
Siphoning is a help if you can keep it up, but even if all you can do is scrub with a toothbrush it will help some. Don't let this stuff overrun any corals! (A toothbrush is almost all I did, so don't kill yourself with the water changes OR siphoning....there just isn't enough room in my tank to effectively drag a siphon hose around without whacking a coral and I don't have time for water changes like I used to, so I didn't have much choice.)
And have patience when you start dosing nitrates!
Start small and forget about targeting any specific numbers....increase or decrease your dose after no less than a few weeks since the effects can take that long to show up.
BTW, I think our tanks might be about the same age.
