ID snotty (golden algae)?

[afqu]

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.

OMG, you folks are awesome.
I do have a good scope for my birds, to check for any issues, parasites, fungal, bacteria etc. It is also a computer connected. I thought of using it, but had no clue what I am supposed to see.
Salinity is at 1.026 steady, if fluctuations, maybe 1.025. Using refractometer.
Sorry I probably murdered my snails. Will watch PO4 close.
I will follow your advice on the GFO, personally I don't like it. Gut tells me the water can be too clean?
I do have a lot of detritus, so thinking of the canister filter for siphoning. I have a mini brush (auto interior detailer) on the end of my siphon hose, so I scrub as I siphon. And I have room in my tank, not a lot of corals. The snot doesn't seem to even bother the corals, and none on my shallow sand bed. But I am being aggressive. Thanks for all the other info on food, patience (of which, I have plenty raising my birds), and the nitrate dosing.
All you guys have been great.

 

[afqu]

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.

I did a lot of things the three of you have mentioned. Got the canister, saltyfilmfolks suggested, using a brush on the end of my siphon, pulled off the GFO, etc. I am getting ready to do the Nitrate Dosing (Spectracide) per the recipe in the link you furnished. His/her final dose is 5 ml per 30 gal. for 0.5 ppm of nitrate. Since you all have suggested to go slow, is this too much right off the bat? I am still sitting at zero. I have a trace of PO3.

 

[mcarroll]

Since your PO4 is so low it's even more important to go slow on the nitrate dosing than usual. A bloom of something, even if it's a coral, could definitely use what little you're showing in testing.

So I would consider going smaller than the instructions unless you can dose PO4 too.

A relatively strong initial dose (per instructions) followed by smaller doses (maybe 50% of the recommendation) for a few weeks, or until you see a change in what's growing in the tank is what I'd do.

 

[afqu]

Since your PO4 is so low it's even more important to go slow on the nitrate dosing than usual. A bloom of something, even if it's a coral, could definitely use what little you're showing in testing.

So I would consider going smaller than the instructions unless you can dose PO4 too.

A relatively strong initial dose (per instructions) followed by smaller doses (maybe 50% of the recommendation) for a few weeks, or until you see a change in what's growing in the tank is what I'd do.

I did 15ccs Stump Remover last night, and again today around 3. An hour later I tested around 4pm, and nothing. I did the hour later test, since I have read everywhere people testing an hour later, with results. My PO4 is the same @ about 0.1. Has been there last week or so. So, do I want to half dose tomorrow? I will have the local reef store check it too, over the weekend.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I did 15ccs Stump Remover last night, and again today around 3. An hour later I tested around 4pm, and nothing. I did the hour later test, since I have read everywhere people testing an hour later, with results. My PO4 is the same @ about 0.1. Has been there last week or so. So, do I want to half dose tomorrow? I will have the local reef store check it too, over the weekend.

Don't sweat it too much. under is better.

 

[reeferfoxx]

I did 15ccs Stump Remover last night, and again today around 3. An hour later I tested around 4pm, and nothing. I did the hour later test, since I have read everywhere people testing an hour later, with results. My PO4 is the same @ about 0.1. Has been there last week or so. So, do I want to half dose tomorrow? I will have the local reef store check it too, over the weekend.

I typically dont see no3 results from kno3 until about 20-24 hours later. Then again it takes me that long to find time to test again ;Wacky

 

[afqu]

Sorry for no update. Just about have the snotty stuff beat. Very little coming back in just certain places. I followed all you guys/gals instructions. The canister with brush attachment was a huge help. I will post more in a few days, if not sooner. My NO3 never moved up much, but PO4 is a bit high, then you can tell me if I am right. I preciously never did the alk, mag etc. until now. I will post parameters in my next post. All my corals are doing great. I just want to say thanks to all that gave advice and suggestions.