Is this bubble alage? Turf? GHA? Whyyyyyyy??!!!!!

[LesPoissons]

Hey guys, I’m losing my mind with this &#*+\ tank. 5 years old, Everything has finally been stable for months. ALk around eight, CA around 430, PH 8, temp 78. Phos and nitrates are 0 (Hanna) and 1(Nyos) (not intentionally that low- they just are) But corals look good and are growing etc so I haven’t stressed it. Last 2 days- this junk all over my tank and spreading fast?!!!! What is it and why is it here?!!!

 

[Soren]

That looks like dinoflagellates (or diatoms?).
Additional links:
Brown algae and nitrogen bubbles
Bubbles on live rock and diatoms??

 

[homer1475]

Yup looks like dino's to me too. And the 0 nitrate and 0 phosphate would lean toward them being dino's too.

 

[thedon986]

Would agree dinos. Need a microscope for confirmation. If it’s on the rock it is probably a species that is susceptible to UV and should be more easily treatable. Definitely raise your nutrients. I have sand dwelling dinos right now due to double 0 N&P.

 

[LesPoissons]

But I also seem to have turf or gha? Won’t increasing the phos/nitrates increase that? I’m loosing my mind w this tank.

 

[Soren]

But I also seem to have turf or gha? Won’t increasing the phos/nitrates increase that? I’m loosing my mind w this tank.

Do you have any herbivorous fish? (such as tangs, foxfaces, or sailfin blennies)

 

[Uncle99]

Whereas true zero is not a number, trace amounts are required for coral health, in balanced quantities, will not be a contributor to any pest algae’s

for me, the sweet spot is Nitrate 2-5ppm, Phosphates 0.03-.1ppm

 

[LesPoissons]

Do you have any herbivorous fish? (such as tangs, foxfaces, or sailfin blennies)

I have 3 large tangs, 2 fox faces, and a blennie in a Kenya tree. (Christmas-y, no? Lol)
They have never eaten any nuisance algae in any discernible amount. Also included in the past of non-nuisance-algae eaters were urchins, fuzzy chitons, sea slugs etc.
I dosed Neo Nitrate and Neo Phos tonight. I guess we’ll see.
How I can be a battling both a nuisance algae that appears when nutrients are in abundance and Dino’s which appear once nutrients are bottomed out??!!! Argh!

 

[Soren]

I have 3 large tangs, 2 fox faces, and a blennie in a Kenya tree. (Christmas-y, no? Lol)
They have never eaten any nuisance algae in any discernible amount. Also included in the past of non-nuisance-algae eaters were urchins, fuzzy chitons, sea slugs etc.
I dosed Neo Nitrate and Neo Phos tonight. I guess we’ll see.
How I can be a battling both a nuisance algae that appears when nutrients are in abundance and Dino’s which appear once nutrients are bottomed out??!!! Argh!

The algae may be Bryopsis. Take some out by hand and get a closer look at the algal filaments to identify. It seems like others have found Bryopsis to be a problem when magnesium levels are too low and apparently it also likes low nitrates and phosphates. Also, it seems that almost nothing eats Bryopsis reliably.
Here are some links about Bryopsis and dealing with it:
Reef2Reef 1, Reef2Reef 2, Reef2Reef 3, ReefCentral, SaltwaterAquariumBlog