Is this cyano or dinos?

[Meloco14]

I had assumed it was cyano and normal part of going through the uglies, as tank is 4 months old, but now I'm starting to worry it could be dinos. I thought dinos were brown, and this is red/purple (not clear in the picture). But I just watched the BRS 5 min video on dinos and the first couple pictures looked just like this, same color and stringy. Its mainly in my fuge, even growing on my chaeto. In the display its only on this 1 frag, not on the rocks or sand. My nitrate is around 5 according to API test, and phosphate 0 on hanna checker. Just got 1st ICP results and phosphate is .018 according to that. What do you guys think? Thanks

 

[cshouston]

Cyano loves growing on chaeto for some reason. I’m leaning towards cyano, not dinos, and definitely not diatoms. Better quality pics (more light, closer up) would help.

 

[face]

Looks like diatoms possibly.

 

[Meloco14]

Thanks I will try to get better pics.

 

[Subsea]

It’s Cynobacteria.

 

[TheDuude]

I vote cyano

 

[Subsea]

I had assumed it was cyano and normal part of going through the uglies, as tank is 4 months old, but now I'm starting to worry it could be dinos. I thought dinos were brown, and this is red/purple (not clear in the picture). But I just watched the BRS 5 min video on dinos and the first couple pictures looked just like this, same color and stringy. Its mainly in my fuge, even growing on my chaeto. In the display its only on this 1 frag, not on the rocks or sand. My nitrate is around 5 according to API test, and phosphate 0 on hanna checker. Just got 1st ICP results and phosphate is .018 according to that. What do you guys think? Thanks

I think your phosphates are low and nitrogen is on the low side. Cyno will prosper with low nutrients at the expense of chaeto. If you don’t blow off cyno on chaeto surface, the cyno will cover and consume chaeto.

 

[Meloco14]

I ordered some neophos and neonitrate to raise the levels slightly. I have also reduced the lighting schedule on the fuge and only turn on the skimmer occasionally in order to raise those levels a bit. I think those low levels are also why my favia frags are unhappy. Its a 90gal display with only 3 fish in it currently, even though I feed pretty well I think there is too much filtration for such a light bioload right now. Hopefully its cyano and not dinos and with some physical removal and time things will settle.

 

[taricha]

I agree that the main nuisance visible is cyano.

 

[Meloco14]

Thank you!