Looking for an ID for this algae in the sand please!

[konatown]

This appears in patches inthe sand, usually comes during the day when the light is on. Can’t really mail down what it is, diatoms, cyano, dinos, something else? It’s dusty, can stir it up with a stick. It’s spread out all over in some smaller and bigger patches. Mainly on the light.

tank is 2 months old, cycled. I’ve tried low and high nutrients to see what helps. Flow is pretty moderate, using an mp10 on medium low in a 30 long with return pump running.
Had some hair algae and bryopsis, added clean up crew of margarita, trochus and nasarius snails (for sand) and all of it disappeared.

Current parameters
-Nitrate 3 (nyos) have let it creep up to 20, seeing if it was dinos
-Phosphate .25 (api) need a better kit but using this up for now. I added a small 100g bag of gfo for my 30L aquarium to keep phosphate in check. This algae appeared before gfo, after a couple weeks of gfo it remains.
Please let me know what else you need! Thanks

 

[vetteguy53081]

Diatoms and generally found with new tanks and during cycling

 

[konatown]

Diatoms and generally found with new tanks and during cycling

Thanks. Guy at lfs said cyano, which I didn’t believe. And I was hoping it wasn’t dinos since it shows up when lights come on.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Thanks. Guy at lfs said cyano, which I didn’t believe. And I was hoping it wasn’t dinos since it shows up when lights come on.

Yes, Dino which are flagellates thrive off of lights

 

[Glenner’sreef]

Vacuuming takes care of so much. Obviously followed by water change. Which takes care of more. Great habits to embrace. Good luck.

 

[konatown]

Vacuuming takes care of so much. Obviously followed by water change. Which takes care of more. Great habits to embrace. Good luck.

Thanks. I am balancing keeping nutrients in check and feeding. Do diatoms have anything to do with this, or is this just still new tank uglies? Diatoms seem to get worse sometimes, and now is a worse time. Lol

 

[Glenner’sreef]

So here’s my thinking on the matter. Mankind has do a decent job at messing up the environment. Pollution, bleaching reefs, garbage you get the idea. If you mess with your diatoms consistently they will soon die, disappear. It’s how nature responds to our messing with it. My 180 g. reefs sandbed is pristine because I’m on it constantly. Not everyday but enough that algaes know better than to get comfortable in my tank. Good luck bud

 

[konatown]

So here’s my thinking on the matter. Mankind has do a decent job at messing up the environment. Pollution, bleaching reefs, garbage you get the idea. If you mess with your diatoms consistently they will soon die, disappear. It’s how nature responds to our messing with it. My 180 g. reefs sandbed is pristine because I’m on it constantly. Not everyday but enough that algaes know better than to get comfortable in my tank. Good luck bud

Beautiful tank. Yes I get lazy and literally one or two days go by and the sand and glass both sure get dirty fast.

 

[ggNoRe]

Looks like diatoms to me as well. Just siphon them out when you do a water change.

 

[konatown]

Looks like diatoms to me as well. Just siphon them out when you do a water change.

Thanks. I’ve been working on that, with my weekly water changes. But a lot of sand comes too (very fine sand, won’t do that again)
They seem to come back with a vengeance though