Need help identifying brown string like algae

[rq786]

What is this brown string like algae and what's the cure for it
This is mainly growing on the sand bed from there pieces get loose and wrap around the corals. Some corals are really ticked
tank is a 50gal more than 1 year old
NO3 4 (red sea)
PO4 0.024 (hanna)

 

[anon9896]

If your aquarium is new , I would say it's pretty normal, keep a good water circulation and a couple hermit crabs / nassarius snails
Is it possible your aquarium is being overfed ? That algae is no problem , water quality has to be if the life cycle is good.

 

[rq786]

more than 1 year old

 

[AdamB]

My tank will be a year old In December and I have some (not much ) of that brown hair algae’s?

 

[AdamB]

I don’t think I had enough flow in my tank and I have turned return pump and wave makers up this week to see if that helps.

 

[anon9896]

I hate to say this but , everytime I had a small quantity of sand in an aquarium, I had a problem with it.
It seems to me that it builds up in impuritys and at one point it releases it and starts to feed algaes. It can happen on live rock as well. Depending on your maintenance routine , filtration system(macro and micro) input/output in your aquarium , some changes could help, but don't rush it only for those algaes hector gobby maybe? , just an idea.

 

[rq786]

in my case it seem like they grow more in high flow areas

 

[rq786]

and also my rocks are clean no algae on them

 

[Mikedawg]

Look like dinoflagellates to me. Siphon some up and see if they "recombine" after 30 minutes; if so, you may have the dreaded dinos. Best way of course is to use a microscope to compare what you have with pics of dinos, especially Ostreposis and Amphidinium. Good luck

 

[rq786]

Look like dinoflagellates to me. Siphon some up and see if they "recombine" after 30 minutes; if so, you may have the dreaded dinos. Best way of course is to use a microscope to compare what you have with pics of dinos, especially Ostreposis and Amphidinium. Good luck

Thanks for the info
so I am taking a couple of the strings break them up and see if they reattach in 30 mins or so correct?

 

[Mikedawg]

Thanks for the info
so I am taking a couple of the strings break them up and see if they reattach in 30 mins or so correct?

Don't even need to break them up; when you siphon them out they will "disappear" because they are so small and then, if dynos and not cyano, form a larger, stringy mass when they combine. Many different species of dinos, so if you think you have them you'll want to use a microscope to better identify and design your treatment protocol accordingly.

 

[anon9896]

https://aquariumstoredepot.com/blogs/news/how-to-get-rid-of-dinoflagellates
Very nicely explained documentation for your eyes, good luck to you.

 

[Mikedawg]

https://aquariumstoredepot.com/blogs/news/how-to-get-rid-of-dinoflagellates
Very nicely explained documentation for your eyes, good luck to you.

Good read

 

[rq786]

Will removing the sand bed slowly help, this algae mainly grows on the sand bed and some on the glass

 

[rq786]

or will removing the sand bed cause unbalance to the system and open a new can of worms

 

[Mikedawg]

or will removing the sand bed cause unbalance to the system and open a new can of worms

I believe some reefers remove their sand bed, but dinos will attach to other surfaces and such a solution may be short lived. Many beautiful, healthy tanks are bare bottom. Best to get rid of dinos altogether with uv, raising nutrient levels, etc. I think.
Have you figured out what you have?

 

[rq786]

Not really but I do believe these are dino as I do see some of the strings have bubbles on them
I did blow them yesterday and they came back today.

 

[Mikedawg]

Not really but I do believe these are dino as I do see some of the strings have bubbles on them
I did blow them yesterday and they came back today.

Lot of recommendations on this blog, from h202, blackouts, uv light of course, etc. I'm battling ovata right now and it's not fun. Good luck

 

[rq786]

Lot of recommendations on this blog, from h202, blackouts, uv light of course, etc. I'm battling ovata right now and it's not fun. Good luck

I will try the blackout and UV which will be the easiest to implement

 

[rq786]

will getting a microscope and find out exact dino species help in this battle