Please help ID

[MannyT]

New here. I’m hoping someone can help me ID this type of algae? The tank is a Biocube 29 and has been up for almost 6 months now.

It’s growing only on the rocks right now. The sand has some dark brown spots, not sure if they’re both connected or the same type or algae/bacteria. It’s also growing on the shells of my snails. Some type of hair algae? All my corals, fish, inverts, and BTA are fine.

 

[Highgrade]

GHA most likely. Does the stringy stuff have air bubbles in it? Does it break up when you siphon or blow it away? If so you might have Dino's.

 

[MannyT]

GHA most likely. Does the stringy stuff have air bubbles in it? Does it break up when you siphon or blow it away? If so you might have Dino's.

Thanks for the response. No bubbles on the stringy stuff. It doesn’t break up either. I removed a sample, put it in a small test tube with water, shook it and it stayed together. It’s also not slimy or doesn’t have a mucus like texture. It doesn’t really grow in patches either.

 

[Highgrade]

Thanks for the response. No bubbles on the stringy stuff. It doesn’t break up either. I removed a sample, put it in a small test tube with water, shook it and it stayed together. It’s also not slimy or doesn’t have a mucus like texture. It doesn’t really grow in patches either.

Most likely GHA. More frequent water changes and less feeding will help. Also you could add more CUC. Vibrant and other options such as Macro algae, GFO or Phosguard works. I found Vibrant will help over a couple of weeks. Also using small amounts of Phosguard in a media bag, changing out every 2-3 days will help lower the nutrients the GHA is feeding off of.

 

[MannyT]

Most likely GHA. More frequent water changes and less feeding will help. Also you could add more CUC. Vibrant and other options such as Macro algae, GFO or Phosguard works. I found Vibrant will help over a couple of weeks. Also using small amounts of Phosguard in a media bag, changing out every 2-3 days will help lower the nutrients the GHA is feeding off of.

I’m going to buy a new bag of Chemi pure and Phosguard. I have a few asterea, Trochus, and nassarius snails. Anything you recommend that would eat that stuff?

 

[Highgrade]

I’m going to buy a new bag of Chemi pure and Phosguard. I have a few asterea, Trochus, and nassarius snails. Anything you recommend that would eat that stuff?

Turbo snails, Fighting conch and scarlet reef hermits.

 

[MannyT]

Turbo snails, Fighting conch and scarlet reef hermits.

I’ll check out my LFS for more CUC. One more thing, is the brown stuff on the sand the same thing? It only turns that rust brown color after awhile of my lights running. The sand becomes white and clean once the lights turn off.

 

[MannyT]

@mcarroll

With the help of the dino thread, i purchased a microscope off of Amazon and was able to ID the brown spots on my sand as Amphidinium. I spent hours going through the Amphidinium dino thread eventually reached out to a few people like Taricha.

I removed all my media, Chemipure, Purigen, and Phosguard. I only run filter floss and two sump sponges in the back chamber of my Biocube29 AIO. I then purchased and began dosing PO4 and NO3. I also purchased a Hanna Checked ULR tester to test for PO4. I also ordered Silica and dose that daily. I have been keeping PO4 around .10 and No3’s around 5. I have a tougher time with NO3 as they seem to deplete rather quickly. I’ve done about 3 water changes since beginning this treatment.

The wiry stuff shown in the photos above eventually were ID’d as Osteoporosis dino’s. I purchased a UV sterilizer and placed it inside the display. I would say within 24 hours I noticed a difference. Within a week all the brown/green stringy things were gone. I am still running the UV sterilizer in the display. It has been about a month now and I have yet to see any stringy stuff on the rocks return.

Recently, I stopped siphoning the sand out. I originally started with about a 2 inch sand bed, I’ve probably removed about half of that. About a few weeks ago I noticed my sand clear up a lot. There was only brown spots within the edges of the rocks shadows on the sand. This would last about two weeks. Then all of a sudden I had a bloom of reddish rust spots all over the sand. I did not siphon it out this time and eventually found out that it was Cyano growing. It’s been about a week now and the Cyano is all over my sand bed. I don’t really notice it on my rocks much or at all.

I’m still not running any kind of media. Corals look good and continue to grow. I’ve had a few snails and a porcelain crab die within the last week or so. I only have 3 fish (2 Wyoming Whites and a PJ Cardinal) which are doing fine. I continue to test my PO4 and NO3 almost daily and dose as needed and no wc in about 3 weeks now.

I appreciate all your help. Thank you.

 

[mcarroll]

Keep NO3 levels up....if needed you can dose to a higher level (≥ 10 ppm) so it doesn't bottom out in between times. You definitely want to have enough residual N to fuel a bloom of something other than cyano. (You should be able to get away without testing every day once you get the rate dialed in.)

If you want to do a water change, just make sure to dose your water change water up to the tank's NO3 and PO4 levels so you don't set anything back.

 

[MannyT]

Keep NO3 levels up....if needed you can dose to a higher level (≥ 10 ppm) so it doesn't bottom out in between times. You definitely want to have enough residual N to fuel a bloom of something other than cyano. (You should be able to get away without testing every day once you get the rate dialed in.)

If you want to do a water change, just make sure to dose your water change water up to the tank's NO3 and PO4 levels so you don't set anything back.

Thanks! I’ll raise the NO3 when I dose. Do I leave the Cyano alone when doing a water change?

 

[Subsea]

Gravel vac cyno out when you do water change.

@MannyT
Interesting that you came to the conclusion that nuisance algae out competes desirable algae when nutrients are low, particularly with respect to N and cynobacteria. I use ornamental macro in all my reef tanks. Even though I feed heavy, I dose N everyday.

 

[mcarroll]

What @Subsea said!

Since you're having large quantities you might prefer to siphon it out with a smaller tube like airline or 1/2" so you can JUST get the cyano and almost no water. Whatever works tho!

 

[Subsea]

@mcarroll

I visited your blog. Very iinteresting links, some of which I have already read. I share your view on feeding nutrients to a reef.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/wet-salty-for-christmas-2017.428100/

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/2...m-on-top-with-30g-ecosystem-mud-macro.421526/

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/viatamines-amino-acid.442388/

Laissez les bonne temps roulee,
Patrick

 

[mcarroll]

I checked out your first link very cool great looking tank. I even dropped a comment I think. I'll have to get around to the others later when I have more time tonight!

 

[MannyT]

Keep NO3 levels up....if needed you can dose to a higher level (≥ 10 ppm) so it doesn't bottom out in between times. You definitely want to have enough residual N to fuel a bloom of something other than cyano. [emoji4] (You should be able to get away without testing every day once you get the rate dialed in.)

If you want to do a water change, just make sure to dose your water change water up to the tank's NO3 and PO4 levels so you don't set anything back.

So I did a water change last week and siphoned the Cyano out. That lasted about 2-3 days before the Cyano returned. I’m keep my NO3 and PO4 elevates as instructed. How long does this stage usually last? Also, judging by the photos I attached, are the stuff growing on the rocks and back of the tank Cyano mats or hair algae?
Thanks!

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

So I did a water change last week and siphoned the Cyano out. That lasted about 2-3 days before the Cyano returned. I’m keep my NO3 and PO4 elevates as instructed. How long does this stage usually last? Also, judging by the photos I attached, are the stuff growing on the rocks and back of the tank Cyano mats or hair algae?
Thanks!

Looks like your just feeding the alge.
How many snails do you have In there?
You should scrub that stuff with a tooth brush. And need the clean up crew. A small tuxedo urchin would be good too.

 

[MannyT]

Looks like your just feeding the alge.
How many snails do you have In there?
You should scrub that stuff with a tooth brush. And need the clean up crew. A small tuxedo urchin would be good too.

I’ve been battling dinoflagellates for months now. I’ve been raising nutrients to grow something other than dino’s outcompete it. I’ve been following the dino thread and was finally able to grow Cyano and it looks like it’s outcompeted the dino’s.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I’ve been battling dinoflagellates for months now. I’ve been raising nutrients to grow something other than dino’s outcompete it. I’ve been following the dino thread and was finally able to grow Cyano and it looks like it’s outcompeted the dino’s.

Time to get some crew in there.

 

[mcarroll]

Yup...like @saltyfilmfolks said, it looks like it's time for CUC!

If this much cyano and now hair algae is growing, it should be pretty unlikely for dino's to be toxic.

Everything else salty said too! Keep after that stuff with a toothbrush and siphon hose now.

Cyano and hair algae are OK, but you really want to start seeing coraline algae replacing them and coral thriving.

You can usually help speed that cycle along by not letting any pest algae get too established.

 

[MannyT]

Yup...like @saltyfilmfolks said, it looks like it's time for CUC!

If this much cyano and now hair algae is growing, it should be pretty unlikely for dino's to be toxic.

Everything else salty said too! Keep after that stuff with a toothbrush and siphon hose now.

Cyano and hair algae are OK, but you really want to start seeing coraline algae replacing them and coral thriving.

You can usually help speed that cycle along by not letting any pest algae get too established.

Sounds good. The only pest algae I’ve noticed has been sea lettuce. I’ve been manually picking it out

Any specific CUC I should be after?

Thanks.