Please ID this algae (microscope pics and video)

[Idech]

This happened after treating the tank for prorocentrum dinos with sodium silicate for 4 weeks (dinos were spilled in the tank when removing my in-tank UV hose). Dinos are gone but this appeared about 2 weeks ago. I tried Phosguard to remove silicate but it didn’t help.

Also, what is this micro organism that seems to be eating algae?

Thanks !

 

[Miami Reef]

Hi.

I’m going to guess those cubed block things are diatoms. I can clearly see other diatoms mixed in as well.

Diatoms aren’t going to magically disappear if the silica source was removed. They will eventually die on their own, but it will take a while.

In my opinion, using any phosphate/silicate absorber is completely unnecessary if you just want to remove the silica. You might find that phosphates bottom out before you are able to strip the silica to 0.

Besides, diatoms rapidly deplete silica anyway. Like, within a week.

Just don’t dose it and wait for them to go away on their own.

 

[Idech]

Hi.

I’m going to guess those cubed block things are diatoms. I can clearly see other diatoms mixed in as well.

Diatoms aren’t going to magically disappear if the silica source was removed. They will eventually die on their own, but it will take a while.

In my opinion, using any phosphate/silicate absorber is completely unnecessary if you just want to remove the silica. You might find that phosphates bottom out before you are able to strip the silica to 0.

Besides, diatoms rapidly deplete silica anyway. Like, within a week.

Just don’t dose it and wait for them to go away on their own.

Thanks. If they’re diatoms I really don’t mind them at all. I like to decrease silicate levels because they are incredibly high, like around 3000% the normal level and it will take forever to get it to a normal reading.

I’m going to check if silicate levels are back to normal and stop dosing Phosguard.

 

[Miami Reef]

What do you use to test for silica?

 

[Idech]

What do you use to test for silica?

I think I have an API test (not reliable) but I’m not going to use that.

I will use my Hanna ULR Phosphate tester and if the test result makes sense, that means the silicate levels are normal (Hanna ULR gives false results (too high) when silicate levels are high).

 

[Idech]

I’ve tested phosphates with my Hanna ULR phosphate tester and the result is 0.55 and there is no way it is that high. It’s usually around 0.03.

So that means my silicate levels are still very high. I changed the phosguard and will try to do a larger WC than usual tomorrow.

 

[Miami Reef]

I’ve tested phosphates with my Hanna ULR phosphate tester and the result is 0.55 and there is no way it is that high. It’s usually around 0.03.

So that means my silicate levels are still very high. I changed the phosguard and will try to do a larger WC than usual tomorrow.

Sounds good.

For future: there is no need to go that high with silica. 1ppm won’t grow diatoms any slower than 50ppm, but phosphates won’t be affected, and it’s much easier to remove lower levels of silica if you ever change your mind about the diatom growth.

 

[Miami Reef]

I tested GFO with silica and phosphate, and phosphates went from 0.10ppm to 0.01ppm before silica went from >2.00ppm to 1.8ppm.

Basically, it’s possible that you’ll bottom out your phosphates if you try to remove that much silica with phosphate adsorbers (at least with BRS HC GFO). Just something to keep in mind, especially if you believe that low phosphate caused the dino issue in the first place.

 

[Idech]

For future: there is no need to go that high with silica. 1ppm won’t grow diatoms any slower than 50ppm, but phosphates won’t be affected, and it’s much easier to remove lower levels of silica if you ever change your mind about the diatom growth.

This was my fourth time fighting dinos, third time with prorocentrum so I used my usual recipe. I guess my system is now more sensitive to silicate and it needs less for diatoms to bloom.

Next time I’ll definitely use less. Or rather, I hope there is no next time, lol !

Basically, it’s possible that you’ll bottom out your phosphates if you try to remove that much silica with phosphate adsorbers (at least with BRS HC GFO). Just something to keep in mind, especially if you believe that low phosphate caused the dino issue in the first place.

I’m feeding three times a day so hopefully it’s enough. The cause of dinos is my own mistake.

I accidentally spilled the water from my UV hose into the tank when removing it from the display after running it for months. The water in the hose was brown, filled with dinos.