So as you can see my sand and rocks (but not coral) is covered is this slime like substance. I've maintained 10% water change every two weeks. Hanna says phos is 0 and Red Sea says nitrate is 0. Lighting is 4 T5 and they're 3 months old. I can scrape it off with a tooth brush but it's back within a day. Im not dosing anything but a tiny bit of brs 2 part. I'm at a loss and about ready to throw in the towel on this tank. Please help!
What did I do wrong and can it be fixed
- Thread starter Hal 9000
- Start date
- Tagged users None
So as you can see my sand and rocks (but not coral) is covered is this slime like substance. I've maintained 10% water change every two weeks. Hanna says phos is 0 and Red Sea says nitrate is 0. Lighting is 4 T5 and they're 3 months old. I can scrape it off with a tooth brush but it's back within a day. Im not dosing anything but a tiny bit of brs 2 part. I'm at a loss and about ready to throw in the towel on this tank. Please help!
excellent chrysophytes invasion, macros forum, complete thread on them middle of page
the sole cause is nothing internal, its external. these are requisite hitchhikers and need nothing special to bloom in a tank, merely a ride-in on transferred surfaces. happens to anyone, quarantine is the preventative.
the sole cause is nothing internal, its external. these are requisite hitchhikers and need nothing special to bloom in a tank, merely a ride-in on transferred surfaces. happens to anyone, quarantine is the preventative.
Brew12
Electrical Gru
reeferfoxx
5000 Club Member
- Joined
- Sep 8, 2015
- Messages
- 6,514
- Reaction score
- 6,512
I've been going through this also. Your case looks like it's at full maturity. I finally got to a controllable and don't need to rip my hair out stage. Chrysophytes in its definition is a photosynthetic silicate algae. There isn't much more information other than its related to diatoms.
I took that limited info and decided to attack. My theory is Chrysophytes is the algae that grows in result of excess diatoms. Also Calothrix could also be the underlying issue. Calothrix is what happens when diatoms and cyano grow into each other. Either way, the remedie is there.
Step 1: attack silicates
Step 2: attack nutrients
Step 3: add more clean up crew
Starts with a tooth brush and turkey baster. Brush off as much as possible and clean out or filter out as much of the mulm as possible. Do this manual cleaning until most of the chunky stuff is gone. You might need to wait 24 hours for the water to clear.
After manual cleaning, add GFO. The GFO will help absorb excess silicates. Let the GFO run for another 24 hours. At this point you should notice a change in the chrysophytes. It will look a little less compact and more loose. Get ready to bring out the tooth brush again.
After 24 hours of GFO, pull the GFO offline during cleaning. Begin to clean the rocks with the toothbrush and make sure your not using GFO. The reason for that is so excess nutrients and silicates won't overload the GFO right away and thus wasting it.
If you haven't increased your clean up crew by now, you should. Astrea snails will eat this up.
Once the tank has cleared up from cleaning again, add the GFO. I don't recommend running GFO long term on such a new tank. But nutrients and silicates are the issue.
It will clear up.
I took that limited info and decided to attack. My theory is Chrysophytes is the algae that grows in result of excess diatoms. Also Calothrix could also be the underlying issue. Calothrix is what happens when diatoms and cyano grow into each other. Either way, the remedie is there.
Step 1: attack silicates
Step 2: attack nutrients
Step 3: add more clean up crew
Starts with a tooth brush and turkey baster. Brush off as much as possible and clean out or filter out as much of the mulm as possible. Do this manual cleaning until most of the chunky stuff is gone. You might need to wait 24 hours for the water to clear.
After manual cleaning, add GFO. The GFO will help absorb excess silicates. Let the GFO run for another 24 hours. At this point you should notice a change in the chrysophytes. It will look a little less compact and more loose. Get ready to bring out the tooth brush again.
After 24 hours of GFO, pull the GFO offline during cleaning. Begin to clean the rocks with the toothbrush and make sure your not using GFO. The reason for that is so excess nutrients and silicates won't overload the GFO right away and thus wasting it.
If you haven't increased your clean up crew by now, you should. Astrea snails will eat this up.
Once the tank has cleared up from cleaning again, add the GFO. I don't recommend running GFO long term on such a new tank. But nutrients and silicates are the issue.
It will clear up.
I never knew they were an algae till you posted its rare to not see greens and browns as a photosynthetic pigment in nature. those being a crème color/uber light brown it still makes sense. without ever searching id have guessed they were some filter feeder or something.
Brew12
Electrical Gru
I can't tell the difference in most pictures between them and a bacteria. Glad others can!
