What type of algae??

[Slick Willy 46]

My buddies been struggling with what we believed to be Cyrano algae. It's on the substrate. He did a siphon on the substrate, a water change and added chemiclean after all that failed. Now I wondering if it is dinoflagellates. What are your thoughts and best way to move forward?? Thanks.

 

[Reef Devils]

My buddies been struggling with what we believed to be Cyrano algae. It's on the substrate. He did a siphon on the substrate, a water change and added chemiclean after all that failed. Now I wondering if it is dinoflagellates. What are your thoughts and best way to move forward?? Thanks.

Picture would help identify the algae.

 

[Slick Willy 46]

Picture would help identify the algae.

 

[Slick Willy 46]

Any ideas??

 

[Reef Devils]

Any ideas??

It could be diatoms. I am now expert but that is what it looks like to me. How old is your tank? What does this algae look like?

 

[Gill the 3rd]

Can you get a better close up picture? Is the algae slimy with bubbles or is it more like a dusting? How old is the tank?

 

[ReeferSway83]

The tank is actually mine, it's 2 years old, The algae comes and goes with my light (Redsea 90s). It starts off dusty then the thicker areas turn slimy. It has more of a reddish hue, but i will get some better close up pictures with no blue lights and vice-versa to help identify later tonight.

 

[shootingstar_reef]

can you get it under the scope? It looks like a combination of things. If it's 2 years old it's probably still stabilizing

 

[ReeferSway83]

can you get it under the scope? It looks like a combination of things. If it's 2 years old it's probably still stabilizing

No scope, but this would be my 2nd cycle through with algae since I've had the tank. My phosphates are at a .10 and Nitrates are 0, which is the lowest I've seen since starting up my tank. I do have a 25W UV filter, protein skimmer, and chaeto in my refugium.

 

[shootingstar_reef]

i wouldn't leave your nitrates bottomed out, that's an imbalance. Either feed more or just start dosing nitrates so that you have a detectable amount at all times.

 

[ReeferSway83]

No scope, but this would be my 2nd cycle through with algae since I've had the tank. My phosphates are at a .10 and Nitrates are 0, which is the lowest I've seen since starting up my tank. I do have a 25W UV filter, protein skimmer, and chaeto in my refugium.

That is the first time I've ever been that low, I check my levels after every water change and it had been dropping last couple of months. Normally I keep them between 1-5ppm. I've upped my feeding amount, is there a preference between frozen and pellets for nitrate boost?

 

[ReeferSway83]

My buddies been struggling with what we believed to be Cyrano algae. It's on the substrate. He did a siphon on the substrate, a water change and added chemiclean after all that failed. Now I wondering if it is dinoflagellates. What are your thoughts and best way to move forward?? Thanks.

Here are some more zoomed in shots of the algae.

 

[shootingstar_reef]

looks like a mix of diatoms and something else to me. I don't think one type of food is better necessarily for increasing NO3, but if you wanted to be in more control the food-grade sodium nitrate is an excellent option for dosing.