IME, high nutrients doesn’t mean dinos won’t grow. However, once you remove lots of algae or cyano, there’s no competition and Dinos kick in. If nutrients are kept high, usually other algae will grow in and outcompete the dinos. It’s a true war for sure.
Have you confirmed they are dinos? I’m not 100% convinced from the photo. But a microscope ID is very useful in this case. Different plans of action for everything. A CUC is useless for dinos and basically chemicals won’t move the needle. But if you can narrow down the type of dinos or algae you have, it’s easier to find a method that works best. I’ve dealt with almost every beast there is to offer. Some are easy and some are incredibly tough.
what was the worst one? just out of curiosity i know dinos suck!
Osteopsis was the worst for me. No matter what I did, they always seemed to come back. Was a many month battle but got through it.
No, I haven't confirmed they are dinos. I don't have access to a microscope but I am going to try getting a better picture tonight when the lights aren't so blue. I would prefer not to add chemicals to my tank unless thats literally my only option.
I used blackouts the last two times I was dealing with this stuff. It worked but was only a temporary solution. It just keeps coming back. I will use it again if it gets bad but would prefer to find something that has a more long term effect.
I'll look into seachem stability and see if it will help with my current water conditions. I'm also working on adding pods to my tank so if you have any suggestions, tips or advice I would love to hear them! I'm looking at getting a macroalgae for my tank as well. I would like to cut back on water changes too but I need to get my nitrate issue under control first.
Yeah, I just started it in January so it's still pretty new and I used dry rock. My main goal right now is to promote that diversity and balance in my tank. I'm starting to wonder if I should add a fish for an ammonia source but I need to get my nitrates under control first.
It might only be cosmetic, but a sand sifting starfish would turn things over.I've been having issues with this algae since I set my tank up back in January. I'm now on my third round fighting this stuff. The first two times I got rid of it with extended blackouts and a lot of water changes. Now though I finally have coral in my tank and don't want to kill them off with another blackout. I've accepted that this will probably be a never-ending battle so now I'm trying harder to find something that will eat the stuff. I'm leaning toward a blenny, not sure what kind yet but am open to suggestions or if something else will work better. I have a 20g tank with three trochus snails and a zebra hermit crab who all seem content to ignore it.
It's hard to see in the pic but it is brown hairy/stringy stuff that is starting to cover my rocks. Any help, ideas or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
