Algae Identification

[freddyk]

Hi Folks

I am trying to rescue my aquarium from this algae and wonder if anyone can help me identify what I am dealing with. It is hard to tell in the pictures but it is brown. It does not look like the standard green hair algae. It also grows quickly on gravel but it is not cyanobacteria.

My tank went to hell. I pulled out my mountain of live rock to discover 4 inches of crud behind it. I will redesign the rock work so that water flows under the rock.

Once I know what it is called I can Google it for a plan of attack.

Thanks

Edited March 20, 2023 by freddyk
More information

[Eatfrenchfries]

Would you be able to take a picture in white light for identification? 

[Lexinverts]

It's probably dinoflagellates.

What are your water parameters? Specifically, what are your nitrates and phosphates?

[freddyk]

Well there is a great idea!

33 minutes ago, Eatfrenchfries said:

Would you be able to take a picture in white light for identification? 

 

[freddyk]

2 minutes ago, Lexinverts said:

It's probably dinoflagellates.

What are your water parameters? Specifically, what are your nitrates and phosphates?

Thanks. I have been wondering if it was dinoflagellates but for some reason, I thought those were covered with bubbles. You are probably right. My params are off the charts bad I am guessing based on what I discovered behind my rock work. I have been doing massive water changes and I have removed all the rock that did not have coral attached.

[freddyk]

Hanna H1774 Phosphate reading is 0.06

[freddyk]

Salifert Nitrate test is clear.

I should have tested the water before I did my cleaning. My water changes, and cleaning out the gunk, must have really helped or I already had low nitrates. 

I just watched a BRSTV video that said dinoflagellates might be caused by low nutrients. I just can't believe that would be my problem. 

[melanie]

Not sure what it is but I think i had something similar, it took almost 5 months of water changes and chemi clean to get rid of it. Also installed a refugium that helped a lot. When I had it the nitrates were extremely high, I used nopox from redsea. I remember cleaning the power heads in a vinegar soak and thinking that was also really helpful.

Edited March 21, 2023 by melanie
Spelling

[Lexinverts]

9 hours ago, freddyk said:

Salifert Nitrate test is clear.

I should have tested the water before I did my cleaning. My water changes, and cleaning out the gunk, must have really helped or I already had low nitrates. 

I just watched a BRSTV video that said dinoflagellates might be caused by low nutrients. I just can't believe that would be my problem. 

In my experience, dinoflagellates can come when you have higher phosphate than nitrate. If your nitrate is 0 and your phosphates are .06, that could be the issue. Skimmers are good at reducing nitrate but not as good at reducing phosphate. In my systems, if I don't dose nitrate, I end up with phosphate higher than my nitrate like you have.

I recommend getting a high range Hanna checker for nitrate. Then dose nitrate until you get to about 5-10 ppm. You can use Neonitro by Brightwell, or make your own solution from sodium nitrate.

Good luck!

[obrien.david.j]

Looks like Dino's to me too.   I had big battle with them, and the first round looked like yours.   I'm fairly confident I got it that bad because I let the nutrients bottom out, rebound, bottom out, rebound, multiple times.   I've got a thread on my experience, and here's my main recommendation - because Information is power.

Summary of what to do about Dino's:

1. join the "Mack's reef Dinoflagellates support group!" on facebook
2. goto "Files" on the top row and download "Dealing With Dinos" (currently Rev G - published Feb 2022)
3. read it, top to bottom.  Think about it, read it again.
4. If nothing else, just read the index.  It covers chemistry, identification, bacteria, phyto, copeopds, UV, hydrogen peroxide, silica dosing, blackouts, ...   All methods I'd read about in different forums, in one place.

 

 

[freddyk]

Thanks, everyone! This is super helpful. I never imagined that I would have to dose nitrates. I just bought a digital nitrate checker to be sure before I start. After doing some research I think I need to rebuild much of my biome. I will also join the Facebook group. 

It looks like I am in for a long battle.

[freddyk]

4 hours ago, melanie said:

Not sure what it is but I think i had something similar, it took almost 5 months of water changes and chemi clean to get rid of it. Also installed a refugium that helped a lot. When I had it the nitrates were extremely high, I used nopox from redsea. I remember cleaning the power heads in a vinegar soak and thinking that was also really helpful.

Thanks for the response. Did you use nopox before the problem or did it help fix the problem? I used to use it when my aquarium was doing better but I stopped when things started going wrong.

[Lexinverts]

4 minutes ago, freddyk said:

Thanks for the response. Did you use nopox before the problem or did it help fix the problem? I used to use it when my aquarium was doing better but I stopped when things started going wrong.

Nopox is a good way to bottom out your nitrates.

[freddyk]

3 minutes ago, Lexinverts said:

Nopox is a good way to bottom out your nitrates.

Thanks. That is what I thought. I think I am going to try to grow some phyto instead.

[obrien.david.j]

5 minutes ago, freddyk said:

Thanks. That is what I thought. I think I am going to try to grow some phyto instead.

I've used my Dino's thread as a destination to track my phyto growth.  But don't let that bias you as a single magic solution.   Read the "Dealing With Dinos" fully.   There's a lot there, but its the single best consolidation of battling dinos I've found.   I researched a lot.   Started a long list of different aspects and recommendations... and then found this one guide, that covered my list - and more.

But I still like growing phyto too.  I'm now at the 1yr mark of doing it.

[freddyk]

Thanks. I will read it for sure. I totally understand that this battle requires a multi-pronged approach.

I am excited about being able to dose phyto because I love pods but I have always been afraid of nitrates.

Congrats on hitting the one-year mark. I am sure it requires a lot of dedication to make work.

[obrien.david.j]

27 minutes ago, freddyk said:

Congrats on hitting the one-year mark. I am sure it requires a lot of dedication to make work.

Feed phyto ~every morning, Harvest every ~two week, Re-Fertilize every ~week.  Harvest and Restart cultures takes about about an hour, but I do it with careful focus to try and not contaminate and crash them.   

There is the cost of of a laundry room counter, and the spousal grumpiness who would like that counter back.  I may have to move to a place in the garage, but need to design a setup that doesn't take Three hours to harvest & restart, because I wouldn't be next to a sink/etc.   But maybe I could Expand even Further if I did that...

[freddyk]

2 minutes ago, obrien.david.j said:

Feed phyto ~every morning, Harvest every ~two week, Re-Fertilize every ~week.  Harvest and Restart cultures takes about about an hour, but I do it with careful focus to try and not contaminate and crash them.   

There is the cost of of a laundry room counter, and the spousal grumpiness who would like that counter back.  I may have to move to a place in the garage, but need to design a setup that doesn't take Three hours to harvest & restart, because I wouldn't be next to a sink/etc.   But maybe I could Expand even Further if I did that...

I hear you for sure. My place is so small that just finding a place to run an air pump will be tricky. I just need to make the tank happy again and that would go a long way toward reducing the spousal grumpiness

[freddyk]

That Dealing with Dinos paper should be required reading for reef keeping.

I really loved the part about not doing water changes when fighting dinos. Up to this point that was all I was doing - Nice 🙃

[obrien.david.j]

20 minutes ago, freddyk said:

That Dealing with Dinos paper should be required reading for reef keeping.

I really loved the part about not doing water changes when fighting dinos. Up to this point that was all I was doing - Nice 🙃

Glad you found it as informative too.