Dinos cyano??!!

[Bcook1016]

I’ve been having this algae and I finally got a microscope and I have no idea what it is but it’s all over my sand bed and rock and when I take it off the sand beg it’s like one big mat of algae that comes right off, idk what to look for under the microscope but I did my best with the sample and the algae does not dissapear at night and its fast growing I tested nitrates and they were at pretty much zero which was odd it doesn’t seem toxic the coral is doing just fine please help me identify it so I can get rid of this forever!!?

 

[Macbalacano]

Here is link to Dino identification guide: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/dinoflagellate-identification-guide.671466/

Looks like GHA to me though!

 

[Bcook1016]

You think it’s just a basic green hair algae but what about all those bubbles and stuff in the beginning whenever we were talking about it before? How to I get rid of this type of algae

 

[Macbalacano]

If you would like others to help, you will need to provide some additional information:

- Water parameters
- Lighting details
- How old is the tank?

 

[Bcook1016]

Okay well I’ll text parameters in a second butyl the tank is 8 months old and what parameters should I provide?

 

[Macbalacano]

Nitrates
Phosphates

 

[Bcook1016]

Here’s my lighting at its brightest and nitrates are at 7 I’ve been trying to raise them but before they were pretty much at 0

 

[vetteguy53081]

Looks to be amphidium and even if ostreo, when we see zero readings, automatically we assume this is the cause but by the time you see zero numbers, its because the dino has consumed the po4 and no3 and are multiplying and in turn many dose no3 and po4 to bring numbers up not realizing they are feeding these flagellates even more.
Its biological deficiencies that are causing the dino structure. No light is first key followed by the addition of bacteria to overcome the bad bacteria allowing them to thrive
Prepare by starting by blowing this stuff loose with a turkey baster and siphon up loose particles. Turn lights off (at least white and run blue at 10% IF you have light dependant corals such as SPS) for 5 days and at night dose 1ml of 3% hydrogen peroxide per 10 gallons for all 5 nights which works as an oxidizer. If you dont have light dependent coral- turn all lights off. During the day dose 1ml of liquid bacteria (such as micro bacter 7 or XLM) per 10 gallons. Clean filters daily and DO NOT FEED AMINO OR ADD NOPOX which is food for dinos, however you can feed coral, food which will help no3 and po4 to increase. If increasing nutrients, try to keep no3 to about 5 until you are done battling these cells.
Doing a daily siphoning will help greatly But . . . . . Siphoning will reduce nutrients , so siphon the water into/through a filter sock and save the water and return it back to tank. Obviously clean the filter sock each time.
You can feed fish as normal and if doing blackout, ambient light in room will work for them

 

[BristleWormHater]

I see maybe some dinos in your sixth pic. A better picture closer to the sandbed would help, just change your camera to landscape mode and put it right against the glass. I see mostly gha though, that seems to be the bigger problem. Get a toothbrush and start scrubbing, then turbo snails(1 or 2 and get zebra turbos not Mexicans), nd an urchin of some kind.

 

[Bcook1016]

I see maybe some dinos in your sixth pic. A better picture closer to the sandbed would help, just change your camera to landscape mode and put it right against the glass. I see mostly gha though, that seems to be the bigger problem. Get a toothbrush and start scrubbing, then turbo snails(1 or 2 and get zebra turbos not Mexicans), nd an urchin of some kind.

Right now I have nassarius snails, copepods, tiger conch, bumblebee snail, trochus snail, lettuce nudibranch and some red and blue hermits do you think adding an urchin would exactly help would it hurt my nem?

 

[Bcook1016]

Looks to be amphidium and even if ostreo, when we see zero readings, automatically we assume this is the cause but by the time you see zero numbers, its because the dino has consumed the po4 and no3 and are multiplying and in turn many dose no3 and po4 to bring numbers up not realizing they are feeding these flagellates even more.
Its biological deficiencies that are causing the dino structure. No light is first key followed by the addition of bacteria to overcome the bad bacteria allowing them to thrive
Prepare by starting by blowing this stuff loose with a turkey baster and siphon up loose particles. Turn lights off (at least white and run blue at 10% IF you have light dependant corals such as SPS) for 5 days and at night dose 1ml of 3% hydrogen peroxide per 10 gallons for all 5 nights which works as an oxidizer. If you dont have light dependent coral- turn all lights off. During the day dose 1ml of liquid bacteria (such as micro bacter 7 or XLM) per 10 gallons. Clean filters daily and DO NOT FEED AMINO OR ADD NOPOX which is food for dinos, however you can feed coral, food which will help no3 and po4 to increase. If increasing nutrients, try to keep no3 to about 5 until you are done battling these cells.
Doing a daily siphoning will help greatly But . . . . . Siphoning will reduce nutrients , so siphon the water into/through a filter sock and save the water and return it back to tank. Obviously clean the filter sock each time.
You can feed fish as normal and if doing blackout, ambient light in room will work for them

Here’s another microscope picture I just got and I’m pretty sure it’s hair algae but it’s like the Dino’s turn into a hair algae and it turns into a mat on the sand bed which is weird

 

[vetteguy53081]

Here’s another microscope picture I just got and I’m pretty sure it’s hair algae but it’s like the Dino’s turn into a hair algae and it turns into a mat on the sand bed which is weird

yes this is GHA

 

[BristleWormHater]

Right now I have nassarius snails, copepods, tiger conch, bumblebee snail, trochus snail, lettuce nudibranch and some red and blue hermits do you think adding an urchin would exactly help would it hurt my nem?

Urchins are great gha eaters, no it won't hurt your nem.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

I think another powerhead will help, all the algae is growing down lower where its probably no flow.

Furthermore, the water surface is still and full of debris, that debris cuts the gas exchange so there is lower oxygen content in the water. Get a powerhead in there and point it at the surface to help oxygenate the water and move that surface debris into the water column so the filters can filters it out. The more water that moves the more water going through the filtration system for cleaning, not enough flow in your tank.