Losing battle against brown sludge(dino?), lost several corals.

[iLikeAlgae]

Hi everyone I have a noob question.
I really need your help, I have about 8 months old 12 gallon long bookshelf tank.
I am using Ocean current Ramp Timer Pro and put it in their default 12 hours max intensity setting, and the light covers about 2/3 of the tank surface.
In those areas where the light shines, I am having a terrible terrible brown sludge bloom, which I assume is a dino.
I lost a several zoas due to this, I would try h2o2 dip, but soon after brown algae covers the coral again.

During the cycling my tank has passed a so called "ugly" stage.
I saw a bloom of brown stuff on the sand, then there was a explosion of tiny white copepods, then both the brown stuff and copepods were gone.
But then the brown sludge stuff started to overtake my tank where the light shines intensely. Areas where the light doesnt directly hit, is unaffected from brown sludge.

- My nitrates and phosphates are near 0
- I introduced macroalgae in the tank for further nutrient control
- I introduced turbo, astrea and stomatella snails(2 each)
- I use RODI water with relatively new filters, I even tried using water I bought from LFS
- I tried several 50% water change, but seems to do more harms to corals than brown sludge
- Weekly I do 10% water change and siphon brown sludges away
- Corals and inhabitant are doing fine beside zoas that gets covered in sludge

Any advice is appreciated

 

[Shirak]

Looks like Dino's.
Do they go 'away' at night? If they are going into the water at night then a UV sterilizer would help. I would read up on Dinos in the nuisance algae forum. Most people would suggest increase nutrients significantly, dose silicate, stop doing water changes. You want to try to knock the dinos back and let other microorganisms like diatoms and algae balance the system.

 

[shakacuz]

get a "green killing machine", a turkey baster and blow away the slime into the water. the suggestion above is helpful with increasing nutrients. phyto/copepods can help, too.

 

[everpresentnoob]

Second for the Green Killing Machine. I bought the 24 watt one to put in my 75 gallon tank adn it worked in about three days. Granted i still have my fingers crossed that its over. You can also hang a piece of filter floss in the tank over night then rinse it under the tap in the morning. I was shocked at how much of the dinos moved to the floss overnight and then just rinsed right off.

 

[WalkerLovesTheOcean]

I'm battling dinos right now, too. For relief (note, not a cure), clip poly fil to the side of your tank. Just like this. This was about an hour after I added mine, yesterday.

Just rinse it one time in the morning, and then another right before the lights go out.

This is most effective with dinos that go into the water column at night, and may not work well with types that stay in the sand/rock overnight.

 

[monfilsi]

Suggest you have a look at the brown sludge under a cheap microscope. Once you can identify what is is, then you can throw money at it to solve the problem with confidence that you can beat it.

 

[Asm481]

As everyone is saying, stop water changes, feed more or dose nitrates and phosphates, UV or green killing machine, no more H2O2 dips of the rocks or coral. H2O2 dips clear good as well as bad bacteria and leaves a clean slate for bad stuff to move in. Think of spraying vegetation killer on your front yard and planting nothing. Only weeds will grow. You need good bacteria to grow. Lights out black ou5 if you can with no corals. Lots of reads on dinos. Not sure if it is ever completely gone. Get your nutrients up and keep them up. Like 10 for nitrates and .05 to.10 phosphates.

 

[iLikeAlgae]

OK thanks guys. I read up on about dinos and I did not know they disappear at night. Mine does not seem to do that tho, or at least not to a noticeable degree.

However, I am pretty sure its not an algae too since when I take a scoop using my finger and smell it, it smells nasty; like a mix of bad oyster and sea weed. It has super fishy - oceany smell.

I'm battling dinos right now, too. For relief (note, not a cure), clip poly fil to the side of your tank. Just like this. This was about an hour after I added mine, yesterday.

This is a neat idea. My only concern are my clown fishes as it tries to eat everything; it even try to chug fresh water coming out of ATO pump . I am worried a small piece of polyfill might break off and fishes eat it thinking its a food.

For now I will increase feeding frequency. I used to feed once a day rotating between pellets and mysis, instead I will do pellet in the morning and mysis at the night. I will also try to skip water change this week.

If things doesn't get better in a week I will try to get a Green Killing Machine. Thanks again for the advices guys!