Algae/Bacteria ID please

[bkhunt]

I put it under the little microscope I have and here are a few photos.

Any help with ID and treatment would be greatly appreciated.

 

[vaguelyreeflike]

Photos of the tank and affected areas?

What are your parameters?

 

[bkhunt]

 

[therootcause]

Looks like diatoms to me. Check out this Reef Keeping article with some reference images.

Microscopic Life - Reefkeeping.com

EDIT: OK - to be clear, I was only looking at the microscopic images and that reply photo was not present. I have no idea what the heck that is.

 

[bkhunt]

I know my tank param

Looks like diatoms to me. Check out this Reef Keeping article with some reference images.

Microscopic Life - Reefkeeping.com

i have found some images the look like it but none have taken my to a name or linked me to a page. I am still looking.

 

[vaguelyreeflike]

What zoom was it under?

What are the tank parameter numbers though? Something is feeding this and without knowing the exact numbers, it’s hard to tell you how to fix it.

It looks more like a biofilm colony of rod-shaped bacteria to me, but it depends on what zoom you used

 

[bkhunt]

Looks like diatoms to me. Check out this Reef Keeping article with some reference images.

Microscopic Life - Reefkeeping.com

EDIT: OK - to be clear, I was only looking at the microscopic images and that reply photo was not present. I have no idea what the heck that is.

That seems to be the consensus I am getting a lot that don’t know what it is from photo that is why I am trying this kid microscope for better help.

 

[bkhunt]

I know my tank param

i have found some images the look like it but none have taken my to a name or linked me to a page. I am still looking.

I know my tank parameters are off. Tank has been up a running for about 2.5-3 months. I did a total restart of my system.

Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0 but I am dosing some sodium nitrite to try and keep them up to 5ish. Debating on turning off skimmer but it is pulling nasty dark skim.
Phosphate .307

 

[vaguelyreeflike]

Definitely dont turn off your skimmer if its pulling stuff, I don’t see that helping unless you use a medication that requires it be turned off. Empty it frequently as its probably helping a bit.

Neo Nitro is really good for raising nitrates. I can see this disappearing once the nutrients rise and its outcompeted. I hold my vote of bacterial bloom/biofilm vs a true algae

 

[bkhunt]

Definitely dont turn off your skimmer if its pulling stuff, I don’t see that helping unless you use a medication that requires it be turned off. Empty it frequently as its probably helping a bit.

Neo Nitro is really good for raising nitrates. I can see this disappearing once the nutrients rise and its outcompeted. I hold my vote of bacterial bloom/biofilm vs a true algae

I am using sodium nitrate to raise the nitrates. I dosed enough for 5 a few days ago and it is 0 again. Now that I am home for a few days in a row I can test to see rate of drop to hook up a dosing pump. My guess is I am going need about 1ml a day.

I also tossed in my 24 watt green killing machine even though it is a little undersized.

 

[vaguelyreeflike]

Hopefully that helps! Stirring it all up with the UV sterilizer going might help kill it off faster while you get the nitrates back up again

 

[therootcause]

I think manual removal or syphoning out what you can and adding the green killing machine is a great idea!