Algae/bacteria ID

[Elgringodiablo]

My rebooted tank is experiencing a Brown algae/bacteria outbreak. It’s only a month in on a Zeovit system.



Not sure if it’s just stringy diatoms or if I should be treating for cyano or dino. My RODI Water is great with just a trace of silicate. Nitrates are under 4, Phosphate is under 0.02.

Thoughts?

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Ugly phase. I’d look at the cuc. PH. Etc. manual removal. Avoid liquid foods like aminos and coral foods

 

[Elgringodiablo]

Ugly phase. I’d look at the cuc. PH. Etc. manual removal. Avoid liquid foods like aminos and coral foods

I have about 60 trochus snails and a urchin who’s losing his spines. Planning to add some ceriths and tiny blue legged hermits, maybe 50 of each. If it’s diatoms, they should help.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I have about 60 trochus snails and a urchin who’s losing his spines. Planning to add some ceriths and tiny blue legged hermits, maybe 50 of each. If it’s diatoms, they should help.

Urg. Not enough greens for the urchin in there.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/choosing-cleanup-crew-critters.258695/

Some stages of zeo are probiotic and organic carbon correct?

 

[Elgringodiablo]

Urg. Not enough greens for the urchin in there.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/choosing-cleanup-crew-critters.258695/

Some stages of zeo are probiotic and organic carbon correct?

Yeah, I believe ZeoStart3 is basically like carbon dosing. My water was looking cloudy, so I stopped dosing that for 3 days and have resumed at half dosage.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Yeah, I believe ZeoStart3 is basically like carbon dosing. My water was looking cloudy, so I stopped dosing that for 3 days and have resumed at half dosage.

I’d stop that personally.
With the combination of that, high fish invert / food bio load and an unestablished bio filter , it’s quite possible you’re directly feeding the organism.

 

[Elgringodiablo]

I’d stop that personally.
With the combination of that, high fish invert / food bio load and an unestablished bio filter , it’s quite possible you’re directly feeding the organism.

While I did start with dead rock, there is a ton of biofilter. Used Dr. Tim's and Probido on initial startup, dosed Ammonia two times to ensure that my system was processing it in a timely fashion before adding any livestock. Been dosing ZeoBak as prescribed by the Zeovit system. Bioload isn't crazy, 7 fish, pretty low compared to my other smaller systems. That said, I realize that it's still immature and going through new tank syndrome.

Retested Silica and Phosphate. Silica is basically undetectable with the Salifert test and Phosphate is 0.08 on the Red Sea Test (out of Hanna reagents).

Just in case it's a bacteria bloom, I am ceasing ZeoStart for a bit, my PH is already between 8.3-8.4, but I hooked up my CO2 scrubber to see if I can push it a little higher. Going lights out for the next 2-3 days to see what happens.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

While I did start with dead rock, there is a ton of biofilter. Used Dr. Tim's and Probido on initial startup, dosed Ammonia two times to ensure that my system was processing it in a timely fashion before adding any livestock. Been dosing ZeoBak as prescribed by the Zeovit system. Bioload isn't crazy, 7 fish, pretty low compared to my other smaller systems. That said, I realize that it's still immature and going through new tank syndrome.

Retested Silica and Phosphate. Silica is basically undetectable with the Salifert test and Phosphate is 0.08 on the Red Sea Test (out of Hanna reagents).

Just in case it's a bacteria bloom, I am ceasing ZeoStart for a bit, my PH is already between 8.3-8.4, but I hooked up my CO2 scrubber to see if I can push it a little higher. Going lights out for the next 2-3 days to see what happens.

The biofiler and Bactria are generally deep in the rock. That takes time. Some say years. Till those happen , there’s generaly a lot of unprocessed nutrients floating in the water. Ammoina being one It’s one of the causes of cyano and such in the new tank uglies. Surface organisms taking advantage before the larger mass is around to compete.

But doing all the above thatbyour doing will defiantly help out your cause.

 

[sfin52]

Agree with salty. He won’t steer you wrong.

 

[Elgringodiablo]

So I ceased dosing the ZeoStart3. Blacked out for a couple days. Changing out my filter socks and cleaning my skimmer cup every other day.

Hasn’t gotten worse but feel like it’s not really getting better. Stirred up all the detritus with a turkey baster and siphoned as much as I could into a filter sock in my sump.

Pretty sure it’s dino. Light brown, cobweb looking stuff. No excessive bubbles or snot looking stuff.

Water had tons of tiny slime strings when I basted the rocks.

Don’t have a microscope so can’t be sure.

Think I should try Metroplex or UV?

 

[sfin52]

What’s po4and No3

 

[Elgringodiablo]

What’s po4and No3

So... last week they were NO3 -4 and PO4 - 0.06 both on Red Sea tests.

This week I switch my Red Sea NO3 test to Low Range and PO4 using Hanna ULR checker. Both came up 0... never seen that before.

I have 8 fish that I feed twice a day, maybe 10 starter sps frags. Running Zeovit but not dosing Zeostart since the bacteria issues arose.

Are the dinos (assuming that’s what they are) driving my nutrients down? Should I start dosing liquid coral food in attempt to bring them back up to acceptable levels??

 

[sfin52]

It realy reminds me of dino.

If you suspect Dino start running granular activated carbon to control toxins. Stop running any type of po4 and No3 reducing agents. I would see if that brings numbers back up. If not than you may need to dose some phosphates and nitrates.

Don’t do any water changes if dino. There is some type of trace elements that seem to make them worse.

Some dino go into the sand at night others go into the water colum. A UV Sterilizers Or a diatom filter may help depending on the species.

I would not try to over feed it may cause more issues than it solves.

 

[sfin52]

Changing out my filter socks and cleaning my skimmer cup e

Use a 10 micron sock. That will remove dino from the tank as well if they go into the water colum.

 

[Elgringodiablo]

It realy reminds me of dino.

If you suspect Dino start running granular activated carbon to control toxins. Stop running any type of po4 and No3 reducing agents. I would see if that brings numbers back up. If not than you may need to dose some phosphates and nitrates.

Don’t do any water changes if dino. There is some type of trace elements that seem to make them worse.

Some dino go into the sand at night others go into the water colum. A UV Sterilizers Or a diatom filter may help depending on the species.

I would not try to over feed it may cause more issues than it solves.

Sounds good. Running a bare bottom tank, so no sandbed for them to go to.

 

[Elgringodiablo]

Retested my nutrients today. PO4 - 0.06 NO3 - 0... Think the lack of NO3 or imbalance is contributing?

 

[sfin52]

I sure do. The Dino can switch from photosynthetic to a predator. They also release toxins to limit and destroy competition.

The thread I’m directing you to is quite large but the first page is extremely helpful.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/dinoflagellates-–-are-you-tired-of-battling-altogether.293318/

 

[Elgringodiablo]

While the issue isn't getting worse, I really want to nip this in the bud before it takes over. When I get home, I am going to cover the clear glass surfaces of my display with black garbage bag, lights out for 72 hours, change out my GAC and run my 25w Pentair UV (which has been sitting in my closet for months now). I'll plan to syphon into a 10 micron filter sock on Friday when the blackout is over.