Diatoms? - “But I’m past the uglies?” :/

[paul01609]

You want the diatoms to out compete the Dino

 

[Bfragale]

that sand bed looks mighty grudgy to me.

anytime I'm fighting something in the sand bed I always always do a gravel cleaning and vacuum over a month period.

Dont try to get it all at once, you could nuke your tank.

Be slow and gentle, it'll help with anything else you're doing along the process.

it does look bad but only where the algae is. If I pick some up there is no cloudy stuff in it. I do vacuum it with water changes but I don’t get too much debris out of it. Other then this(what I think is diatoms) the sand is pretty clean and usually white.

 

[Bfragale]

You want the diatoms to out compete the Dino

Ok that Makes sense. But I’m pretty sure it’s not Dino’s. I’m looking into a cheap microscope to check for sure. Looks like I can pick one up under $100 bucks. This may be best way to identify the algae

 

[paul01609]

That’s your best bet,I thought I had diatoms constantly until I got a scope and realised it was Dino

 

[Bfragale]

That’s your best bet,I thought I had diatoms constantly until I got a scope and realised it was Dino

Yeah this is probably the best step to take- hard to treat something I’m not sure exactly what it is lol.

whis I could find a place to scope it for me or rent a microscope. Sucks to buy to use one time lol.

 

[terraincognita]

or, graba hermit or snail, and put them on top of it, if they start eating it, it's not cyano or dinos. from what i know.

 

[PR_nano]

Definitely do scope test. I have dinoflagellates amphidinium and it looks very similar to your. I was under the impression that it was diatoms until I tested :/. I my case Nitrates were bottom out but not Phosphate

 

[paul01609]

I wasted money buying treatments that did not work I should of just got a scope at the start, I raised my po4 and no3 and now dosing silica.
im not seeing a diatom bloom but Dino is slowly receding, it’s not going to be a over night fix but I will keep battling it

 

[Bfragale]

So I picked up a microscope off offer up for $20. I scoped the algae- I was able to take photos with iPhone thru the eye piece:

 

[vetteguy53081]

Beginning of dinos.
Stop feeding A+B+ and Reef roids , eliminate white lighting for 5 days and bring blues to 5% and add 1 ml of hydrogen Perxide oer 10 gallons for 5 days.
Siphon this up before adding peroxide.

 

[Bfragale]

I believe it’s Dino :/

 

[Bfragale]

I’ve stopped reef roids and AB+. I’m away this weekend, leaving early tomorrow. but will start the hydrogen peroxide Monday and lighting monday. Thank you!

will UV help? I have it plumbed thru return line. I turned it on a few hours ago- but not sure if it hill help or if it’s right flow for uv to even work.

here’s water parameters as of today
I dosed alk to bring it up closer to 9dkh

and doses calcium to bring up to 450.

the tests were before the dosing

I’m using Hanna checker for po4 and alk, salifert for no3, calcium and mag.

 

[Bfragale]

Update:
I started hydrogen peroxide dosing 1ml per 10 gal Yesterday.

also doing 3 dayblack our starting last night. Will let it run thru Friday and turn on as normal Saturday. Have not reduced and of the spectrums, hoping the vibrant, peroxide and black out will solve the Dino’s. If not will reduce white lights


added uv sterilizer to my return line (on 24/7) since Friday. (In sure if proper flow? Or proper size UV- got it from another reefer- has a brand new buIb.

Been only feeding flakfood since Friday- will stop all feeding for black out.

dosed vibrant yesterday. Will dose each week, with each week dosage dropped slightly over the next few months. Eventually will stop dosing.

I’m anxious to look at the tank but have resisted the urge (mostly)

I added a small yellow eyed kole tang, thought the black out would be a good way to introduce and hoping he doesn’t fight with my scopus tang. I peaked in today and all seems fine.
I’ll keep it updated.

 

[Bfragale]

Update: so it’s Friday evening and I uncovered the tank and turned lights back on. Sand is white and crystal clear and clean. I notice the red monti is very pale and the other is very brown. The green simmer frag has some tips that look bleached or dead and the rest is very pale. I had a birds nest and a Few small (unknown) sps frags I got from a fellow reefer that were it doing well before, and now all bleached. All other corals seem fine. Grumpy but fine.
A few cool things that happened:
1. I had a Condi nem that was big and beautiful for at lease 6 months. But then about 5 months ago went deep into the rock work and never saw it again. It unattached and was sitting on sand bed today. Super small. But I was able to put in a acclimation box. I thought it was gone along time ago, so we will see if I gat get it back in good health.
2. I have three clowns. Two are a pair and the third was a very small juvenile fish when added, and the two accepted him. None of them seemed willing to chill in any of the nems . After three day back out they now are in the bubble tip nem. It’s been over a year and this is first time.
3. same day I started black out I added a yellow eye like tang. Was not sure if my scopus or hippo would fight it. Put it in the tank and immediately the scopus and the coral beauty were relentless, had him backed in a corner and just kicking the you know what out of him. At that point there was no way to catch him. I immediately turned lights out, wrapped tank for black out. Upon opening tonight, the kole and everyone are getting along just fine. He has some battle wounds from the initial fight which sucks but so far no aggression. So hopefully he will heal soon.

These photos are about 30 min after lights were turned back on, after fish were fed things still don’t have much color after black out, but this is what it looks like:

so over all the 3 day black out while dosing hydrogen peroxide wasn’t so bad on things. I won’t know about Dino’s quite yet but I’ll keep this updated if it comes back. At first lights on I don’t see any, but I’ll know soon enough.
Happy Reefing.

 

[Bfragale]

Update: I see some signs of Dino’s in the sand already. Not a lot but it’s still there

I’m still dosing vibrant once a week and hydrogen peroxide daily at 1ml per 10 gal.

should I do another black out? Just keep up on peroxide and vibrant?

man I really dislike Dino’s. ...

 

[paul01609]

I raised my no3 and po4,raised my temp to 81 and now dosing silica.
dino it now been covered in green alge looks like I’m starting to win the battle fingers crossed

 

[Bfragale]

My nutrients:
Po4 .8
No3 10

Should I continue to go higher? I have a mixed tank- softies/lps/sps
im running tank at 80 - I’ll increase to 81.
Have not dosed silicates. Do you recommend any specific product for silicates?

 

[paul01609]

I’m using brightwell sponge silica

 

[Bfragale]

I’m using brightwell sponge silica

Thanks! I’m going to check it out.
I’m thinking of doing my first ICP test. Would this be a benefit to attacking the Dino’s?
Everything else seems to be in order except Dino’s lol.