Dino vs diatoms vs Cyano during a new tank cycle

[exprobratio]

Hi everyone,

Was hoping to get some advice on my new tank cycle. Its about 1.5 months in and recently started to get a diatom outbreak with a fine brown coat over everything then recently I noticed some hair like strands popping up and now they are everywhere! When I gravel vac they seems to go away then reappear pretty quickly. What is it? Dino, algae, Cyano, more diatoms!?

Current tank Parameters:
Salinity: 1.025
Ammonia: 0.1
Nitrites: 0.05
Nitrates: 12.9

 

[Miami Reef]

Diatoms doesn’t look like that. I’m inclined to say dinos, but you need to microscope to be certain.

 

[exprobratio]

Diatoms doesn’t look like that. I’m inclined to say dinos, but you need to microscope to be certain.

I did order a microscope! Coming Wednesday. Sorta excited to play around and make a slide again….haven’t done that since high school. I ordered one that can capture digital photos so I can post here. Curious what other people think too.

 

[Miami Reef]

Post it here. And get yourself a phosphate test kit too. If it is Dino’s, that test kit will be your new best friend.

 

[CourtNjoeZreef]

following having the same issue. my phosphate is between .00 & .1 typically closer to .00

lemme knowwwww

 

[Miami Reef]

following having the same issue. my phosphate is between .00 & .1 typically closer to .00

lemme knowwwww

I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s dinos. I looked at your build thread and it appears you used GFO pretty aggressively to strip all the phosphates in a short period of time.

I’m not saying it’s 100% Dinos, but I would try to keep a tank with detectable phosphates from 0.04ppm to 0.012ppm because it’s generally healthy for your tank inhabitants, and it will encourage biodiversity that will combat dinos in case it is.

 

[Keepswiming]

Red slime in the back of the photo looks like cyano to me. The front slime appears different?

 

[CourtNjoeZreef]

I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s dinos. I looked at your build thread and it appears you used GFO pretty aggressively to strip all the phosphates in a short period of time.

I’m not saying it’s 100% Dinos, but I would try to keep a tank with detectable phosphates from 0.04ppm to 0.012ppm because it’s generally healthy for your tank inhabitants, and it will encourage biodiversity that will combat dinos in case it is.

i use it when it gets high for about 12 hours at a time to not strip it to 0.

 

[exprobratio]

following having the same issue. my phosphate is between .00 & .1 typically closer to .00

lemme knowwwww

So ya defiantly Dinos - Ostreopsis in particular! Got a microscope to confirm. Was actually pretty fun to make the slide and do the identification. There are also diatoms scattered about on the sand bed (actually all over) too.

Looking into Osteropsis I noticed they move into he water column at night. Which was defiantly true because all the long stands were gone then reappeared during the day. I got a UV sterilizer for the tank a literally in 1 day the dinos were almost gone!!

Got the Aqua Ultraviolet 57watt (125gallon tank) and set it up for about 900g/hr. I bet the Dinos would have cleared eventually but it was pretty crazy how quickly the Dinos cleared with that.

 

[Miami Reef]

So ya defiantly Dinos - Ostreopsis in particular! Got a microscope to confirm. Was actually pretty fun to make the slide and do the identification. There are also diatoms scattered about on the sand bed (actually all over) too.

Looking into Osteropsis I noticed they move into he water column at night. Which was defiantly true because all the long stands were gone then reappeared during the day. I got a UV sterilizer for the tank a literally in 1 day the dinos were almost gone!!

Got the Aqua Ultraviolet 57watt (125gallon tank) and set it up for about 900g/hr. I bet the Dinos would have cleared eventually but it was pretty crazy how quickly the Dinos cleared with that.

That’s amazing!