Don't have Dinos - have a couple of questions

[sanzz18]

So I made a post almost 2 weeks ago trying to determine if I had Dinos in my Waterbox 220.6. Because of the 0 phosphates and nitrates, I proceeded like I did. I turned off my skimmer, turned of my t5s and just let my xr15s run, ordered Brightwell Neonitro and Neophos to get those levels up, and haven't done water changes.

I finally got my microscope off of amazon which confirmed no Dinos and is just the uglies/diatoms. So now wondering if the 0 nitrates and phosphates is just a false zero reading because of the uglies. This leads me now to a few questions:

1. Should I turn my skimmer back on? (I do currently have two small clowns, purple filefish, tricolor wrasse, tomini tang, and powder brown tang)

2. Should I dose the Neonitro and Neophos or just let my tank be because the uglies might be giving me the double zero reading?

3. Should I restart water changes?

 

[Tcook]

What test kits are you using? What is the nitrate and PO4 after you dosed? How old is this tank?

 

[sanzz18]

Sorry let me clarify. I never started dosing the nitrate and PO4 because I ended up waiting for my microscope to come. It was a Red Sea kit for nitrate and Salifert for phosphate. The tank is a newborn, about 7 weeks old.

 

[saltyhog]

Neither of those test kits would be affected by silicates (which are what fuels a diatom bloom). I suspect your levels are correct.

I would correct those because even though you don't have dinos now, you are high risk. Interestingly the diatom bloom may be protective and could be one reason you don't have dinos.

 

[sanzz18]

I think there might be a little cyano too but not sure. How about my skimmer and waterchanges? I have been feeding pretty heavy since then.

 

[taricha]

take some smartphone pics of the stuff through your microscope and you'll get better advice for what we are actually talking about.
but new tank uglies aren't really something to get all worked up over, but it's still generally a good idea to avoid nutrient starvation.

 

[sanzz18]

take some smartphone pics of the stuff through your microscope and you'll get better advice for what we are actually talking about.
but new tank uglies aren't really something to get all worked up over, but it's still generally a good idea to avoid nutrient starvation.

I was told in a previous post if it was dinos, they would be zipping and moving all over the place. The yellow blobs are mostly stationary.

 

[zalick]

Following. I'm Curious what the little curly things are.

 

[ScottR]

I was told in a previous post if it was dinos, they would be zipping and moving all over the place. The yellow blobs are mostly stationary.

The tubes appear to be diatoms. They move like worms under a microscope. I wouldn’t sweat them. They’re just unsightly and short-lived in the absence of silicates. Not sure about the curly things but they don’t look like dinoflagellates that I’m aware of.

 

[sanzz18]

Yeah thats why Im trying to figure out my next course of action regarding water changes, skimmer, and whether or not to dose nitrate and phosphate since I can’t get them readable on my tests.

 

[taricha]

mixture of (not very problematic amphidinium) dinoflagellate and majority diatoms. Probably a very typical new tank uglies assemblage.
I probably wouldn't dose in a new tank. I would feed livestock appropriately, and let the system mature.

 

[zalick]

mixture of (not very problematic amphidinium) dinoflagellate and majority diatoms. Probably a very typical new tank uglies assemblage.
I probably wouldn't dose in a new tank. I would feed livestock appropriately, and let the system mature.

So the curly looking ones are amphidinium?

 

[sanzz18]

@taricha @ScottR #reefsquad - should I resume skimming and water changes? I started my tank up with reef crystals and my first decent water change after cycling I began to make the switch to TM Pro Reef.

 

[taricha]

So the curly looking ones are amphidinium?

Larger golden blobs, yes.

 

[ScottR]

@taricha @ScottR #reefsquad - should I resume skimming and water changes? I started my tank up with reef crystals and my first decent water change after cycling I began to make the switch to TM Pro Reef.

Can you provide a bit more info about your system? Livestock, age, parameters, pictures? You’re probably going through the stage called “the uglies”. If so, it’s just part of starting a new tank. I wouldn’t go changing anything at this point.

 

[sanzz18]

@ScottR sorry, havent been able to get on the forums much or do anything with a newborn lol. The tank has been cycled for about 7 weeks. I have two clownfish, a purple firefish, a tri-color wrasse, and a powder brown tang which is doing well but wish I waited to add when the tank was much more mature and add all the tangs at once. I also got two cleaner shrimp, and various hermits and snails.

Last time I tested my parameters were as such:

Ammonia - 0

Nitrite - 0

Nitrate - 0 (I will recheck to see if it has gone up later today)

pH - ranges from 7.8 - 8.10

phosphate - 0 (will also recheck later today to see if it has improved)

Waiting on test to be delivered for Alkalinity

My biggest concerns is resuming regular maintenance without fear of dinos. When I started my tank up to get it cycling a couple months ago, I used reef crystals. I then switched to tropic marin pro reef. I basically want to do a series of water changes to drop the high alkalinity that is standard for reef crystals to the alkalinity of tropic marin pro.

I just want to know do I simply resume my water changes and turn back on the skimmer?

I will post pictures later.

 

[sanzz18]

@ScottR - appears to be a second bacterial bloom within a two week period, water is pretty cloudy.

 

[ScottR]

@ScottR sorry, havent been able to get on the forums much or do anything with a newborn lol. The tank has been cycled for about 7 weeks. I have two clownfish, a purple firefish, a tri-color wrasse, and a powder brown tang which is doing well but wish I waited to add when the tank was much more mature and add all the tangs at once. I also got two cleaner shrimp, and various hermits and snails.

Last time I tested my parameters were as such:

Ammonia - 0

Nitrite - 0

Nitrate - 0 (I will recheck to see if it has gone up later today)

pH - ranges from 7.8 - 8.10

phosphate - 0 (will also recheck later today to see if it has improved)

Waiting on test to be delivered for Alkalinity

My biggest concerns is resuming regular maintenance without fear of dinos. When I started my tank up to get it cycling a couple months ago, I used reef crystals. I then switched to tropic marin pro reef. I basically want to do a series of water changes to drop the high alkalinity that is standard for reef crystals to the alkalinity of tropic marin pro.

I just want to know do I simply resume my water changes and turn back on the skimmer?

I will post pictures later.

What test kits are you using? I’d be concerned that nitrates and phosphates are zero’d out. But that’s why I ask which test kit you’re using. Some aren’t accurate enough.

 

[ScottR]

@ScottR - appears to be a second bacterial bloom within a two week period, water is pretty cloudy.

How old is your tank? It seems that you truly are going through the new “ugly stage”. Most likely a bacterial bloom that will take care of itself on its own. If it doesn’t, using a UV filter can help (a good piece of equipment to own if you don’t have but not necessary). At this stage, I wouldn’t add in more livestock or corals until it stabilizes.

 

[sanzz18]

What test kits are you using? I’d be concerned that nitrates and phosphates are zero’d out. But that’s why I ask which test kit you’re using. Some aren’t accurate enough.

Red Sea kits for everything except phosphate. Phosphate I am using Salifert.

How old is your tank? It seems that you truly are going through the new “ugly stage”. Most likely a bacterial bloom that will take care of itself on its own. If it doesn’t, using a UV filter can help (a good piece of equipment to own if you don’t have but not necessary). At this stage, I wouldn’t add in more livestock or corals until it stabilizes.

Tank got wet on January 15th, but has had livestock in it for about 7 weeks when the ammonia cycle finished. I have stopped adding livestock and will not for awhile.

The thing that confuses me is the nutrients bottoming out. If it wasn’t for that , I would leave my skimmer and on and proceed with water changes. I don’t know why they are stuck at 0 with heavy feeding, no skimmer, and water changes.

I don’t know how to proceed forward with the need for dosing neophos/neonitro, when to turn my skimmer back on, and when to start doing water changes again (its been almost a month of no waterchanges).