Help IDd this stuff please?

[Poisns1]

While dosing Microbacter 7 daily (this followed my initial startup with IO Bio Spira), my tank experienced a huge bloom where you couldn't see but 1 inch through water. I added carbon and skimmed and nothing changed for 10 days. I finally got fed up, bought a GKM UV from Pecto and the tank/bloom cleared overnight.

My tank is now 3 months old and I've had this nuisance algae appear (mostly on the sand) at about the 2 month mark.

I didn't want it to get on the rocks and spread throughout the tank so I've been keeping alternating a few days no lights and then short photo period of about 3 hours for the past 4 weeks.

It hasn't grown tremendously except for a few new sprouts here and there, but it's also not declining or going away. There isn't any bubbling whatsoever in any of the patches so I'm really hoping it's not Dinos.

I'm been doing FO tank like this in the past and have never had any problems keeping the sand and rocks clear and algae free. I control feeding and photo period as well as using Vibrant on maintenance doses but Vibrant hasn't appeared to do anything on this stuff in this new tank.

There are 2 yellow tail damsels in the tank eating well etc. Any suggestions for getting rid of this stuff or at least identify what I'm dealing with? Sorry for the blurry pics but this is the best I could do with my iPhone XR..

Any help ID'g or how to treat and recommendations for a cheap microscope if I have to go that route?

 

[T-J]

Looks like turf algae. What are your parameters? Have any FTS so we can see how bad it is? Might be time for some turbo snails.

 

[TheShrimpNibbler]

My two best guesses would be chrysophytes or dying green hair algae. It doesn’t look like dinos from the pictures, but it is possible. I would just pull it out whenever you can.

 

[Poisns1]

Looks like turf algae. What are your parameters? Have any FTS so we can see how bad it is? Might be time for some turbo snails.

I recently moved out of state and all of my tests that I had are gone. I'm setup for FO so that's why I didn't go out and buy the usual ALK, CA, MAG, PH test kits that reef tanks require.

All I have for now is salinity and that is about 1.026 with a temp of 76.5

Attaching 2 more pics to show entire tank. There isn't a ton of it but you can see the dark patches in the FTS pics across the tank. Mainly on the sand bed. I have a NERO-5 blowing across the tank at about 2500GPH as many have mentioned so flow shouldn't be an issue although, I only added the NERO-5 after the algae was already there. I was thinking the whatever algae it is would have declined and went away after I added the NERO if it truly was a low flow issue?

 

[Poisns1]

What is the best way to siphon this stuff out of the tank? I'm afraid the siphon tube will clog with all the sand that will be removed while trying to target the algae?

 

[T-J]

What is the best way to siphon this stuff out of the tank? I'm afraid the siphon tube will clog with all the sand that will be removed while trying to target the algae?

Being completely honest here....you have like 3 specks of algae. Grab it out with a net or your hand. You are going to continue to get algae. Part of the tank cycle. Like I said, get some turbo snails to help manage it while you go through this phase.

 

[Poisns1]

Being completely honest here....you have like 3 specks of algae. Grab it out with a net or your hand. You are going to continue to get algae. Part of the tank cycle. Like I said, get some turbo snails to help manage it while you go through this phase.

Actually there's more like about 20 small patches throughout the tank and starting to attach to a few rock bases. I really don't want this stuff to multiply across the sand and more importantly to keep it from growing on the rocks.

I guess I can try and shut the pumps down and use a small net. I'm sure I'll have to scoop the sand up beneath the stuff or it will break up into pieces and float away..

 

[T-J]

That or just use a larger gauge hose to suck it out. Yes, you'll loose a little sand but it goes with the territory. Looking at how white your tank is, you're just getting into the ugly phase. Algae is part of that phase. Continue to remove what you can, get a CUC going and monitor your parameters.

 

[TheShrimpNibbler]

Not trying to sound rude, but I think you’re overthinking this. There’s no way that you can keep from getting some algae in a fish tank. It’s only going to take over unless there is some imbalance between your import and export of nutrients. Just grab the pieces with your hand and pull them out. Keeping your lights off all the time because you are afraid of getting a little algae is just not going to allow you to really enjoy the tank.

 

[Poisns1]

Update and help/advice needed please.

I haven't dosed either Vibrant or MB7 since 4/27 and just fed the damselfish a few flakes daily, hoping that the tank and cycle take their course.

I had to remove 2 of the damsels about 3 weeks ago because the other 2 beat them up severely. I was able to capture them in the corners of the tank before the other 2 killed them and returned them to the LFS.

Added a cleaner shrimp 10 days after a slow drip acclimation. Cleaner ate the first day 2 days and on the 3rd I found him dead on the sand behind the rocks. No apparent bruises or damage, just lying dead.

What the heck would kill a cleaner shrimp like that? I used my newly acquired Red Sea Ammonia test which came up at 0. Brand new NYOS Nitrate test also read 0. All I have is an older Salifert Phosphate kit and it too read close to 0. Salinity is at 1.025 (35ppt).

I've never had so much trouble starting a Saltwater fish only tank.

The thin whispy translucent white stuff has now began to grow in spots all over the rock work. I've still been running the lights blue spectrum only and turn them on for about 3hours/day to feed the damsels.

The 2 remaining damsels are still alive but did not come out of the rock work the last 2 days. I have no idea what the heck is going on with this tank. I took every so slowly starting in January, 4 months later, 1 dead shrimp and 2 damsels not eating.

I bought the cheap "toy" microscope" off amazon and took Pic 1 of the translucent white stuff on the sand and rockwork. I could not find anything moving under the scope with 3 separate samples, so crossing fingers that stuff isn't dinos but don't know what it is and why it has spread from sand to all the rock work?

Took 2 more pics of tiny slender moving organisms that have gathered all over the sides of the glass and tank back. They are moving but I don't know what they are and if they are good or harmful?

Advice please... I have no idea how to proceed from here. Not knowing what's going on with the damsels not eating. At this point I'm extremely hesitant to put any other creature in the tank and how do I keep the cycle going if I can't keep anything in the tank living so I can feed it? Sooo beyond frustrated with this new tank...