Help identify

reefrookie379

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 25, 2021
Messages
73
Reaction score
20
Location
New England
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Hello,

For a few days now I have noticed a dark color slime like building up on my sand bed and spreading. Today I found this little bubble coming up out and it and I am not sure exactly what I am facing here. Thank you very much.

580EEACE-7447-4B9B-BF59-80698DEE0480.jpeg
 

jeffchapok

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Dec 31, 2018
Messages
1,232
Reaction score
1,692
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Can you get a pic without so much blue? I suspect cyanobacteria, but dinoflagellates is a possibility too.
 

Zer0

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 11, 2011
Messages
357
Reaction score
322
Location
NJ
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
That’s a pretty tough ID without a better picture. White light/daylights would make it easier. The blue light makes everything look the same color in photos, which is, blue. And the problem here is that, the bubble you see could literally be just that - an air bubble trapped under a buildup of something else, and may not be related to what the algae/organism is.
 
OP
OP
R

reefrookie379

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 25, 2021
Messages
73
Reaction score
20
Location
New England
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
The tank is a little over 3 months old and no I am not running GFO. I have a protein skimmer with my live rock and hang on refugium with Chaetomorpha in there.
 

Shmollica

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 29, 2021
Messages
127
Reaction score
113
Location
Massillon
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Yeah microscope would help, the bubbles lead me to think it’s a bacterial bloom which is rapidly reproducing. I really like microbacter 7 and vibrant...I’ve used microbacter clean but wasn’t happy with the results. Sometimes a benificial bacteria will help out compete that type of bloom. How is your micro fauna population? When I flashlight my tank at night the small patches of green film algae are covered in pods....looks like a pile of ants attacking summertime sidewalk ice cream!
 

saltyhog

blowing bubbles somewhere
View Badges
Joined
Jan 2, 2014
Messages
9,392
Reaction score
25,022
Location
Conway, Arkansas
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I avoided asking about your phos/nitrate levels because I have had blooms that look like that at pretty much every level under the sun lol.

Agree, however very low nutrients could increase the possibility of dinos.

I don't think it's bacterial. Bacterial blooms have always been "cloudy" or white in my tank. They have almost always occurred when I added a carbon source such as NoPox, vinegar, etc.
 
Back
Top