Help with clear bubbles on live rock

[mx36]

So a little back history on the tank. Its a 255 gal has been neglected the last year as I was deployed overseas. Came back home to what I believe was Dinos. It was covered in a clear/tan colored mucus looking algae, would syphon out easily but come back within a couple of days. Water changes didn't seem to help. At the time Phosphates and NO3 were at 0. I dosed Vibrant a couple of times and started raising Phosphates with Seachem Flourish Phosphorus and NO3 with green leaf potassium nitrate. Those seemed to help as I no longer have the mucus looking algae. I then started getting what looked like red cyno so I dosed chemiclean, at the same time I started getting clear air bubbles forming on the live rock, more noticeable at the end of the light cycle. The red cyno seems to be gone but the air bubbles are still showing up and I am now getting dark brown algae forming on the sand bed. My current parameters as of this morning:
Salinity: 1.025
Phosphate: .04
NO3: 2.5
Ca: 470
PH: 8.3
KH: 8.1
Mg: 1320
Did a 55 gal water change last Friday and another 55 gal yesterday.

 

[RMS18]

Pictures would help.. at this point without seeing it it could dinos, as the bubbles are oxygen it gives off as its going through photosynthesis.

 

[watdachuck]

When there is that much going on visibly I have found that phos and nitrate tests can be misleading.

My advice would be too avoid adding (dosing) anything to the tank, and focus on the removal both physically and with proven media methods, or better yet naturally with some chaeto or other marine algae. Are you using any carbon filtration at this time and how is your protein skimmer performing?

You might want to consider running phosguard, or phosban for phosphate removal. These will both suck up any available phosphate quickly. You may need to change the media every few days if there is a heavy load to start.

 

[RMS18]

When there is that much going on visibly I have found that phos and nitrate tests can be misleading.

My advice would be too avoid adding (dosing) anything to the tank, and focus on the removal both physically and with proven media methods, or better yet naturally with some chaeto or other marine algae. Are you using any carbon filtration at this time and how is your protein skimmer performing?

You might want to consider running phosguard, or phosban for phosphate removal. These will both suck up any available phosphate quickly. You may need to change the media every few days if there is a heavy load to start.

I would not suggest dropping po4/po3 if these are dinos. Dinos will thrive in ULNS. Without nutrients for other algea, and bacteria to survive on the dinos will take over. They need to be out-competed. This is my personal experience with Dinos, i jumped on the ULNS wagon. Once they took over i had to break the system down and start over.

There is nothing wrong with po4 - .04 ppm and po3 2.5 ppm. Dinos love drastic changes, and vibrant has been reported to cause cyno after and during use.

 

[mx36]

Here is a couple photos of the sand, wasn't able to get good ones showing the bubbles on the live rock will try again tonight.

 

[mx36]

Try again with the photos

 

[mx36]

This is what I had when I got back from my deployment a few months ago. I have not seen anything like that in the last 3-4 weeks.

 

[goodefx]

I would not suggest dropping po4/po3 if these are dinos. Dinos will thrive in ULNS. Without nutrients for other algea, and bacteria to survive on the dinos will take over. They need to be out-competed. This is my personal experience with Dinos, i jumped on the ULNS wagon. Once they took over i had to break the system down and start over.

There is nothing wrong with po4 - .04 ppm and po3 2.5 ppm. Dinos love drastic changes, and vibrant has been reported to cause cyno after and during use.

Oh so true, been down that road before!

 

[mx36]

So after looking under the microscope some more and searching the web looks like I still have dinos (ostreopsis) put a coralife turbotwist 36W UV on in January. What else do I need to do to fight this? Should NO3 and NO4 be raised a little more?

 

[wutang]

I normally use a turkey baster and blow the air bubbles out of the Live rock.

 

[PacoPetty]

I have the clear bubbles all over my live rock I use a turkey baster every day to blow them off and the next evening they are right back where they were the day before. Is there a way to stop them from coming back? Should I scrub the excess algae off of my live rock?

 

[Rp8]

I have the clear bubbles all over my live rock I use a turkey baster every day to blow them off and the next evening they are right back where they were the day before. Is there a way to stop them from coming back? Should I scrub the excess algae off of my live rock?

So after looking under the microscope some more and searching the web looks like I still have dinos (ostreopsis) put a coralife turbotwist 36W UV on in January. What else do I need to do to fight this? Should NO3 and NO4 be raised a little more?

I'm in week 6 of this battle. And I've about got it beat (knock on wood). First, manual removal and siphoned out with a water change. Followed by 72 hours of dark tank. Next change filter socks daily. Do a mid week water change. Research has taught me that all the excess nutrients feed the algae blooms. Monitor NO3 and phosphates. 0 readings on either are bad. the algae or bad bacteria is consuming all of them. you have to introduce good bacteria to compete and hopefully move the bad out. I have been using vibrant and a peroxide schedule. peroxide daily for 5 days vibrant once a week. This approach works for cyano bacteria too. Hope this helps. some people have other methods that are quicker but more aggressive. its up to you...

best of luck to ya'll

 

[vetteguy53081]

here is remedy for dinos:

Prepare for a water change and blow this stuff loose with a turkey baster and siphon up loose particles.
Turn lights off for 5 days and st night dose 1ml of hydrogen peroxide per 10 gallons for all 5 nights
During the day dose 1ml of liquid bacteria per 10 gallons.
Clean filters daily and DO NOT FEED CORAL FOODS OR ADD NOPOX as it is food for dinos.
Day 5,, you can start with blue lights and work your white lights up slowly

 

[Rp8]

here is remedy for dinos:

Prepare for a water change and blow this stuff loose with a turkey baster and siphon up loose particles.
Turn lights off for 5 days and st night dose 1ml of hydrogen peroxide per 10 gallons for all 5 nights
During the day dose 1ml of liquid bacteria per 10 gallons.
Clean filters daily and DO NOT FEED CORAL FOODS OR ADD NOPOX as it is food for dinos.
Day 5,, you can start with blue lights and work your white lights up slowly

It was Vetteguy53081 recipe that I used! Thanks #vetteguy53081 !!!