HELP

[Liam’s reef]

All my corals are dying and I have this brown film covering all my surfaces. Can anyone tell how to control it and get rid of it.

 

[kevgib67]

All my corals are dying and I have this brown film covering all my surfaces. Can anyone tell how to control it and get rid of it.

You will need to provide much more information so you can get help. How old is the tank? What are your parameters, exact numbers please? Are you getting direct light from the window? What type of flow and light do you have going on?

 

[Liam’s reef]

All my corals are dying and I have this brown film covering all my surfaces. Can anyone tell how to control it and get rid of it.

You will need to provide much more information so you can get help. How old is the tank? What are your parameters, exact numbers please? Are you getting direct light from the window? What type of flow and light do you have going on?

So I keep my salinity at about 1.025 to 1.026. Little to no phosphates and around 15 nitrates. The tank is about 2 months old but I really don’t think that I have diatoms because it’s forming a blanket on my sand bed that ripples when it receives flow. I had my corals thriving then all of the sudden one day my zoas just closed up and not the other corals are starting to follow.

 

[mmorrison55]

Can you take a pic under white light? That will make it easier to identify. Likely either cyano or dinos

Here’s what ai provided. What seems to fit your example best?

Cyanobacteria (cyano) and dinoflagellates (dinos) are both types of nuisance algae that can plague reef tanks, but they have distinct characteristics.Cyanobacteria typically appear as a reddish or purplish mat, while dinos often present as a slimy, snotty substance with bubbles. Identifying the specific type of algae is important for effective treatment, as different approaches are needed for each.

Here's a more detailed breakdown:
Cyanobacteria (Cyano):

• Appearance: Can be reddish, purplish, or green, and often forms a mat-like growth on surfaces.
  
  
• • Texture: Silky or velvety to the touch, can peel off in sheets.
    
  • Other characteristics: May recede slightly overnight.
    

Dinoflagellates (Dinos):

• • Appearance: Slimy, snot-like, and often bubbly, can be greenish to dark brown.
  • Texture: Feels like snot.
  • Other characteristics: Can appear to release into the water column, particularly at night, and may fade with blackouts, but often return.
    

Key differences to help distinguish:

• • Bubbles: The presence of bubbles is a strong indicator of dinos.
    
  • Clumping: Dinos tend to clump together when disturbed, while cyano may peel in sheets.
    
  • Color: While both can be reddish or brownish, dinos are more likely to be a dark brown and less likely to form a thick mat.
    
  • Snotty texture: The slimy, snot-like texture of dinos is a key visual clue.
    

Important note: Both cyano and dinos can be triggered by low nutrient levels (especially nitrates and phosphates) as well as poor water circulation.Maintaining proper nutrient levels and flow is crucial for preventing and managing outbreaks.

 

[kevgib67]

^ This! You need to bump your phosphate up slowly to.05-.1, soft corals thrive with higher nutrients in the water especially zoas and you are opening the door for what is listed above with bottomed out phosphate. Many ways to increase phosphate just do it slowly and you’ll turn this around.