How to Id algae

[jeflen651]

following. I also used chemi clean and experiencing pretty much the same results that you are.

 

[fragit]

following. I also used chemi clean and experiencing pretty much the same results that you are.

I may try a lights out period. I'm taking my media reactor off line. And going to get some Chaeto and pods and phytoplankton to try and out compete it. If your dosing Vibrant stop. According to a thread I've been reading started by @mcarroll natural competition from microorganisms and positive reading on nutrients is the best way to go. The thread is in the nuisance algae forum.

 

[fragit]

So far I've changed all cartridges on my RO/DI filter and shut my media reactor down. Left the lights on yesterday and growth seems to have slowed a bit already. Next step is to get some snails Chaeto and order some pods and phytoplankton

 

[fragit]

Pretty positive I've got dinos. Things looked okay, so I left the lights on today. Got home from fishing and tank looking like poop. Little snotty clumps on the rocks with air bubbles in them. This stuff sucks. Lights out for a few days and probably gonna try an all out black out too.

 

[Brandonsegula]

To get rid of cyano. Turn your lights off for 3 days. Trust me it works. Corals will be fine. I bet my life on it.

 

[fragit]

To get rid of cyano. Turn your lights off for 3 days. Trust me it works. Corals will be fine. I bet my life on it.

I don't think it is cyano, I have been however keeping my lights off during the day. I have not done it for a full 3 days though. I will try that starting today and see how it goes.

 

[pacificdiver]

I have some sort of biofilm on my rockwork that is puzzling me - hoping someone can ID this. Is 0.25 ppm phosphate enough to cause something like this, whatever it is? It's tough to see from the photo, but it's basically a whitish fuzz that grows on everything. Fish are very happy and free of any signs of stress. you have to get up close to really see the film, but it's definitely weird, and not supposed to be there.

System:
Running 7 months with RO water only
110G tall with 50G sump / Bubble Magus Curve 7 skimmer
2 internal wave pumps (Current eFlux Loop running at 1500GPH)
Main pump: Current eFlux 3170 running at approx 600GPH

Parameters:
temp: 81
SG: 1.022
pH: 8.3
Alk: 10.5
NH3: 0
NO2: 0
NO3: 0
PO4: 0.25 ppm
Silicates: 0

 

[Reefer1978]

I have some sort of biofilm on my rockwork that is puzzling me - hoping someone can ID this. Is 0.25 ppm phosphate enough to cause something like this, whatever it is? It's tough to see from the photo, but it's basically a whitish fuzz that grows on everything. Fish are very happy and free of any signs of stress. you have to get up close to really see the film, but it's definitely weird, and not supposed to be there.

System:
Running 7 months with RO water only
110G tall with 50G sump / Bubble Magus Curve 7 skimmer
2 internal wave pumps (Current eFlux Loop running at 1500GPH)
Main pump: Current eFlux 3170 running at approx 600GPH

Parameters:
temp: 81
SG: 1.022
pH: 8.3
Alk: 10.5
NH3: 0
NO2: 0
NO3: 0
PO4: 0.25 ppm
Silicates: 0

Are you carbon dosing?

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Is 0.25 ppm phosphate enough to cause something like this

yes. How many snails do you have in there?

 

[Knife]

Hello Guys,

If you be so kind and help my friend to identify the creature. Do you know the name of attached algea/tunicata/...? And how to fight with that. He is getting more and more of this creature and started to worry about corals and other live stock.

Thanks
Marek

 

[pacificdiver]

yes. How many snails do you have in there?

One conch motors around the sand bed, and about 40 blue hermit crabs. I've been avoiding astrea, since I hear so many horror stories of clogged overflow drains. Would that be a reasonable solution, maybe 20-30 astrea?

Are you carbon dosing?

I started running my GFO reactor again, and have Phosgard in the baffles of the sump.

Does it even look like algae? It's white, and some parts have microbubbles associated with the film.

 

[Reefer1978]

I started running my GFO reactor again, and have Phosgard in the baffles of the sump.

Does it even look like algae? It's white, and some parts have microbubbles associated with the film.

To my eye it looks like bacterial growth, which sometimes shows up with carbon dosing (i.e. vodka, vinegar, combination of both, some other carbon source), this I asked about it. Not to be confused with a GAC reactor (Granular Activated Carbon). They promote bacterial growth to combat Nitrates, and sometimes result in bacterial bloom (cloudy water), or the whitish growth on the rocks, which I personally experienced once.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

One conch motors around the sand bed, and about 40 blue hermit crabs. I've been avoiding astrea, since I hear so many horror stories of clogged overflow drains. Would that be a reasonable solution, maybe 20-30 astrea?



I started running my GFO reactor again, and have Phosgard in the baffles of the sump.

Does it even look like algae? It's white, and some parts have microbubbles associated with the film.

thats a lot of crabs.
Id go diverse on snails, they eat different things. so far no prob with astra. everybody avoids stuff because of horror stories. yeal is full of more con than pro imo. I like mexican turbos, get small ones. that horror story is from bulldozing. dont get huge ones. ang glue the frag better lol.
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/choosing-cleanup-crew-critters.258695/#post-3063945

To my eye it looks like bacterial growth, which sometimes shows up with carbon dosing (i.e. vodka, vinegar, combination of both, some other carbon source), this I asked about it. Not to be confused with a GAC reactor (Granular Activated Carbon). They promote bacterial growth to combat Nitrates, and sometimes result in bacterial bloom (cloudy water), or the whitish growth on the rocks, which I personally experienced once.

and yea could be. young tanks do that too. aminos will also feed it.

 

[pacificdiver]

thats a lot of crabs.
Id go diverse on snails, they eat different things. so far no prob with astra. everybody avoids stuff because of horror stories. yeal is full of more con than pro imo. I like mexican turbos, get small ones. that horror story is from bulldozing. dont get huge ones. ang glue the frag better lol.
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/choosing-cleanup-crew-critters.258695/#post-3063945

and yea could be. young tanks do that too. aminos will also feed it.

Ok, thanks for the input. If it is bacterial, will snails go to work on that, or do I need to put in some sort of media or additive? Will turning lights off be of any help, either diagnostically or as a treatment?

Right now, I'm running GFO and Phosguard separately. Weird - I've had the system up for about 7 months with nothing other than the usual brown diatom mess that shows up in the first couple of months. Mainly looking for what to do as a course of action. I'm a little concerned about the bio filter, since this stuff seems to cover a lot of ground on the rockwork.

Thanks in advance!

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Nope. It'll pass.
Snails will eat a lot things. You may have to scrub a bit.
Every tank is different.

 

[pacificdiver]

Nope. It'll pass.
Snails will eat a lot things. You may have to scrub a bit.
Every tank is different.

Ok, thanks for the reassurance. I was a little worried I was heading toward a tank crash. I may start pulling out a few rocks at a time, and giving them a little scrub down. Thank you!

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

You don't need to go that far. A tooth brush in the tank will do.

If you knock down the big stuff the snails will usually keep it down.

 

[pacificdiver]

You don't need to go that far. A tooth brush in the tank will do.

If you knock down the big stuff the snails will usually keep it down.

Ok, good to know - thanks. Unfortunately, inverts don't come near the display without 10 weeks in quarantine, so I've got a bit of time before I can add some additions to the cleanup crew.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Ok, good to know - thanks. Unfortunately, inverts don't come near the display without 10 weeks in quarantine, so I've got a bit of time before I can add some additions to the cleanup crew.

Good call. Yea give them a head start and hit it with a brush.

 

[Reefer1978]

Mine went away also in my tank - lasted maybe a month or so. Didn't even have to add snails, I just left it alone. Once they are done consuming what ever it is they are eating, population will go down and you won't see them.