I Just Need Some Help Man Lol

[gbroadbridge]

I mean...Some old tanks can have diatoms I'm sure of it. I have a tank that is almost 2 years old and it still gets diatoms that come and go from time to time.

Sure can, I do it deliberately by dosing silica for sponges.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

IDK, I'm kind of thinking this is just detritus. There is a lot of shading on the sand, with just 2 primes on a 75, I'm not sure the light can reach the sand to grow algae, I'd be curious to see a full tank shot and get a look at those powerheads.

 

[Reef Grams]

Ok, so it's not likely to be the sand.

I'm starting to swing towards Dinos - Do you know if your LFS has a microscope?
Some shops can ID dinos from a sample of the sand bed for you - which would stop a lot of guessing.

I was told that I should add some tutbo beneficial bacteria I bought some I just have never used it do you think that would help?

 

[BryanM]

I was told that I should add some tutbo beneficial bacteria I bought some I just have never used it do you think that would help?

I do not think you need to add bacteria yet. It seems we do not know what we're dealing with, and that might feed the issue.

Does the offensive material go away at night in to the water column, or does it stay? If it goes in to the water column at night I'm going to lean towards dinos, but this doesn't really look like that to me.

definitive ID can really only be done with a microscope, and sadly Ive been an utter failure finding one that works for me.

 

[Isaac Alves]

The only way to tell is like what other responders have said and use a microscope. Once you post a microscope pic users will be able to identify for you the type of dino you have or if it's simply diatoms. If it is dinos you need to know the type in order to determine what course of action to take.

Microscope rant:
I will say to get a microscope you like using. I got one of those single lens cheap ones that do work but are a huge pain in a** to use, and especially take photos from. I find myself using it more than I ever thought I would over the last 10 years being in the hobby. I wish I got one of those trinocular ones with an electronic eyepiece to go into a laptop or one with a monitor plus the binocular lens.

 

[Fish Fan]

I my humble opinion, having been born before the microscope was invented :

If it's diatoms, let them run their course.

If it's dinos, increase flow, manually remove what you can (use a turkey baster, a siphon, and your mechanical filtration (which should be promptly replaced)). Check your nitrate and phosphate, many suggest that if either or both goes to zero that can invite dinos.

If it's cyano, increase flow, manually remove, and check for excess organics like if carbon dosing or overfeeding.

Here's some info that may help:




NOTE: There is no BRSTV video for diatoms as they typical need nothing more than to let them run their course (which is addressed in the dinoflagellate video)