Need help identifying algae

agame2021

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 4, 2021
Messages
316
Reaction score
231
Location
Mesa
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
So I got excited because this started out with kinda a deep redial purple. I got excited and people told me on a different site it was the start of the coralline algae. Well found out the pros are here… so could you help me out?
It’s stringy and now there are bubbles forming in the algae (bubbles are new as of today when iI got this rock used that had been running in a tank for 4-5 years. But it was in a 33 gallon trash can for 2 full days before I finally got it in my 140 gallon tank. I still don’t have sand but now I need to move the tank to a new room…
Am I just going to need to start completely over and get some cultures and restart the cycle? There is only 1 snail in there(it came with the tank).

P.S. sorry for the crummy pics, it’s the best I can do…

9101A02F-350E-4A46-9C7F-5DED0CAC77F4.jpeg E9C3478F-022C-4288-BC44-58900256ED71.jpeg F5C4914C-3489-4371-976D-58945E343D21.jpeg
 

gentlefish

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Oct 28, 2020
Messages
698
Reaction score
816
Location
Ontario
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Looks snotty. Looks like you can blow it off, with rapid reoccurrence. Mostly better early am. Mostly with po4, nitrate 0. It’s Dinoflaggelates. Suggest to confirm, to increase po4 and nitrates and use. UV sterilizer. Read up on this on this forum. Long long threat out there to make you fall asleep . I think it was titled: Dino’s are you tired of battling them.
 
OP
OP
agame2021

agame2021

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 4, 2021
Messages
316
Reaction score
231
Location
Mesa
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Looks snotty. Looks like you can blow it off, with rapid reoccurrence. Mostly better early am. Mostly with po4, nitrate 0. It’s Dinoflaggelates. Suggest to confirm, to increase po4 and nitrates and use. UV sterilizer. Read up on this on this forum. Long long threat out there to make you fall asleep . I think it was titled: Dino’s are you tired of battling them.
I haven’t tried blowing it off but I did try and wipe it off and it was stuck on really good… it is slimy and kinda hairy. I only really work on my tank towards the end of my day so idk if timing matters.
But I will look into that and see if it’s the same as what I am dealing with. I just had no clue where to start! Thanks for the help and direction!
 

ggNoRe

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Sep 6, 2020
Messages
704
Reaction score
478
Location
Houston
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I had the exact same thing. Turned out to be a combo of dinoflagellates, cyano, and turf algae.
 

Attachments

  • PXL_20210524_223514686.jpg
    PXL_20210524_223514686.jpg
    229.9 KB · Views: 38

ggNoRe

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Sep 6, 2020
Messages
704
Reaction score
478
Location
Houston
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Man it was absolute hell tbh. You can see the details in my build thread. If I was starting from scratch I would first get a UV sterilizer. Then start dosing nitrates and phosphates right away if they were low. Then do a full rock scrub while siphoning through a filter sock and back into the sump. Then a 3 day blackout tied with dosing a competitive bacteria. After that see what is left. If you see rampid cyano, dose chemiclean. If dinoflagellates comes back strong then do Elegant Corals Dinoflagellates Regimen. If just a bunch of crud and turf algae on rocks use Dr Tims Waste Away, activated carbon, and add a bunch of snails (trochus, astrea, and turbos).

Best of luck!
 

vetteguy53081

Well known Member and monster tank lover
View Badges
Joined
Aug 11, 2013
Messages
91,921
Reaction score
203,051
Location
Wisconsin -
Rating - 100%
13   0   0
This is not dino nor cyano. It is a little hair algae and also calothrix which often appears as a light slimy yet hairy/fuzzy nastiness that loosely attaches to your rock work. Air bubbles are usually trapped while escaping the algae, Calothrix is a type of blue/ green algae that looks very similar to Dinos. Best is to remove the rock and scrub it with a toothbrush. Let cleaners get the rest. It helps to use a net to collect the debris that will occur as a result of the toothbrushing as it flaots in the tank.
Suggested cleaners are : Chitons, Nerite snails, margarita snails, astrea and trochus snails.
 
OP
OP
agame2021

agame2021

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 4, 2021
Messages
316
Reaction score
231
Location
Mesa
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
This is not dino nor cyano. It is a little hair algae and also calothrix which often appears as a light slimy yet hairy/fuzzy nastiness that loosely attaches to your rock work. Air bubbles are usually trapped while escaping the algae, Calothrix is a type of blue/ green algae that looks very similar to Dinos. Best is to remove the rock and scrub it with a toothbrush. Let cleaners get the rest. It helps to use a net to collect the debris that will occur as a result of the toothbrushing as it flaots in the tank.
Suggested cleaners are : Chitons, Nerite snails, margarita snails, astrea and trochus snails.
So it’s on just about every rock in the tank. You want me to take them all out of the tank or just clean them and remove the debris?

I was thinking if it was what they had said I might as well remove everything let it die off and clean rocks well then start again with some cultured coralline algae in a bottle. But if I understand right this should be too crazy to get back under control.
 

vetteguy53081

Well known Member and monster tank lover
View Badges
Joined
Aug 11, 2013
Messages
91,921
Reaction score
203,051
Location
Wisconsin -
Rating - 100%
13   0   0
So it’s on just about every rock in the tank. You want me to take them all out of the tank or just clean them and remove the debris?

I was thinking if it was what they had said I might as well remove everything let it die off and clean rocks well then start again with some cultured coralline algae in a bottle. But if I understand right this should be too crazy to get back under control.
Coraline in a bottle isn’t what it is advertised to do. Will help form it but not give quick coverage
Scrubbing isn’t as bad as it sounds
 

Reefing threads: Do you wear gear from reef brands?

  • I wear reef gear everywhere.

    Votes: 42 16.5%
  • I wear reef gear primarily at fish events and my LFS.

    Votes: 16 6.3%
  • I wear reef gear primarily for water changes and tank maintenance.

    Votes: 1 0.4%
  • I wear reef gear primarily to relax where I live.

    Votes: 30 11.8%
  • I don’t wear gear from reef brands.

    Votes: 146 57.5%
  • Other.

    Votes: 19 7.5%

New Posts

Back
Top