Need some help with my algae on my sandbed. It’s either Dino’s or cyano

[sternicus]

Here it is. Started popping up right after I added my 3 extra Ocean Revive t247 lights to my tank. I was running them 12hrs blue and 6 hr white but have turned them down to 10 hr blue and 5hr white. I have cheato that was growing and a bubble magus curve 7. System is a newer 250g tank. The dry rock wasn’t getting light for the past two months or so, so I think putting the lights on last week created a bloom but I’m not sure how to fix it

 

[Flippers4pups]

Here it is. Started popping up right after I added my 3 extra Ocean Revive t247 lights to my tank. I was running them 12hrs blue and 6 hr white but have turned them down to 10 hr blue and 5hr white. I have cheato that was growing and a bubble magus curve 7. System is a newer 250g tank. The dry rock wasn’t getting light for the past two months or so, so I think putting the lights on last week created a bloom but I’m not sure how to fix it

Looks to be a mix of cyanobacteria and algae.

What's your water pramameters?
RO/DI water, right?

 

[sternicus]

Looks to be a mix of cyanobacteria and algae.

What's your water pramameters?
RO/DI water, right?

Yep 0 tds. In fact, my water coming in at the faucet head is only around 110 tds anyway so I don’t have to change too too often.

 

[sternicus]

Seems my phosphate is around .5 -.75 and nitrate is 5. I run a curve 7 and a refugium how could the phosphates be that high? Could it be the dry rock? Not sure how I could bring that down to an acceptable level

 

[Flippers4pups]

Seems my phosphate is around .5 -.75 and nitrate is 5. I run a curve 7 and a refugium how could the phosphates be that high? Could it be the dry rock? Not sure how I could bring that down to an acceptable level

It could very well be the rock leaching P04. This has been seen before.

Attacking P04 can be done several ways. GFO is the old standby and works well as long as you watch your P04 levels. You really need some P04 around 0.02.

Another way is lanthanum chloride. Two little fishes is now selling Phosband L and has been reported to work well.

 

[sternicus]

It could very well be the rock leaching P04. This has been seen before.

Attacking P04 can be done several ways. GFO is the old standby and works well as long as you watch your P04 levels. You really need some P04 around 0.02.

Another way is lanthanum chloride. Two little fishes is now selling Phosband L and has been reported to work well.

What about phosphate rx?

 

[Flippers4pups]

What about phosphate rx?

That one too.

 

[dantimdad]

How old is your tank?

 

[sternicus]

How old is your tank?

Wet since dec 12th. Lights have been on for a week and a day lol

 

[KJ]

Look like a dinoflagates.

 

[sternicus]

Look like a dinoflagates.

Think getting the phosphates down would help?

 

[Flippers4pups]

Look like a dinoflagates.

Hard to say. I was seeing "red in it". Stringiness could be Dino's.

 

[sternicus]

Hard to say. I was seeing "red in it". Stringiness could be Dino's.

Would lowering phosphates help to combat the Dino’s since the phosphates are so high?

 

[KJ]

Sometimes it is hard to tell the difference between cyanobacteria and dinoflagates.

 

[Flippers4pups]

Would lowering phosphates help to combat the Dino’s since the phosphates are so high?

I would attempt to manually remove it first during a water change by syphoning it out.

 

[sternicus]

I would attempt to manually remove it first during a water change by syphoning it out.

Okay that’s fine. I think maybe dosing phosphate rx would be a good idea overall. Could the imbalance between nitrate and phosphate cause the Dino’s to be present?

 

[sternicus]

I would attempt to manually remove it first during a water change by syphoning it out.

Also, don’t high phosphates suggest that it’s not Dino’s and possibly cyano instead?

 

[Flippers4pups]

Also, don’t high phosphates suggest that it’s not Dino’s and possibly cyano instead?

It’s possible