Please Help - Brown Algae

[Andrew Stevens]

Hey everyone,

From all my research I thought I had hair algae and diatoms. I just cleaned the glass and looked closer, and think it might be dinos instead.

Is there a way to verify without purchasing a microscope? I do see the bubbles float to the surface right from this area.

Parameters:

pH: 8.06
Temperature: 77F
Salinity: 34.1 ppt
ORP: 367 mV
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
Phosphate: 0 on my Salifert test kit, but a local aquarium store checked it with a Hanna checker a few days ago and they read 0.08.

And what is the way to get rid of this pain in the butt algae? I have 2 clownfish and a few corals inside the tank.

Thanks,

Andrew

 

[Lavey29]

Looks like dinos to me. If you have 0 nutrients then your tank is likely to get dinos. 0 phosphate and 0 nitrates is bad news.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hey everyone,

From all my research I thought I had hair algae and diatoms. I just cleaned the glass and looked closer, and think it might be dinos instead.

Is there a way to verify without purchasing a microscope? I do see the bubbles float to the surface right from this area.

Parameters:

pH: 8.06
Temperature: 77F
Salinity: 34.1 ppt
ORP: 367 mV
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
Phosphate: 0 on my Salifert test kit, but a local aquarium store checked it with a Hanna checker a few days ago and they read 0.08.

And what is the way to get rid of this pain in the butt algae? I have 2 clownfish and a few corals inside the tank.

Thanks,

Andrew

Beginning of dino.
Prepare by starting with a water change and blow this stuff loose with a turkey baster and siphon up loose particles.
Turn lights off (at least white and run blue at 10-15% IF you have light dependant corals) for 5 days and at night dose 1ml of 3% hydrogen peroxide per 10 gallons for all 5 nights. If you dont have light dependent coral- turn all lights off.
During the day dose 1ml of liquid bacteria (such as bacter 7 or XLM) per 10 gallons.
Clean filters daily and DO NOT FEED CORAL FOODS OR ADD NOPOX as it is food for dinos.
Day 5,, you can start with blue lights - ramping up and work your white lights up slowly

 

[TheReefDiary]

Hey everyone,

From all my research I thought I had hair algae and diatoms. I just cleaned the glass and looked closer, and think it might be dinos instead.

Is there a way to verify without purchasing a microscope? I do see the bubbles float to the surface right from this area.

Parameters:

pH: 8.06
Temperature: 77F
Salinity: 34.1 ppt
ORP: 367 mV
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
Phosphate: 0 on my Salifert test kit, but a local aquarium store checked it with a Hanna checker a few days ago and they read 0.08.

And what is the way to get rid of this pain in the butt algae? I have 2 clownfish and a few corals inside the tank.

Thanks,

Andrew

I'm battling dinos as well.

I've been cleaning the tank daily. That means the sand and rocks. Basting rocks and stirring sand (can't really gravel vacuum my tank). It's all caught by the filter floss which I then remove.

I've dosed neophos to raise my po4 to acceptable levels. I've also been dosing bacteria. Mb7 is a good one.

I'm running a 2 day blackout currently with an in tank uv sterilizer.

Hoping this takes it back down to a manageable level.

Not sure if this is also helping but I'm dosing live phyto and my pods are starting to thrive again in the tank during this blackout. Tons and tons of them on my glass which I haven't really noticed since the dinos began.

Besides that it's just time and commitment to get rid of them. Yours look like the type that disappears at night which means get a uv sterilizer for the tank.

 

[ying yang]

Dinos - coffee filter test

So I sucked up some brown stuff off the sand into a bottle. Shook like mad. Then went to filter it through the filter and into a cup.. The water barely passed through the filter. Should I use paper towel instead?

www.reef2reef.com

This is one off many threads on r2r on how to use a coffee filter to see if have dinos or not,I've never tried this and this thread not much info on how to do it,but sure there many more threads on ins and outs on how to actually do it if use search option on r2r but basically put tank water through a coffee filter and shake and see if re-clumps back together I think is how it's done

 

[ying yang]

Helpful Method for Identifying Dinoflagellates

There have been dozens (probably hundreds) of posts from people trying to identify dinoflagellates in their aquarium. I have posted this in other threads but figured it might be helpful to start a thread explaining this method. Dinoflagellates are single-celled organisms that aggregate to form...

www.reef2reef.com

Here better explanation for you.
Good luck

 

[vetteguy53081]

Dinos - coffee filter test

So I sucked up some brown stuff off the sand into a bottle. Shook like mad. Then went to filter it through the filter and into a cup.. The water barely passed through the filter. Should I use paper towel instead?

www.reef2reef.com

This is one off many threads on r2r on how to use a coffee filter to see if have dinos or not,I've never tried this and this thread not much info on how to do it,but sure there many more threads on ins and outs on how to actually do it if use search option on r2r but basically put tank water through a coffee filter and shake and see if re-clumps back together I think is how it's done

Im not a fan of this method as it is suggestive and doeds not confirm

 

[vetteguy53081]

I'm battling dinos as well.

I've been cleaning the tank daily. That means the sand and rocks. Basting rocks and stirring sand (can't really gravel vacuum my tank). It's all caught by the filter floss which I then remove.

I've dosed neophos to raise my po4 to acceptable levels. I've also been dosing bacteria. Mb7 is a good one.

I'm running a 2 day blackout currently with an in tank uv sterilizer.

Hoping this takes it back down to a manageable level.

Not sure if this is also helping but I'm dosing live phyto and my pods are starting to thrive again in the tank during this blackout. Tons and tons of them on my glass which I haven't really noticed since the dinos began.

Besides that it's just time and commitment to get rid of them. Yours look like the type that disappears at night which means get a uv sterilizer for the tank.

Since you already have lights off, (at least white and run blue at 10-15% IF you have light dependant corals) continue for 5 days and at night dose 1ml of 3% hydrogen peroxide per 10 gallons for all 5 nights. If you dont have light dependent coral- turn all lights off.
During the day dose 1ml of liquid bacteria (such as bacter 7 or XLM) per 10 gallons.
Clean filters daily and DO NOT FEED CORAL FOODS OR ADD NOPOX as it is food for dinos.
Day 5,, you can start with blue lights - ramping up and work your white lights up slowly

 

[Andrew Stevens]

Thank you all!!! I really appreciate the help from this great community.