THE MOST INDESTRUCTIBLE ALGAE! ITS BEEN OVER A YEAR! Is This The End?

Polyp Punk · Sep 6, 2022

Hey guys. So I’m still having a problem with my 15g nano. I have been in the hobby for 8 years and NEVERRRRRR had a problem like this. I have beaten Dino’s before I have beaten basically every algae out there. This type I have in this tank is absolutely INDESTRUCTIBLE. I know I should get a microscope but I don’t have the money right now. I have tried absolutely every single tactic out there to fight Dino’s literally everything and it just doesn’t budge at all. I came to thinking. Isn’t there a brown type of cyano ? I attached pictures to this thread. Can this possibly be a strain of cyano and I just have not been treating accordingly? The only thing I have not tried is chemi clean. I am days away from breaking this tank down. It’s been a year and a half of headache and wasted money and time. Let me know what you think it is ! Thanks !

sixty_reefer · Sep 6, 2022

What’s your no3 and po4

Polyp Punk · Sep 7, 2022

sixty_reefer said:
What’s your no3 and po4

As of right now it’s 0 phos and prob 5 nitrate. I ran out of nitrate tests. Right now I think everything is reading low because this algae is sucking everything up. But I have experimented with all different levels of nutrients and it still yields the same results. I have had this crap since I started this tank. I been treating as if it’s Dino or diatoms but never treated as if it was cyano. I learned there are some types of brown cyano so maybe that’s where I’m going wrong ? Do you think it could be a type of cyano ?

J1a · Sep 7, 2022

Salt_Life said:
As of right now it’s 0 phos and prob 5 nitrate. I ran out of nitrate tests. Right now I think everything is reading low because this algae is sucking everything up. But I have experimented with all different levels of nutrients and it still yields the same results. I have had this crap since I started this tank. I been treating as if it’s Dino or diatoms but never treated as if it was cyano. I learned there are some types of brown cyano so maybe that’s where I’m going wrong ? Do you think it could be a type of cyano ?

Can you examine it under microscope?

sixty_reefer · Sep 7, 2022

Salt_Life said:
As of right now it’s 0 phos and prob 5 nitrate. I ran out of nitrate tests. Right now I think everything is reading low because this algae is sucking everything up. But I have experimented with all different levels of nutrients and it still yields the same results. I have had this crap since I started this tank. I been treating as if it’s Dino or diatoms but never treated as if it was cyano. I learned there are some types of brown cyano so maybe that’s where I’m going wrong ? Do you think it could be a type of cyano ?

It does looks like it could be Cyanobacteria, you need to persist with the nitrates, only sodium nitrate or calcium nitrate any other product will feed them further in my opinion.

Acros · Sep 7, 2022

$20 microscope on Amazon will save you a lot of money when it comes to tackling dinos (without proper id, you could waste a lot of money on ineffective treatment).

MMUSC Microscope for Kids, Microscope Kit for Kids 8-12, Kids Microscope Science Kit for Student Beginners Educational Stem Toys with Led 100x-1200x Magnification, Blank Slides for Boys Girls Age 4+ https://a.co/d/j5u1QOE

That said, I would suggest you do a rip clean as the tank is really small. That’s how I got rid of my stubborn prorocentrum dinos.

epicfatigue · Sep 7, 2022

100% get a microscope even a cheap kids one with 400 800 1600 will work thats what i used. And join the facebook group, post your findings there and follow the advice