Unknown Algae Problem

Sawyer Wells · Oct 11, 2016

The ph likes to stay around 7.9-8.1 and has been holding around 8.0 for months now.

saltyfilmfolks · Oct 11, 2016

Sawyer Wells said:
The ph likes to stay around 7.9-8.1 and has been holding around 8.0 for months now.

K. Actually very good IMO.

saltyfilmfolks · Oct 11, 2016

Brew12 said:
I've seen posts where people at least claim that they have had repeated diatom blooms. I'd think you would have to have some low flow areas and a fairly thick sand bed for that to be the case. Of course, it is possible that what these people had wasn't diatoms.

Ya. And that's the problem that don't know.
I look at a lot of Google images and a lot of threads. And as it turns out most all of these can look a lot alike. So microscope. Even then most of us here have a hard time telling. As well a lot look alike.

I do think it looks like cyano too But cant see touch small and taste it from here.

@reeferfoxx here's one.

I think is a Normal nutrient storm.
There may also have been a nasty released from the sump yes maybe. I would only fear the tap water a little. the chemiclean . Maybe took out more than you thought and some of that is dieoff or feeding on it. And yea a perfect storm.

@brandon429 your looking at this too yea

saltyfilmfolks · Oct 11, 2016

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2003/1/aafeature1
Your all probably reading this too right now

reeferfoxx · Oct 11, 2016

How many water changes have been performed recently?

reeferfoxx · Oct 11, 2016

saltyfilmfolks said:
I didn't think silicates worked like that.
I thought that the ph and the water dissolved them so they are absorbed out until nearly gone that's when the diatoms go away.

Trace elements contain silicates. Just like our salt mix. Frequent and multiple water changes can add silicates into the water. This looks like a diatom/nutrient mulm with cyano mixed in. Something similar to what i've battled.

reeferfoxx · Oct 11, 2016

Hold off on water changes for a couple weeks. Make sure you have some NO3 and PO4. Make sure clean up crew is adequate. I see a lot of turbos but no diatom eating snails like Astrea or Trochus. Which i suggest 1 astrea/trochus per 2 or 3 gallons.

Cory · Oct 12, 2016

She did a water change and topped up with tap water? Thats not good. If so id say thats diatoms due to the silicate in the tap water

saltyfilmfolks · Oct 12, 2016

Yup. If it's diatoms the silicate will be used up soon and go away.

Side note. I've never really had anything I could absolutely I'd as diatoms. But I have almost always used live rock on tanks. I have always had sponges though on my live rock. Not coincidental I believe.

skim · Oct 12, 2016

How old is tank?

edinphilly · Oct 12, 2016

@saltyfilmfolks good call on cyano vs spirulina ID
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/positive-identification-of-cyanobacteria.253287/

I had a FOWLR tank I used tap on that I took to reef, and it took a long time to get the nutrients under control. Since tap was used I would run carbon and GFO, and I would wait it out. I wouldn't run out and add to the bioload with more CUC or new fish. Just let it run its course.

Ladysabertooth2 · Oct 13, 2016

have the same issues my tank is about the same age as yours. I did not use tap water I have a rodi unit, gfo and skimmer. Still ended up the same. I have been fighting it for 3 months now. So I will keep my eye on this thread. As for salt I started with Kent then went to coral pro no issues, but then switched to aquaforest reef...and poof problems. Was it the salt? Or a combo of things? I'm not sure but I went back to Coral pro and will stay with it...

Sawyer Wells · Oct 13, 2016

skim said:
How old is tank?

The tank is around a year and a half old

Sawyer Wells · Oct 13, 2016

reeferfoxx said:
Hold off on water changes for a couple weeks. Make sure you have some NO3 and PO4. Make sure clean up crew is adequate. I see a lot of turbos but no diatom eating snails like Astrea or Trochus. Which i suggest 1 astrea/trochus per 2 or 3 gallons.

Yeah I haven't done any water changes for a week and don't have any planned. The only water I am adding is enough to top the tank off so the pump doesn't pump air.

NanaReefer · Oct 13, 2016

Ladysabertooth2 said:
have the same issues my tank is about the same age as yours. I did not use tap water I have a rodi unit, gfo and skimmer. Still ended up the same. I have been fighting it for 3 months now. So I will keep my eye on this thread. As for salt I started with Kent then went to coral pro no issues, but then switched to aquaforest reef...and poof problems. Was it the salt? Or a combo of things? I'm not sure but I went back to Coral pro and will stay with it...

I've been fighting it for 2yrs!

skim · Oct 14, 2016

Sawyer Wells said:
This is with just the white lights on.

I have had cyano before and it was on the rocks but went away after one dose of Chemi-clean. This will recede at night and then come back out during the day and hasn't gone away with multiple chemi-clean doses.

This looks more like a brown slime Algae. I believe you got this from disturbing the Substrate at a time I call the Teething stage of a Cycle, just before stability, and now you have put it back a little. I believe if you do water changes, leave the substrate alone, do not touch it, you will have to let the Bacterial colonies relevel themselves. From what I can see and assume is you did not touch the Substrate before but then thought it could use a cleaning and what you did not know is the Bacteria had it all under control and you brought a storm in and now it will have to resettle itself.
One thing I strongly believe in is if you plan to Vac. the Substrate you have to do all the time then not just once in awhile or you once it's in you leave it alone and let the Bacteria and critters deal with it. If you even look at what seems to be a fairly new part to Reefing is Bacteria Supplementations via Dosing or Bio pellets or Probiotic Salts and bottles or tubes of different strains of Bacteria to reduce some and increase some to help bring a stable environment.
What I would do is leave it, do your regular water changes but do not touch the Substrate.
Pick up a few more Clean up Critters and a Cucumber.
Add some fresh Carbon and some GFO as you did disturb the Substrate and add nutrients to the system and you would have Phosphates the would have been bound in the Substrate.
I think you will be OK just sit it out and let the Bacteria and Clean up Crew do its job.

Ladysabertooth2 · Oct 14, 2016

Omg 2 years of fighting this? I'm add in marine pure and will start dosing with brightwell microbacter7. Hopefully I can get things back on track.. going to do one good water change since I haven't in 3 weeks hopping it would help.

Sawyer Wells · Oct 14, 2016

skim said:
This looks more like a brown slime Algae. I believe you got this from disturbing the Substrate at a time I call the Teething stage of a Cycle, just before stability, and now you have put it back a little. I believe if you do water changes, leave the substrate alone, do not touch it, you will have to let the Bacterial colonies relevel themselves. From what I can see and assume is you did not touch the Substrate before but then thought it could use a cleaning and what you did not know is the Bacteria had it all under control and you brought a storm in and now it will have to resettle itself.
One thing I strongly believe in is if you plan to Vac. the Substrate you have to do all the time then not just once in awhile or you once it's in you leave it alone and let the Bacteria and critters deal with it. If you even look at what seems to be a fairly new part to Reefing is Bacteria Supplementations via Dosing or Bio pellets or Probiotic Salts and bottles or tubes of different strains of Bacteria to reduce some and increase some to help bring a stable environment.
What I would do is leave it, do your regular water changes but do not touch the Substrate.
Pick up a few more Clean up Critters and a Cucumber.
Add some fresh Carbon and some GFO as you did disturb the Substrate and add nutrients to the system and you would have Phosphates the would have been bound in the Substrate.
I think you will be OK just sit it out and let the Bacteria and Clean up Crew do its job.

Yeah currently I am waiting it out. I added new carbon and gfo a few days ago and my skimmer is working fine now. Do you suggest that I find some bacteria and add it to the system? If so what kind would you recommend?