dinoflagellates or diatoms

raw04f · 04/29/2007, 04:42 PM

I just recently set up a 75gallon reef and I have some sort of brown algea growing in my tank and it has spread all over, there was brand new water and i used sand from the ocean so im wondering if the algea i have is dinoflagellates or diatoms. The algea is producing bubbles which makes me think it could be dinoglagellates but my green chromis has yet to die. How do i get rid of this bacteria/algea in my tank?

FishHick · 04/29/2007, 04:51 PM

I am battling them myself. I started using phosban, and turned the lights off for 3 days. I also sucked out as much of them as I could. I turned the lights on again today, and they are coming back.... I am going to increase the pH next as this article suggests.

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-11/rhf/index.php

Good Luck

rodgod20 · 04/29/2007, 05:02 PM

seems like this is a new tank....its normal...just keep doing water changes and it will go away.

BigDaddy · 04/29/2007, 05:38 PM

If it's dinos, I would leave the lights off for 3 days and run ozone if you can get an ozone generator. Ozone will kill dinos. Dinos left alone will kill all of your snails and sand bed critters.

drummereef · 04/29/2007, 06:38 PM

Sounds like dinoflagellates if you have bubbles. But, could just be your sandbed giving off nitrogen bubbles. Really need a pic to be sure.

nicolicious · 04/29/2007, 07:47 PM

which are these?

nicolicious · 04/29/2007, 07:49 PM

here it is

Randall_James · 04/29/2007, 08:19 PM

Diatoms... and they require silicate to grow as well as light. Using beach sand is usually not a good idea as it is full of organic as well as inorganic garbage. How old is this tank? you seem to have an awful lot of stuff in a tank with new substrate.

I would look at pulling your beach sand out of the tank and replacing it with clean substrate (I prefer aragonite as it is safer on the glass)

nicolicious · 04/29/2007, 08:59 PM

no, its not beach sand, it just looks really white bc of the camera....the sand is actually livesand you buy at the lfs...comes in a plastic bag with live stuff and water in it....

as far as the tank goes its about 2years old....not new at all...the white spots are also where i tried to suck out some of the top layer of livesand.....

im trying alot of things to get rid of it....do you have any suggestions? i stopped using ro water from publix and now i only buy from lfs....how quickly do they go away?

Randall_James · 04/29/2007, 09:35 PM

Well nothing good happens fast and the same goes for algae issues, diatom outbreaks are common and typically burn themselves out in a few weeks. Just trying to understand what else changed that you would end up with this issue in the first place.

What is your water change regimen? Amount/frequency
Any recent lighting changes? or are the lights really old?

04/29/2007, 09:40 PM

What changed was his water source. I find it weird that he went to LFS and he's getting silicates now. I would do a silicate test on that water.

Randall_James · 04/29/2007, 09:43 PM

Sorry raw04f, I did not see the thread hijack... ooops

drummereef · 04/29/2007, 09:44 PM

Definitely diatoms. Do you use RO/DI water and know the TDS? I find diatoms are the first algae to come if my tds is even over 1.

nicolicious · 04/29/2007, 10:16 PM

sorry, but to answer your questions, yes bulbs were old and i bought new ones...this only mad it worse....no i dont test my water from the lfs....guess i should now....but the couple of weeks thing has but my mind at ease....hopfully it will start to get better in a couple of weeks.......thanks

04/29/2007, 04:42 PM	#1
raw04f Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Tampa, FL Posts: 100	dinoflagellates or diatoms I just recently set up a 75gallon reef and I have some sort of brown algea growing in my tank and it has spread all over, there was brand new water and i used sand from the ocean so im wondering if the algea i have is dinoflagellates or diatoms. The algea is producing bubbles which makes me think it could be dinoglagellates but my green chromis has yet to die. How do i get rid of this bacteria/algea in my tank?

04/29/2007, 04:51 PM	#2
FishHick Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Columbus, OH Posts: 163	I am battling them myself. I started using phosban, and turned the lights off for 3 days. I also sucked out as much of them as I could. I turned the lights on again today, and they are coming back.... I am going to increase the pH next as this article suggests. http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-11/rhf/index.php Good Luck __________________ Hick Current Tank Info: starting over with a 12g Nano Cube

04/29/2007, 05:02 PM	#3
rodgod20 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Charleston, SC Posts: 459	seems like this is a new tank....its normal...just keep doing water changes and it will go away. __________________ "If your going through hell, Keep going" -Winston ChurchHill- Current Tank Info: 65G (90lbs of LR, CSS125, ATO,Oceans Motions, 33x turnover) LPS tank

04/29/2007, 06:38 PM	#5
drummereef Team RC Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: STL Posts: 14,754	Sounds like dinoflagellates if you have bubbles. But, could just be your sandbed giving off nitrogen bubbles. Really need a pic to be sure. __________________ -Brett 180g Marineland Starfire In-Wall 278 gallon system

04/29/2007, 07:47 PM	#6
nicolicious Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 202	how about a pic of my tank... which are these?

04/29/2007, 05:38 PM	#4
BigDaddy Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Tucson, AZ Posts: 1,085	If it's dinos, I would leave the lights off for 3 days and run ozone if you can get an ozone generator. Ozone will kill dinos. Dinos left alone will kill all of your snails and sand bed critters.

04/29/2007, 07:49 PM	#7
nicolicious Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 202	oops... here it is

04/29/2007, 08:19 PM	#8
Randall_James Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 6,727	Diatoms... and they require silicate to grow as well as light. Using beach sand is usually not a good idea as it is full of organic as well as inorganic garbage. How old is this tank? you seem to have an awful lot of stuff in a tank with new substrate. I would look at pulling your beach sand out of the tank and replacing it with clean substrate (I prefer aragonite as it is safer on the glass) __________________ "It's a dog eat dog world and I feel like I am wearing milkbone underwear"

04/29/2007, 08:59 PM	#9
nicolicious Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 202	no. no, its not beach sand, it just looks really white bc of the camera....the sand is actually livesand you buy at the lfs...comes in a plastic bag with live stuff and water in it.... as far as the tank goes its about 2years old....not new at all...the white spots are also where i tried to suck out some of the top layer of livesand..... im trying alot of things to get rid of it....do you have any suggestions? i stopped using ro water from publix and now i only buy from lfs....how quickly do they go away?

04/29/2007, 09:35 PM	#10
Randall_James Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 6,727	Well nothing good happens fast and the same goes for algae issues, diatom outbreaks are common and typically burn themselves out in a few weeks. Just trying to understand what else changed that you would end up with this issue in the first place. What is your water change regimen? Amount/frequency Any recent lighting changes? or are the lights really old? __________________ "It's a dog eat dog world and I feel like I am wearing milkbone underwear"

04/29/2007, 09:40 PM	#11
Azial Unregistered Posts: n/a	What changed was his water source. I find it weird that he went to LFS and he's getting silicates now. I would do a silicate test on that water.

04/29/2007, 09:43 PM	#12
Randall_James Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 6,727	Sorry raw04f, I did not see the thread hijack... ooops __________________ "It's a dog eat dog world and I feel like I am wearing milkbone underwear"

04/29/2007, 09:44 PM	#13
drummereef Team RC Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: STL Posts: 14,754	Definitely diatoms. Do you use RO/DI water and know the TDS? I find diatoms are the first algae to come if my tds is even over 1. __________________ -Brett 180g Marineland Starfire In-Wall 278 gallon system

04/29/2007, 10:16 PM	#14
nicolicious Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 202	sorry about the hijack sorry, but to answer your questions, yes bulbs were old and i bought new ones...this only mad it worse....no i dont test my water from the lfs....guess i should now....but the couple of weeks thing has but my mind at ease....hopfully it will start to get better in a couple of weeks.......thanks