Cyano, dinoflagelles, or simply diatoms?

swbeginner · 10/27/2008, 08:03 AM

I can't figure out what the heck this brownish-red plague is.
My levels are perfect...my lighting is good, I use walmart ro water, I am about to get an ro/di, I use coralife salt, I am very confused. My tank has been up for say 4 months and I should not have diatoms, but what if my water source is full of silicates??? I was also thinking excess nutrient, but my skimmer skims like a champ...it is an octopus hob.

Ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and phosphates are all 0.
Calcium is 480
Alk is 12

If you need some better pictures, I can get some...but here is my plague. What is it and what do I do?

A.VOID · 10/27/2008, 08:31 AM

If it's stringy and dark red = Cyano
If it's slimy and stringy and brown/ gold = dinflagellates
If it's golden brown and shows little to no stringiness = Diatoms

I'm in the Diatom boat with you. I just had them pop up, and everything is good. Check your food, additives, when was the last time you added rock (New rock can boost silica).

Mine is going away after a couple weeks and a big add of diatom snails, but it sucks until then.

swbeginner · 10/27/2008, 09:00 AM

I had the problem before adding rock, but I did add rock recently. I am thinking it may dinflagellates because there are little to no bubbles and it is very brownish, but cyano makes more sense. There are stringy stuff though. I still am clueless. I'll have to post a better pic. I was thinking that once I get the ro/di, I'll do a huge water change and remove the crap from the sand.

kevin2000 · 10/27/2008, 09:05 AM

Pics not all the clear.

Your tanks the right age for cyano and that would be high on my list. Dino looks a bit like cyano when it first starts .. but as dino grows it looks like your kids snot .. slimy, bubbles and even has stringers that will float in the water (kinda like ocean kelp).

swbeginner · 10/27/2008, 09:09 AM

I'll get a more up to date and clearer pic. It will take a while though...

swbeginner · 10/27/2008, 09:22 AM

If you will notice. I have 3 powerheads and the return is being used to provide flow over the sand, look for the abs pipe.

swbeginner · 10/27/2008, 10:58 AM

Update...I put some cheato and some phosguard in the overflow. We'll see if that helps. After that and a large water change next week, we should start to see some progress.

ser_renely · 10/27/2008, 11:02 AM

hard to tell between then when there are good pics, but no idea with your pics.

kevin2000 · 10/27/2008, 11:25 AM

Lots of posts on cyano and with a bit of searching you should find threads with good pics of cyano and maybe dino.

10/27/2008, 08:03 AM	#1
swbeginner Moved On Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 227	Cyano, dinoflagelles, or simply diatoms? I can't figure out what the heck this brownish-red plague is. My levels are perfect...my lighting is good, I use walmart ro water, I am about to get an ro/di, I use coralife salt, I am very confused. My tank has been up for say 4 months and I should not have diatoms, but what if my water source is full of silicates??? I was also thinking excess nutrient, but my skimmer skims like a champ...it is an octopus hob. Ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and phosphates are all 0. Calcium is 480 Alk is 12 If you need some better pictures, I can get some...but here is my plague. What is it and what do I do?

10/27/2008, 11:02 AM	#8
ser_renely Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 1,820	hard to tell between then when there are good pics, but no idea with your pics. __________________ RIP: Osc. Clown - Ammonia, YW GobY - overflow, YW Goby - Pistol shrimp, Firefish - acclimation. 5 Fire fish - pistol shrimp, Mandarin - Pistol shrimp!!!!! Current Tank Info: 60g Cube, 15g sump/fuge,Tunze 9010 skimmer, Reefbreeders Photon 16" - 2 Osc. Clowns,2 Lyretail Anthias, Blue Chromis, mp20, mp10....another DAMN pistol shrimp!

10/27/2008, 08:31 AM	#2
A.VOID Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Columbus Posts: 985	If it's stringy and dark red = Cyano If it's slimy and stringy and brown/ gold = dinflagellates If it's golden brown and shows little to no stringiness = Diatoms I'm in the Diatom boat with you. I just had them pop up, and everything is good. Check your food, additives, when was the last time you added rock (New rock can boost silica). Mine is going away after a couple weeks and a big add of diatom snails, but it sucks until then.

10/27/2008, 09:00 AM	#3
swbeginner Moved On Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 227	I had the problem before adding rock, but I did add rock recently. I am thinking it may dinflagellates because there are little to no bubbles and it is very brownish, but cyano makes more sense. There are stringy stuff though. I still am clueless. I'll have to post a better pic. I was thinking that once I get the ro/di, I'll do a huge water change and remove the crap from the sand.

10/27/2008, 09:05 AM	#4
kevin2000 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 3,805	Pics not all the clear. Your tanks the right age for cyano and that would be high on my list. Dino looks a bit like cyano when it first starts .. but as dino grows it looks like your kids snot .. slimy, bubbles and even has stringers that will float in the water (kinda like ocean kelp).

10/27/2008, 09:09 AM	#5
swbeginner Moved On Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 227	I'll get a more up to date and clearer pic. It will take a while though...

10/27/2008, 09:22 AM	#6
swbeginner Moved On Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 227	If you will notice. I have 3 powerheads and the return is being used to provide flow over the sand, look for the abs pipe.

10/27/2008, 10:58 AM	#7
swbeginner Moved On Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 227	Update...I put some cheato and some phosguard in the overflow. We'll see if that helps. After that and a large water change next week, we should start to see some progress.

10/27/2008, 11:25 AM	#9
kevin2000 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 3,805	Lots of posts on cyano and with a bit of searching you should find threads with good pics of cyano and maybe dino.