Insane algae driving me mad :(

Necsones · 09/28/2009, 06:08 PM

well, been battling this for some time now, pretty sure its the dreaded Dino. My whole back glass was covered in coraline algae this stuff killed it off. AlgaeFix marine cut it back some but wont go any further. Just want to make sure thats what it is here is some pics, let me know if anyone can pinpoint it to be Dino's.

Larah · 09/28/2009, 06:24 PM

Looks like Cyano and hair algea to me. Try chemi clean then do a LARGE water change. keep your Magnesium and Calcium levels up and you should see an improvement.

Necsones · 09/28/2009, 06:41 PM

thats what i thought too that it was Hair alage, but all my snails died but 2 and hermits are still alive. So thats were i think its dino's. i read if snails eat some strians of that stuff it can kill them.

Larah · 09/28/2009, 07:30 PM

That's possible, but less likely. It's entirely possible that your snails died from something else entirely. Snails don't typically eat hair alegea or cyano bacteria. And Dinoflagellates won't kill them, taht I know of. You could have copper in your water, your temp could be too high there could be a multitude of reasons for your snails to die.
I would go withe the hair algea, cyano bacertia diagnosis. Hopefully someone with more knowledge will chime in here shortly! :-)

Sisterlimonpot · 09/28/2009, 07:46 PM

I definitely see hair algae, and if you have cyano I would try other remedies before treating with antibiotics. Your snails might have been killed by your hermits. As for the cyano, what type of lights do you have? And what about water flow? And the HA, what are your P04 and N03 readings?

Fretfreak13 · 09/28/2009, 08:01 PM

I read somewhere that Halloween Hermits will eat cyno, but it's a gamble.

Larah · 09/28/2009, 08:02 PM

Chemi clean isn't an anti biotic... Just an FYI :-)
and I agree with the above!

Toddrtrex · 09/28/2009, 08:57 PM

What are your parameter?

What size tank and what all do you have in it -- bio-load wise.

Are you using RO/DI water? If yes, what is the TDS?

Need to find the root cause of this --- excess nutrients --- solve that and it will go away in time.

Larah · 09/28/2009, 09:13 PM

I agree, though I would still do something drastic to bring it dwon right flippin' now (Chemi Clean) and as a parallel course of action do what Todd said.
Your total TDS should be zilch if you're using RO/DI..
Even with just RO you should be fine... Especially if you're using city water. There are paramenters set for public water and the RO would take out anything that would cause
this much growth.
What are you using for lighting? Water flow etc? How often are you doing water changes? What percentage of the water are you changing?
I would say you need to change 25% to 30% every other week, but first do a BIG water
change after using the Chemi clean. Follow the directions and try to remove every bit of the nuisance algea that you can......
That's my .02........

Been_There8 · 09/28/2009, 10:00 PM

The hair algae you can peel off, its what i did and worked well.

DSMchad · 09/28/2009, 11:53 PM

Looks like the dinos in my tank in the one pic.. all the bubbles.
has me ready to give up.

Necsones · 09/29/2009, 12:14 AM

i have a 55, flow im using 2 K3's. running 4 T5 lights few months old. Have 5 fish, yellow tang, rusty angle, chromie, clown fish, sixline and a royal gamma. I have a sump/fuge. Octpus extreme 160, Phosphate reactor. Im leaning towards Dino's. Can air bubbles get cuaght in hair algae?

Parameters:
Salinity - 1.025
PH - 8.3
Alk - 9
Ammoina - 0
Nitrate - reading 0 but algae prolly eating it up
Nitrite - 0
Cal - 400
Mag - 1200

Have RO/DI for water changes and top off TDS reads 001 - 002

Necsones · 09/29/2009, 12:19 AM

could it possibly be my salt mix? it really started shortly after switching from reg. instant ocean to reef crystals. maybe to much nutrients in reef crystals for whats in my tank to export?

jjk_reef00 · 09/29/2009, 12:28 AM

A lot of people use reef crystals. I don't think that is the reason.
What phosphate media do you use and how often do you change it.
Since I switched to BRS high capacity GFO my tank is clearing up nicely. Make sure the flow through the GFO is not to much. And I change mine every month.
Do you have a fuge? They help a lot for exporting nutrients.

Necsones · 09/29/2009, 12:35 AM

have a fuge, and also using BRS GFO also changed out once a month, b4 that i was using Rowaphos.

lordofthereef · 09/29/2009, 12:39 AM

Can you just leave it in complete darkness for a while? Doesn't look like you have any corals to speak of?

MrBunny · 09/29/2009, 01:32 AM

I think hair algae does get bubbles in it when it starts dieing off.

09/28/2009, 07:46 PM	#5
Sisterlimonpot R.C. Fraternity President Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Litchfeild Park AZ Posts: 11,490 Blog Entries: 2	I definitely see hair algae, and if you have cyano I would try other remedies before treating with antibiotics. Your snails might have been killed by your hermits. As for the cyano, what type of lights do you have? And what about water flow? And the HA, what are your P04 and N03 readings? __________________ Jimmy MASVC President Dishes are done man! Current Tank Info: 300 in progress

09/28/2009, 08:57 PM	#8
Toddrtrex Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Carol Stream, IL Posts: 23,162	What are your parameter? What size tank and what all do you have in it -- bio-load wise. Are you using RO/DI water? If yes, what is the TDS? Need to find the root cause of this --- excess nutrients --- solve that and it will go away in time. __________________ Click my name and then "visit toddrtrex's homepage" for tank pictures Current Tank Info: 210g reef and 65g reef

09/28/2009, 06:24 PM	#2
Larah Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Portland, Oregon USA Posts: 1,932	Looks like Cyano and hair algea to me. Try chemi clean then do a LARGE water change. keep your Magnesium and Calcium levels up and you should see an improvement.

09/28/2009, 06:41 PM	#3
Necsones Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Yonkers, NY Posts: 122	thats what i thought too that it was Hair alage, but all my snails died but 2 and hermits are still alive. So thats were i think its dino's. i read if snails eat some strians of that stuff it can kill them.

09/28/2009, 07:30 PM	#4
Larah Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Portland, Oregon USA Posts: 1,932	That's possible, but less likely. It's entirely possible that your snails died from something else entirely. Snails don't typically eat hair alegea or cyano bacteria. And Dinoflagellates won't kill them, taht I know of. You could have copper in your water, your temp could be too high there could be a multitude of reasons for your snails to die. I would go withe the hair algea, cyano bacertia diagnosis. Hopefully someone with more knowledge will chime in here shortly! :-)

09/28/2009, 08:01 PM	#6
Fretfreak13 I am not a boy! Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 1,114	I read somewhere that Halloween Hermits will eat cyno, but it's a gamble.

09/28/2009, 08:02 PM	#7
Larah Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Portland, Oregon USA Posts: 1,932	Chemi clean isn't an anti biotic... Just an FYI :-) and I agree with the above!

09/28/2009, 09:13 PM	#9
Larah Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Portland, Oregon USA Posts: 1,932	I agree, though I would still do something drastic to bring it dwon right flippin' now (Chemi Clean) and as a parallel course of action do what Todd said. Your total TDS should be zilch if you're using RO/DI.. Even with just RO you should be fine... Especially if you're using city water. There are paramenters set for public water and the RO would take out anything that would cause this much growth. What are you using for lighting? Water flow etc? How often are you doing water changes? What percentage of the water are you changing? I would say you need to change 25% to 30% every other week, but first do a BIG water change after using the Chemi clean. Follow the directions and try to remove every bit of the nuisance algea that you can...... That's my .02........

09/28/2009, 10:00 PM	#10
Been_There8 Registered Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 406	The hair algae you can peel off, its what i did and worked well.

09/28/2009, 11:53 PM	#11
DSMchad Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: NE Ohio Posts: 109	Looks like the dinos in my tank in the one pic.. all the bubbles. has me ready to give up.

09/29/2009, 12:14 AM	#12
Necsones Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Yonkers, NY Posts: 122	i have a 55, flow im using 2 K3's. running 4 T5 lights few months old. Have 5 fish, yellow tang, rusty angle, chromie, clown fish, sixline and a royal gamma. I have a sump/fuge. Octpus extreme 160, Phosphate reactor. Im leaning towards Dino's. Can air bubbles get cuaght in hair algae? Parameters: Salinity - 1.025 PH - 8.3 Alk - 9 Ammoina - 0 Nitrate - reading 0 but algae prolly eating it up Nitrite - 0 Cal - 400 Mag - 1200 Have RO/DI for water changes and top off TDS reads 001 - 002

09/29/2009, 12:19 AM	#13
Necsones Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Yonkers, NY Posts: 122	could it possibly be my salt mix? it really started shortly after switching from reg. instant ocean to reef crystals. maybe to much nutrients in reef crystals for whats in my tank to export?

09/29/2009, 12:28 AM	#14
jjk_reef00 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Tucson, AZ Posts: 3,476	A lot of people use reef crystals. I don't think that is the reason. What phosphate media do you use and how often do you change it. Since I switched to BRS high capacity GFO my tank is clearing up nicely. Make sure the flow through the GFO is not to much. And I change mine every month. Do you have a fuge? They help a lot for exporting nutrients.

09/29/2009, 12:35 AM	#15
Necsones Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Yonkers, NY Posts: 122	have a fuge, and also using BRS GFO also changed out once a month, b4 that i was using Rowaphos.

09/29/2009, 12:39 AM	#16
lordofthereef One reef to rule them all Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Leominster, MA Posts: 5,299	Can you just leave it in complete darkness for a while? Doesn't look like you have any corals to speak of?

09/29/2009, 01:32 AM	#17
MrBunny Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Tempe, Arizona Posts: 240	I think hair algae does get bubbles in it when it starts dieing off.