Ohio Reef

Reef Discussion => Pests, Nudsiance Algae and Prevention => Topic started by: SweetReefOH on June 05, 2018, 15:42:00

Title: Algae or Cyano?
Post by: SweetReefOH on June 05, 2018, 15:42:00
I am thinking this long slimy stuff is cyano. It just does not appear red to me.  But, that could be the lights. What do you guys think? My NO3 has been under 5 for a week and the PO4 is .06.
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180605/dd9e4ee7010a7ebcec1872bacb5e795a.jpg)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180605/1ff055b0fb09397190ed00685e7b6c5e.jpg)
Title: Re: Algae or Cyano?
Post by: lazylivin on June 05, 2018, 17:19:47
That is dinoflagellates
Title: Re: Algae or Cyano?
Post by: SweetReefOH on June 05, 2018, 17:56:47
Quote from: Lazylivin on June 05, 2018, 17:19:47
That is dinoflagellates
Oh boy. So the chemi-clean won’t work?
Title: Re: Algae or Cyano?
Post by: lazylivin on June 05, 2018, 18:45:10
Unfortunately not. Dino’s are tricky. To much or not enough nutrients they come out. They are always present in every tank but only when conditions are right do we see them. They love new surface area. For example: new or just cleaned glass/acrylic, cleaned or new pump, cleaned or new frag rack, new sand or dry rock. Even newly exposed Skelton on a sps/lps where it recently lost tissue. Sometimes as the biofilm covers the new surface the dinoflagellates will go away. However if it’s caused by too low or too high nutrients they can get out of hand. Hydrogen peroxide works for some types of Dino’s. Dino x works for another type. There are many types. I commonly see it in my system. It is nasty and when it comes out my corals don’t like it. Yours looks to be on the verge of a more serious out break. Start with nitrate and phosphate testing and possibly a 1ml h2o2 per 10g tank water night and day. If that doesn’t work there are other options but this would be first step
Title: Re: Algae or Cyano?
Post by: SweetReefOH on June 05, 2018, 20:07:44
Quote from: Lazylivin on June 05, 2018, 18:45:10
Unfortunately not. Dino’s are tricky. To much or not enough nutrients they come out. They are always present in every tank but only when conditions are right do we see them. They love new surface area. For example: new or just cleaned glass/acrylic, cleaned or new pump, cleaned or new frag rack, new sand or dry rock. Even newly exposed Skelton on a sps/lps where it recently lost tissue. Sometimes as the biofilm covers the new surface the dinoflagellates will go away. However if it’s caused by too low or too high nutrients they can get out of hand. Hydrogen peroxide works for some types of Dino’s. Dino x works for another type. There are many types. I commonly see it in my system. It is nasty and when it comes out my corals don’t like it. Yours looks to be on the verge of a more serious out break. Start with nitrate and phosphate testing and possibly a 1ml h2o2 per 10g tank water night and day. If that doesn’t work there are other options but this would be first step
Nothing comes easily for me in this hobby. This is my new 40B system. I thought starting off with new/clean everything would breed success.

Thanks for the write up Brian. NO3 has been 5-10 for the last week and PO4 just tested at .06. What range should I be targeting and should I remove all macro from the fuge? Also, should I lower the light cycle for the fuge? I have it on 11hrs with a “daylight” LED bulb.
Title: Re: Algae or Cyano?
Post by: CoralBeauties on June 05, 2018, 20:15:49
I have a newbie buddy that had it in his tank and treated with peroxide and wiped it out in a week or so. He uses it now as a maintenance dosage.
Jeff
Title: Re: Algae or Cyano?
Post by: lazylivin on June 05, 2018, 22:32:38
Nitrate and phosphate look good. This is your new system? Reducing light in display to 4-6 hours can help. Peroxide dosing can also help depending on type of Dino. If that doesn’t work go for Dino X next. Don’t do any water changes except what you have to put back from siphoning it out. New saltwater has lots of nutrients
Title: Re: Algae or Cyano?
Post by: SweetReefOH on June 06, 2018, 16:43:11
Quote from: Lazylivin on June 05, 2018, 22:32:38
Nitrate and phosphate look good. This is your new system? Reducing light in display to 4-6 hours can help. Peroxide dosing can also help depending on type of Dino. If that doesn’t work go for Dino X next. Don’t do any water changes except what you have to put back from siphoning it out. New saltwater has lots of nutrients
Yes Brian, it’s the new build. Unfortunately, I dosed the Chemi-Clean because I was sure it was Cyano in the fuge area of the sump. So I’ll have to wait the 48 hours and do the 20% WC before I can start working on the peroxide dosing for Dino’s. Is this standard household peroxide?

What do I do with the lighting in the fuge? 4-6 hours there as well?
Title: Re: Algae or Cyano?
Post by: lazylivin on June 06, 2018, 22:20:10
Yes standard household peroxide. If your running cheato then 6hrs is enough until you get Dino’s under control. Not sure about other macro algae’s
Title: Re: Algae or Cyano?
Post by: SweetReefOH on June 07, 2018, 07:34:20
Quote from: Lazylivin on June 06, 2018, 22:20:10
Yes standard household peroxide. If your running cheato then 6hrs is enough until you get Dino’s under control. Not sure about other macro algae’s
As always Brian, you are a wealth of knowledge and experience and I thank you for your help!

I’ll post progress when I start dosing peroxide. Right now I’ve limited the white LED’s to 3 hours and blue to 6. Changed sump light to 5 hrs.
Title: Re: Algae or Cyano?
Post by: lazylivin on June 07, 2018, 12:13:54
Thanks, good luck
Title: Re: Algae or Cyano?
Post by: SweetReefOH on June 07, 2018, 19:56:05
Brian, how many days do I do the morning and night peroxide dosing?
Title: Re: Algae or Cyano?
Post by: SweetReefOH on June 15, 2018, 16:49:52
I dosed the 1mL/10g peroxide recipe. However, I did it for 5 days instead of 3 because I was not seeing much progress. 6 days in and I have my lights back to normal and no ill effects to the tank.

Thank you for the guidance Brian!
Title: Re: Algae or Cyano?
Post by: lazylivin on June 15, 2018, 17:40:43
It did work or did not work?
The intial 3 days was for a test. If after 3 days their is no progress then it won't be effective. h202 only works for some species of dinos. If their is progress even small then it usually will work and can continue to next step. Day 4 and beyond it is recommend to change from dosing once daily to twice until gone.
Title: Re: Algae or Cyano?
Post by: SweetReefOH on June 15, 2018, 19:04:45
Quote from: Lazylivin on June 15, 2018, 17:40:43
It did work or did not work?
The intial 3 days was for a test. If after 3 days their is no progress then it won't be effective. h202 only works for some species of dinos. If their is progress even small then it usually will work and can continue to next step. Day 4 and beyond it is recommend to change from dosing once daily to twice until gone.
Oh it worked great. I started out dosing morning and night. I couldn’t tell much of a difference up to day 3. After the fourth day I really noticed a difference so I dosed one more days worth and then stopped. Tank is totally clear!
Title: Re: Algae or Cyano?
Post by: lazylivin on June 16, 2018, 00:24:52
Okay that is great to hear. It doesn’t always work. You were lucky. I had some a couple weeks ago and dosed for a few days.  My Zoa’s did not like it but they bounced back.
Title: Re: Algae or Cyano?
Post by: SweetReefOH on June 16, 2018, 21:43:51
Aren’t I deserving of a little luck? Lol. It’s about time I got away easy for once. I did lose a couple frags during the dosing but those frags were already in bad shape/stressed prior to the Dino’s. Nothing else seemed to be bothered by the peroxide. Again, I thank you for the guidance.
Quote from: Lazylivin on June 16, 2018, 00:24:52
Okay that is great to hear. It doesn’t always work. You were lucky. I had some a couple weeks ago and dosed for a few days.  My Zoa’s did not like it but they bounced back.
Title: Re: Algae or Cyano?
Post by: lazylivin on June 16, 2018, 22:57:01
Yes you were defintley due some luck. GlAd it worked out