Dinoflagellates or Calorthrix

[Jhoss1511]

Need some help identifying this new algae or cyano growth In my tank. Also any advice on how to kill it. Since I last posted I have been during water changes correctly by mixing salt a day before and heating it and running a power head. Also under 5ppm Nitrate and 0 Phosphate reading, not sure how this is starting to grow. Have pictures to attach just not sure how to attach them. Thanks for any help.

Jason

 

[eric b 125]

We will need a photo to give you a general ID. Water changes will feed dinoflagellates, fyi. More info about your tank will help as well: how long has it been set up? Do you use RODI? What kind of lights?

 

[flower]

Hi, welcome to the site!

You have a false negative phosphate reading, the algae is using it to grow. Cyanobacteria is a purplish red or brown, it grows looking like a carpet...if you fan it with your hand it will lift up in one piece. Then there are lots of different macroalgae, some are invasive, such as hair algae. Dinoflagellates are little bubbles of goo, that are usually attached to hair algae making it look stringy.

No matter what it is...you have phosphates, and if the water that you use for mixing is not good quality...such as tap water, then water changes won't help much.
Some other causes:

• Too much natural sunlight hitting the tank
• Overfeeding
• Poor water quality (tap water)

 

[Jhoss1511]

I currently use tap water and run phosgaurd in my filter. tap water out of tab is pretty good from a phosphate level. Don't know about the TDS reading. Tank is 5 months old so still young. I do have access to RO water (way less convenient but I will start using it now) no natural sunlight, in a completely dark room. Lights I use are current marine orbit leds. Also every time I try to post pics it says error file to big. Amy suggestions.

 

[eric b 125]

I use Photobucket to post pics for the same reason you are having trouble.

Tap water could definitely be feeding your issue. There's a lot of bad stuff in tap water, not just the things that we test for. It could also be a result of having a new tank. Sometimes these things take longer in some tanks.

I just started fighting against hair algae and dinoflagellates in my 3 month old 200 gallon...it ain't fun, that's for sure. Try and post some pics, eh?

 

[Jhoss1511]

http://s1371.photobucket.com/user/Jhoss15/slideshow/Mobile Uploads

I think I uploaded these pics right. If this is dino. Which I'm about 90%sure they r.. (hope I'm wrong) how do I beat them.. I do have some sps,corals frogspawn, duncan, galaxy, star poylp, hammer, different mushrooms and then some zioanthids. Also a tourch that is now dying..

 

[jorge garrido]

I would do a three day no lights and blocking the whole tank with card board letting no light penetrate the tank and after feed very small portions and test your water parameters and see your readings for phosphate and nitrate

 

[Jhoss1511]

Jorge-
Thanks I will start that, will my corals be ok? Also should I use H202 (Hydrogen peroxide) as well, like most people I have read about have used? one last note I have a phosphate text kit and tested my tap water got a 0 reading straight out of the tap, is that possible? the test kit is new probably used 6 times or less. Could it be the test kit?

Jason

 

[jorge garrido]

yeah corals should be okay and fish too, if they can survive shipping from long distances they will be okay with the no lights for 3 days I have never used Hydrogen peroxide so would not know.. I also use tap water for my reef tank have been for 2 years the only thing I have to look out for is nitrate, my phosphate is also 0 but will grow if you don't do any water change and that's when you'll have algea growing I do water change every week 10Gal on my 185 gal tank .. I have mostly LPS and Soft corals and clams so they are fine I only have a montipora that's doing fine but not great.

 

[Jhoss1511]

Jorge-
Thanks for the input, do you think from the pics that it is dino?

 

[jorge garrido]

im at work so photobucket is blocked for me. the way I put pics is have google chrome upload all my pics to chrome hit the right side of the mouse from the pic you uploaded and go to properties and copy the whole URL and hit the image tab on this site and paste the URL and WALA

 

[silverado61]

Try setting your orbit for coral acclimation mode at the shortest time setting. Less light and a shorter duration. I think its mode #2

 

[Jhoss1511]

Thanks, ya I just did the custom mode put lights on a 9hr shift. But I may black the whole thing out. Anyone have any idea if this is dino or something else?

 

[kopczynski]

I have those lights on my 60 gallon reef and i had to turn down the max brightness because i was getting algae and it was to much light for my meat coral.

 

[silverado61]

That's also why I suggested the coral acclimation mode. They run at 60%