algae question

[barngeatbayman]

Tank is 9 weeks old.

parameters

ammonia 0
nitrite 0
nitrate 0
phosphate 0

all tested with Salifert tests. Tank has a cleanup crew and 1 Ocellaris

3 weeks ago when I kicked up my daybulbs it appeared I was getting hair algae, it has since died back signifcantly and now it look like I have "dust balls or cobwebs in my tank" is that the hair algae dieing out or something worse? BTW in my refugium I have a ball of Cheato. Tank also has 33x flow

 

[poppin_fresh]

A little hard to say at this point. A pic would be helpful, but if it is an algae, siphoning it out during a W/C could help. A new tank will go through all kinds of algae stages.

Are you using Ro/DI water?

 

[barngeatbayman]

yes
RO/DI all the way!!!!!!

 

[barngeatbayman]

any ideas?

 

[landlord]

What color are the dust balls / cobwebs? If they look brown I would venture to say that they are dinoflagellates. Do they have little bubbles at the end of the webs? Dino's.

At nine weeks it sounds about right. I typically see or hear reports with newer tanks an initial bloom of green hair algae followed later by dinoflagellates.

I would say if the green algae cleared up then keep doing what you are doing and the cobwebs (If they are what I think they are) will gradually subside as well.

FWIW --landlord

BTW - A pic of it would help.

 

[MarkD40]

Phosban reactor and a refugium with chaeto (and RO/DI) totally ended my battle with hair algae after years of frustration. I worry that my turbo snails find enough to eat.

 

[MarkD40]

BTW, phosphate is removed rapidly by the algae so that your phosphate may read zero but it is still being introduced via water changes (unless using RO/DI) and fish food. My phosphate always measured zero and I though that it could not be the cause of my algae problem. My hair algae started thinning noticeably just 2 weeks after adding a phosban reactor. As much money as I spend on my tank the $50 for the reactor was a no brainer.

 

[landlord]

I cannot agree more. Yeah sure the idea is to try and solve the problem at the source with things like Nitrates, Phosphates, etc. Some of us simply aren't at the point where the source can be found.

Buy the reactor!!! Skim wet! use a turkey baster!

FWIW --landlord

 

[barngeatbayman]

the dust balls are brownish. I dont think my camera has the resoution to pick them up clearly. I am only using RO/DI water testing at 0 TDS

 

[landlord]

Are the webs also brown in color? with bubbles attached to the ends? If so I would say dinoflagellates for sure.

 

[barngeatbayman]

some have bubbles most dont. The webs almost have a cottoney appearance to them if that makes sense. Brown near the root and a whiteish color on the ends