Brown stringy stuff in new tank

[Bent]

Looks like I spoke too soon. I see a little bit of it near the same rock in the video/photos. Not nearly as much as last time but it's there. I also think i'm seeing a touch of cyano just above it. Looks slimy and is a red rust color. I've not used GarlicGuard in a few days so we'll see what a 25% WC and a gravel vac gets me this Friday. I also plan on getting a handful of Trochus and Ceriths this weekend so maybe they'll eat it.

What are your nitrate levels? I find this crap starts to proliferate the more build up in the sump I get. Plus filter socks seem to really help. It seems to get worse the longer I go without socks and without taking the shop vac to the sump.

 

[StrangeDejavu]

What are your nitrate levels? I find this crap starts to proliferate the more build up in the sump I get. Plus filter socks seem to really help. It seems to get worse the longer I go without socks and without taking the shop vac to the sump.

Nitrates are probably 3ppm by now, I checked a few days ago and got 2.5ppm. I was due for a water change already but I threw my back out so I put it off. It is time to clean out the back chambers in my Biocube as well, i'll do that during my WC. I use the InTank Media Basket and change filter floss every 3 days, so that's the next best thing besides filter socks.

 

[Ron Reefman]

I mean, it could be and you may be right, and the vit C is contributing, but I'm not going to go down that path until I've exhausted the cyano treatments.

Interesting. I have a very small issue real cyano in the 65g shallow reef that shares a sump with the 25g frag tank with the tan, snotty stuff in that tank. And I don't add much, but I do add 1/2 a teaspoon of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) to my food that gets spread out over 4 tanks. So I'd say only 30% of it gets into the 65g & 25g system. The rest goes into a 180g & 75g DT system.

 

[Bent]

Interesting. I have a very small issue real cyano in the 65g shallow reef that shares a sump with the 25g frag tank with the tan, snotty stuff in that tank. And I don't add much, but I do add 1/2 a teaspoon of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) to my food that gets spread out over 4 tanks. So I'd say only 30% of it gets into the 65g & 25g system. The rest goes into a 180g & 75g DT system.

You know, they are saying these days that zooxanthelle is not a algae but is a dinoflagellate. With all our corals expelling and taking it up, it has to be present in the water column. So maybe the vit c is blooming it?

 

[StrangeDejavu]

Just did a 25% WC, scrubbed the rocks with a toothbrush, gravel vacced the sand thoroughly, cleaned out the back chambers, removed a sponge from chamber 3, added fresh ROX carbon and new filter floss. It started popping up on other areas of the rockscape, even without the addition of vitamin c or GarlicGuard. I found a small portion of microalgae appearing nearby, and a spot of cyano just above that. I'm not convinced this is Dinos, but I suppose this WC will confirm that for me. People that have it say it completely covers rockwork in 24 hours or less, especially after a WC. I'll keep you guys updated.

 

[davehead86]

I have this stuff too. Ive been managing it latley.
I know ive got too much protein and excess nutrients in the tank and am waiting for the new tank to get setup and cycled.

I think its dino's. I dont think its the extremely bad type of dinos but dinos none-the-less. I try and keep up on my WC and that doesnt seem to really help keep it away just keep it suppressed. Im hoping that the new tank with new substrate and a diamond goby will keep it down to a minimum. Scrubbing rocks is what keeps it off my rocks, and vacuuming my corals when it shows up there.

Thats not really a soultion, just some more anecdotal evidence for you.

 

[StrangeDejavu]

I have this stuff too. Ive been managing it latley.
I know ive got too much protein and excess nutrients in the tank and am waiting for the new tank to get setup and cycled.

I think its dino's. I dont think its the extremely bad type of dinos but dinos none-the-less. I try and keep up on my WC and that doesnt seem to really help keep it away just keep it suppressed. Im hoping that the new tank with new substrate and a diamond goby will keep it down to a minimum. Scrubbing rocks is what keeps it off my rocks, and vacuuming my corals when it shows up there.

Thats not really a soultion, just some more anecdotal evidence for you.

Yeah I was thinking it may be a nutrient thing too. I ordered a skimmer and some BRS GFO so we'll see if that improves things. I should have some Astraea, Cerith and Trochus snails soon, thinking about a single Nassarius too to stir up the sand.

 

[mattyg18]

Hey StrangeDejavu - I set up my BRS GFO Reactor about 4-5 days ago and I must say that its made a difference. Although I really think its a combination of the Reactor with the Snails, the stuff is clearing up along with a ton of other junk in the tank. I am also running a Protein Skimmer which is pulling out a lot of junk also. The skimmer has been running for a couple of weeks though so i'm not sure how much the skimmer has really helped out compared to the GFO Reactor and Snails.

I'm attaching some photos before and after of some of the "slimy stringy stuff" along with a pic of a rock(which had some reddish-brown diatoms).

If the photos load up the way they should then the first two pics should be the "slimy stringy stuff" before/after and the last two should be a rock before/after.

I loaded my Reactor up with 1 cup of the BRS GFO regular grade. They didn't have any of the high grade stuff in stock at the time.

I'm still new at this so only guessing based on what I see....but I think the snails really helped out a lot. They have been all over the place and eating this stuff non stop.

 

[StrangeDejavu]

Hey StrangeDejavu - I set up my BRS GFO Reactor about 4-5 days ago and I must say that its made a difference. Although I really think its a combination of the Reactor with the Snails, the stuff is clearing up along with a ton of other junk in the tank. I am also running a Protein Skimmer which is pulling out a lot of junk also. The skimmer has been running for a couple of weeks though so i'm not sure how much the skimmer has really helped out compared to the GFO Reactor and Snails.

I'm attaching some photos before and after of some of the "slimy stringy stuff" along with a pic of a rock(which had some reddish-brown diatoms).

If the photos load up the way they should then the first two pics should be the "slimy stringy stuff" before/after and the last two should be a rock before/after.

I loaded my Reactor up with 1 cup of the BRS GFO regular grade. They didn't have any of the high grade stuff in stock at the time.

I'm still new at this so only guessing based on what I see....but I think the snails really helped out a lot. They have been all over the place and eating this stuff non stop.

So you were seeing the same stuff that I have in my video? The pics are kind of small but it almost looks like diatoms from here. That's good that yours are clearing up, i'm hoping for similar results. I hear GFO does a great job at sucking up not just PO4, but silicates too which should help ease this diatom bloom as well as this green microalgae i'm starting to see.

 

[mattyg18]

The first two photos were the stringy stuff that you have and the last two were diatoms. The diatoms are clearing up much faster than the stringy stuff. I was thinking about putting more snails in but as long as the stringy stuff isn't increasing (which it doesn't appear to be) i'm going to leave the 5 i've got now so they don't run out of food. Sorry for the small pics. Also wanted to mention i'm using a cloth filter sock as opposed to the micro netted ones and I think thats helping a bunch.

 

[Ron Reefman]

You know, they are saying these days that zooxanthelle is not a algae but is a dinoflagellate. With all our corals expelling and taking it up, it has to be present in the water column. So maybe the vit c is blooming it?

Yeah, old habits die hard. Dinoflagellates used to be considered algae and now are a single cell form onto themselves.

I think like most forms of algae or bacteria, a range of criteria have to be in line to get growth. The right food, nitrates & phosphates or carbon, the right light wavelength, the right water temp, the right flow and an introduction from outside sources like a new coral frag, new fish, new live rock, etc. I think vitamin C will help bacteria grow. Some bacteria are good and some are bad.

Personally, never having had a dinoflagellate bloom before (seriously) I never really paid a lot of attention to it. But looking at sample online, it sure looks like what I have in my frag tank.

 

[StrangeDejavu]

24 hours after a 25% WC and I can't find a trace of it anywhere. We'll see what the next few days brings, but i'm hopeful. From what I understand of dinos, they should go crazy after a water change, right?

 

[Bent]

Yeah, old habits die hard. Dinoflagellates used to be considered algae and now are a single cell form onto themselves.

I think like most forms of algae or bacteria, a range of criteria have to be in line to get growth. The right food, nitrates & phosphates or carbon, the right light wavelength, the right water temp, the right flow and an introduction from outside sources like a new coral frag, new fish, new live rock, etc. I think vitamin C will help bacteria grow. Some bacteria are good and some are bad.

Personally, never having had a dinoflagellate bloom before (seriously) I never really paid a lot of attention to it. But looking at sample online, it sure looks like what I have in my frag tank.

That's interesting.

They are considering dinos a Protozoa now aren't they? That's what the lit leads me to believe at least.

 

[Bent]

24 hours after a 25% WC and I can't find a trace of it anywhere. We'll see what the next few days brings, but i'm hopeful. From what I understand of dinos, they should go crazy after a water change, right?

From what I've read the trace elements in the new water files them, so yes according to that info it should have made them worse.

That kind of bolsters my opinion that it's a form of stringy cyano or other bacteria.

It seems like my problems with it are directly related to the amount of crud in my system. The more I put off cleaning the sump and the longer I leave my socks on the shelf, the more I get.

 

[StrangeDejavu]

From what I've read the trace elements in the new water files them, so yes according to that info it should have made them worse.

That kind of bolsters my opinion that it's a form of stringy cyano or other bacteria.

It seems like my problems with it are directly related to the amount of crud in my system. The more I put off cleaning the sump and the longer I leave my socks on the shelf, the more I get.

I found a single, small strand a few minutes ago so it's not completely gone. I also just installed the BioCube skimmer, only $30 so I figured why not, can't hurt. If it's as bad as people say then i'll just save it for a hospital tank/QT.

 

[Bent]

I found a single, small strand a few minutes ago so it's not completely gone. I also just installed the BioCube skimmer, only $30 so I figured why not, can't hurt. If it's as bad as people say then i'll just save it for a hospital tank/QT.

I have noticed that the stuff doesn't seem to be very discriminate about where it anchors itself. it will get all over my toadstool and my nem and really peev them off.

I did do some through testing last night and noticed a couple of anomalies now that my infestation has seemed to die back.

my nitrates are now undetectable, which I think is a combination of 70 gallons of new saltwater, and vinegar dosing. However, the anomaly is with the po4. per my ulr tester im getting around 15-18 total phosphorous, So that's what .046-.055 po4? That's actually significantly higher than when I was having the bloom of this junk. When I was having a huge bloom my po4 levels were darn near undetectable. I was pulling total phosphorous numbers in the single digits, even zero at times. That also might just be reading low from...whatever it is...sucking it out of the water column. During that time I was also having a gigantic nitrate issue, getting nitrate readings that were just off the charts.

its just weird that now that the stuff is gone, im getting polar opposite readings.

 

[kgeig001]

Your tank is a month old, it goes through a lot of ugly stages after the initial cycle... I'd say it's some sort of bacteria. Just keep doing your regular water changes, don't over feed and be patient.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

 

[Bent]

Your tank is a month old, it goes through a lot of ugly stages after the initial cycle... I'd say it's some sort of bacteria. Just keep doing your regular water changes, don't over feed and be patient.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

This is true as well, though my tank is more than a month old and still having this issue, cyano does contribute to new tank "growing pains" and often just wears itself out.

 

[StrangeDejavu]

Just figured i'd bump this thread. It's been a month and it's still here. I discovered a thread that details how to identify Dinoflagellates without a microscope. He said to siphon out the slime into a bottle with a lid. Shake vigorously for 30 seconds then pour it through a coffee filter or paper towel. Cyanobacteria will mostly be filtered out, but what's left will remain at the bottom. Diatoms will pass through the filter but like cyano, will remain at the bottom. Dinos however, will quickly search each other out and begin reforming itself. I tested it twice, and within 10 minutes, I saw what I didn't want to see. It's not plague proportions like others have, but it is getting annoying. I'm curious to see if those of you with this same stuff also get the same results with the filter test.

 

[davehead86]

Mine has reduced lately.

Water changes, cut feedings in half, introduced emerald crab, scooped out the biggest clumps that were in the sand, change my HOB filters once a month.

Ive finally gotten ahead of it, and some bubble algae too.

Have you started running carbon and gfo in reactors? What changes have you made or methods have you been working on?