Can anyone identify this algea?

T

the_OG

New member
Hi,

At first I thought the reddish brown stuff was diatoms but now it's evolving into something else. I'm afraid it might be dinoflagellates and would appreciate someone with more experience identifying these.

I'm hoping this picture is ok. It's about as good as I can do with my phone. I can break out the macro lens and tripod if needed.

bBjKsH


TIA,
Alex
 

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Based on that picture alone I would say Dinos. Those bubbles on the top side is what makes me think it's Dinos. When I had them it look very similar to what you have except my bubbles were smaller.
Get a sample under an inexpensive children's microscope with 40X - 100X magnification for a positive ID. Compare to these on this site
http://www.algaeid.com/identification/
 
Just when I ran out of stuff to spend my money on in this hobby, I get to buy a microscope!

Seriously, thank you for your help! I picked up one of these https://goo.gl/eQ0CU6 so I'll hopefully know by tomorrow. Should come in handy for coral inspection and my other hobbies too.
 
Please Identify this Stain

Please Identify this Stain

Hi RC

Would someone that knows please help me and identify this purple stain on my sand? The blue hue softens the pink but it is more like a true lavender.
Thanks.
pppppp.jpg
 
Hey buddy! Get your own thread ;)

Here's another shot with a macro lens. Unfortunately it's not the sharpest. Due to the miserly file size limitations it's a high-res crop of a small area but will hopefully show enough detail.

Thanks again.

Alex
 

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Here are some better pics.
 

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Here's a few more pics.

So do you guys think these are dinos? I haven't done anything yet because some say NOT to do WC for dinos but my nitrates are going up and up. If these aren't dinos then the nitrates are just fuel on the fire.

Thx
A
 

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In some pics looks like Dinos some it looks like Cyano.
I think if you want a positive ID you will have to put it under a microscope.
 
Hey OG - some specs about your tank, filtration, RO/DI (?) tank age, etc. might help. Looks like dinos to me as well - which can resolve themselves as your tank matures (assuming your tank is new?), though they can be unsightly. From your mention of nitrates increasing because you haven't done water changes - are water changes your primary method for controlling water parameters? Again, some specs on the rest of your tank will help. Depending on the scale of the problem with dinos, they can release toxins into the water, so running some carbon might be a good idea, increase water flow, and get your nutrients under control. People have mixed success with the 3-day blackout mentioned. Siphoning will help, but they will just return if other things remain out of whack...
 
The brown pics look like dinos, the purple pics look like cyano, the stringier ones look like spirulina, and the schnozberries taste like schnozberries :)

Personally, I'd work your way up from least to most drastic remedies. So: tailor your flow to prevent dead spots, and clean the tank of detritus; then, turn off the lights for three days and skim wet (don't go crazy wrapping the tank with blankets etc, but make sure there's no sun hitting it through a window); then maybe muck around with hydrogen peroxide; then try wrapping the tank up in blankets or buying some Boyd's chemiclean. If you do each in relatively that order, according to the available instructions, you'll kill all but the toughest pests and probably not bother the rest of the tank too much, as long as you give a week or two between to recover and keep the water clean with changes or carbon. Anything that survives all that... a fierce opponent indeed. If one or the other method seems to help, do it a few times before moving on to the next.
 
Thanks guys!

I received my microscope today. I'm just waiting on slides and stain that'll hopefully be here tomorrow. From what I've seen using a CD case as a slide, it could be Amphidinium. Attached is a 400x snapshot. Ignore the crystalline structures. Those are just scratches in my "slide"

The 30G tank was set up in May. Left to cycle for two months before adding anything to it and then stocked slowly. Using RO/DI with a new filter (< 100G through it) that's testing at 0 TDS. Running an internal skimmer, carbon reactor with GFO & GAC, a HOB filter for mechanical filtration and a sponge filter that I keep seeded in case I have to QT. Two Koralia nanos at 425gph each and another 500gph cheapie for surface agitation plus the MJ1200 that's feeding the reactor. Approximately 25 lbs of Pukani, 20lbs of CaribSea fiji pink, 10 lbs of aragonite. The aragonite was just added so silicates might be an issue? It's a wonder any fish even fit in the tank ;)

Temp: 79.6
Salinitiy: 1.025
pH: 8.23
dKH: 8.2
Ammonia: 0
Nitrites: 0
Nitrates: 20-ish (API test isn't that great, should be getting a NYOS shortly as well as PO4 test kit)

My regular WC is 5 gallons (approx 20%) every 5-7 days and I'm using Instant Ocean.

Unless I can positively ID something, I will definitely take the advice to do the least intrusive stuff first and moving my way up.

I just wasn't sure whether to disturb the stuff before I knew what it was. If it is toxic, I'd rather move at least the fish to another tank. I also have a cat that is glued to that tank 24/7.

The current plan of action is to do a WC tomorrow to reduce the nitrates and then siphon everything I can through a 20 micron filter. Putting a powerhead right through the center rocks' gully that seems to be a dead spot right now. Saturday I'll change out the carbon (which is only a couple of days old). If it's resilient, I'll start a blackout.

I also realize that my nitrates are high and I'm probably doing something wrong like overfeeding. I don't think it's overstocked with 2x clowns, 2x Banggai and 1x royal gramma. All juveniles. Everyone is alive and accounted for so I don't think that's the cause. The media in the HOB filter gets removed every couple of days, nuked and rinsed so it doesn't become biological. With my water change schedule, I don't think those levels should be so high though.

Thanks again for the help.

-A
 

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My bad. You're absolutely right, I had the wrong eyepiece and it was actually 160x.

They are the size of and swim like Amphidinium but that hooked mouth opening is throwing me off.

Here they are swimming around: https://youtu.be/7gNk0SzyKWM
 

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Can't thank you enough! I've been looking everywhere and wasn't able to find it. It definitely looks like a match to me. I actually e-mailed Dr. Mendez to help identify it. Hopefully he'll have some insight on toxicity and handling.

I'm going to go through a few more slides and see what else I can find in there. Then I'm going to culture a few samples and see what they don't like, starting with pH elevation.

You can actually buy this stuff off the shelf http://www.algalresourcescollection.com/amphidinium-cf-massartii . You know, in case you don't have any dinos and want some.
 
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