Can anyone tell me what this hair - like stuff

[Moser]

Hang on!

You're using Zeovit?!
The uv will kill off your zeobac and Zeovit won't work properly.

Your corals look starved, a bit like you're running too many stones, or your flow through the reactor is too high?

Sponge Power- if overdosed may cause all of the algae/ cyano issues that you see.

They don't look like Dino's to me!

So you really need to examine how you are using Zeovit and what dosing levels compared to system/ coral volume. Water parameters etc. Don't just jump on "its Dino's" without checking basics first!

Just my opinion!
Mo

 

[machodik]

Can anyone tell me what this hair - like stuff

Oh Moser , my Moses !

Good you come in. Yes , I am using zeovit.

May be you got the point there over the reactor running bit higher flow as I am using a DIY zeovit reactor make out from my JNS nr1 denitrator with a mess bag serve as my inner chamber and a string holding it (I don't use usual acrylic inner chamber for my reactor due to easy changes of zeolites due to heigh issue under my tank cabinet ). May be the flow is too fast inside the reactor with its Sicce 2.0 pump control by a DIY ball valve gauge .

Why my coral will starved or what will be the issue if fast flow in the reactor ?

With my total water volume of 420 liters:
I dose 0.80 ml of start 3 every day , while I dose 4 drop each for sponge power and Zeobak (every each other day ).

Water parameter;
KH -7.60 (Salifert )
Ca - 450 (Salifert )
Mg - 1320 (Salifert )
No3- 0.20 (Salifert )
Po4- 0.04 (Hanna )

Honestly speaking I really don't know if it is Dino , cyano or just mucus excretion of corals attached with some algae.

Not much strands indeed.

Cheers,

MD

 

[Moser]

One of the biggest zeo mistakes is too much flow through the reactor.

It strips ammonia and nitrate out of the system so fast that it shocks the corals.

They go into shutdown, so can't feed on the amino/ sponge power. What most do when they see the pale corals/ thin tissue is feed more amino or sponge power.

The problem is that if corals can't take it up due to shut down, algae starts growing and using it. The sponge power seems to fuel an algae that looks like Dino's, so most usually think it is Dino's.

I would suggest you measure how much water flow is coming out of your reactor.
And work out the flow l/ min.

Then either stop the reactor or at least halve the flow, so it is well within recommended flow. Your corals need to recover.

The simplest approach would be to stop zeovit for a few weeks.
Or use just a low dose of bacteria/ carbon source.

Stop sponge power. Feed your tank with normal food and just let it slowly recover. Monitor your nutrient levels. If your phosphate starts rising, use Aquaforest phos minus for gentle phosphate reduction.

When your tank strikes a nice balance, your "Dino's" should burn out.

You can then think about whether to restart Zeovit or not. There are other more gentle methods that can achieve the same results.

Mo

 

[machodik]

Can anyone tell me what this hair - like stuff

Thanks for your guidelines and advise .
I lower the flow and measure it is now running at 300 liters per hour. I think last time it should be around 400 liters per hour. I have limitation to further lower the flow in the reactor as then there will be too much bubbles flow of out due to the height of the outlet of the reactor :

https://vimeo.com/152268996

As you can see the water level in the reactor if further reduce will almost pumping so much air then:

The extended hose of the reactor's outlet :

https://vimeo.com/152269134

I wonder if those bubbles will affect the bacteria or not coming out from the reactor .

I will reduce to half the dosing of the sponge or make it every gap of 2 days for one dosing (4 drops).

I just started with zeovit and I am going to change my zeolites 2/3 as required after 2 months , in fact I am now 2 months and 2 weeks but have not change the stones yet , will this affect some thing ?

Cheers,


MD

 

[karimwassef]

Dinos tend to take over when nutrient levels fall where normal algae can't grow. ULNS, carbon over-dosed and starved ecosystems can suffer from them - there's no explanation for why some don't and others are prone. One theory is an association with particular strains of bacteria. The Dino thread someone inked above has more.

It's always good to treat the cause instead of the symptom, but it may be both. If the reactor adjustment fixes it, I suggest posting your experience in that thread.

 

[machodik]

Thanks Karim,

I wonder my tank glass and walls easily fill up with algae that I have to scrapped every 3 days or so. I wonder if this algae growth due to nutrients In my system is not that low as shown in my test kits?

I already reduce the flow rate of my zeolites reactor and I will reduce the dosing of my sponge power , if this will reverse the situation for sure I will share with everyone on this experience by then.

 

[karimwassef]

Is it green algae or brown filmy bubbly algae that starts with a dusting and then connects? Does it persist at night or disperse and then show up again with the light?

 

[machodik]

It's just like normally we have in the glass thin film green algae but also has the brown color .

I wonder how often you guys has to scrap your glass wall?

Mine I have to do every 2 to 3 days .i will check after I finished this lights out for 3 days , but as of now I think they are not much seen on the glass.

 

[Moser]

They aren't Dino's.

You aren't using your zeovit stones in a proper reactor, so the flow is likely to be wrong.

Most of the corals you posted pictures of look dead. Dead corals release nutrient laden tissue and their skeletons often end up covered in cyano until the nutrient load has gone.

You need to either follow zeovit properly or just stop it for a while and maybe use gfo and gac for a while.

Dino's are over diagnosed in my opinion and the measures taken to combat them once diagnosed are drastic- it's the imposed measures that wipe out tanks.

I believe incorrect utilisation of Zeovit is your problem and I'm surprised nobody even mentioned it.

If you are going to do a lights out and reduce Zeovit, you will be doing too much to your system and you corals won't survive...

Mo

 

[karimwassef]

I agree. if it's a green film, it's not dinos

 

[machodik]

Thanks Moser and Karim,

So much appreciated for both of you to follow and try to give me best advise.

I am still in the learning curve and really need someone to guide me all the way to I able to be success in at least let SPS survive in this tank.

Actually my corals in the photos still have distinct PE at least for both red and green digi while the other one are still find except I can see some tiny strands of hair attached and flowing on one end.

I have turn on my lights again after reading your post and I still have not reduce my dosing volume of zeovit yet . I will continue the dosing and let my reactor run at 300 liters / hours flow .

I believed it is not an actual zeovit reactor but the concept should also be the same only I use mess bag to hold the zeolites stones instead of a solid acrylic . I have seen some with solid acrylic inner chamber where in they hardly move the stones or agitate it due to water pressure around it.

Perhaps I hope some zeovit user like you can also give me an idea how you agitate your reactors or may be enlightened me to just buy a new reactors since the price is not an issue for me.

Cheers,

MD

 

[Moser]

Hi

I don't use Zeovit, but I know that the flow through the stones is critical and if you hang a few stones in a phosphate reactor, you have no idea if the flow is going through or around the stones, so it is difficult to calculate the flow through the stones.

The algae related to sponge power is brown, greasy and hairy. Many mistake it for Dino's. I believe it is silicate related, but don't know what nutrient source is in Sponge power.

If you don't go back to basics, it will take a long time for you to fix this.

I would personally stop Zeovit for now, let the tank stabilise and you can then restart Zeovit if you wish, with a proper zeolite reactor.

Mo

 

[machodik]

Can anyone tell me what this hair - like stuff

Thanks for the advise and guidelines.

After return from few days the lights out , so far corals are just doing fine;

Below is my red and green digi , although not so nice look but have PE ;

Although due to light and turns out dark but I can see some distinct PE and some white tip:?