Cyanobacteria or Dinoflagelettes?
- Thread starter tekknoschtev
- Start date
tekknoschtev
New member
Actually, we had the fuge unlit for a period of 3 days. Then right back to normal.
tekknoschtev
New member
~30gallons. Its sectioned off in a 55gal tank we used for the fuge.
ostrow
It's Dr. Goodluck Himself
Update: my fuge looks 100% better. Slowly going to bring the lights back up. On 4 hrs or so today.
Display same: still some of that stringy stuff in the sand. Worried it will explode out of control but perhaps with the fuge more or less cleared, if the macros start growing fast that will keep things in check.
I'm going to expand my carbon "reactor" length to enable a larger quantity of carbon to run. It's just a tube of pvc capped with holes at one end and threads at the other to connect to a Mag 3.5, and foam at either end to prevent the carbon from escaping.
Display same: still some of that stringy stuff in the sand. Worried it will explode out of control but perhaps with the fuge more or less cleared, if the macros start growing fast that will keep things in check.
I'm going to expand my carbon "reactor" length to enable a larger quantity of carbon to run. It's just a tube of pvc capped with holes at one end and threads at the other to connect to a Mag 3.5, and foam at either end to prevent the carbon from escaping.
ostrow
It's Dr. Goodluck Himself
Display is still completely clear.
Not only that, but running a large amount of carbon has caused the nasty red/brown turfy crap that was covering my rock, that killed 2 lawnmower blennies, several emerald crabs, and 2 sea hares, that my longspine urchin did not touch, to die off. What was once impossible to scrape off the rock is now brushing off with a light touch. Skimmer is sucking out tons of stuff as this dies off. Rock getting multicolored coralline growth once again.
Halides back to a regimen of noon to 6pm. Will extend slowly up to another two hours or so perhaps.
Fuge has been more difficult. I think I ramped up the lighting too fast but I was worried about my chaeto. But the red fuzz is starting to show again. I'll give it another day and then may do another 24 lights off attempt. I'm still not happy with the fuge but it'll get there.
If only my work vs my first case of ich in 2.5 yrs were this successful. But I am finding the uproar about the miracle of hyposalinity to be nothing more than a myth and may punt to copper. But that is another thread (2, in fact).
Whatever this was, cyano, dinos, diatoms, or some other nuisance algae/bacteria, or, most likely, some unfortunate combination, is finally gone! Thank you tekknoschtev!
Not only that, but running a large amount of carbon has caused the nasty red/brown turfy crap that was covering my rock, that killed 2 lawnmower blennies, several emerald crabs, and 2 sea hares, that my longspine urchin did not touch, to die off. What was once impossible to scrape off the rock is now brushing off with a light touch. Skimmer is sucking out tons of stuff as this dies off. Rock getting multicolored coralline growth once again.
Halides back to a regimen of noon to 6pm. Will extend slowly up to another two hours or so perhaps.
Fuge has been more difficult. I think I ramped up the lighting too fast but I was worried about my chaeto. But the red fuzz is starting to show again. I'll give it another day and then may do another 24 lights off attempt. I'm still not happy with the fuge but it'll get there.
If only my work vs my first case of ich in 2.5 yrs were this successful. But I am finding the uproar about the miracle of hyposalinity to be nothing more than a myth and may punt to copper. But that is another thread (2, in fact).
Whatever this was, cyano, dinos, diatoms, or some other nuisance algae/bacteria, or, most likely, some unfortunate combination, is finally gone! Thank you tekknoschtev!
tekknoschtev
New member
I personally do not believe that the carbon could be the direct cause of the outbreak + the death of all of those ideams. From what I've read, dinoflagellets are poisonous to creatures that eat it. We lost nearly all of our snails and a few hermits. Fortunately felix (our LMB) was unaffected, but that's because he's a meat eater, and snuffs the algae crap 
Glad to hear things are getting back on track.
Glad to hear things are getting back on track.
ostrow
It's Dr. Goodluck Himself
tekknoschtev said:
I did the lights-out, that is what wiped out the problem stuff. I think the massive carbon helped also to wipe out that turf algae stuff, AND to keep the water clean during the die-off.
The LMB death was from eating the poisonous stuff. The LMB most definitely ate that turf stuff, and I witnessed the munching. I witnessed the vomiting. And I witnessed the gagging, gasping, death over a period of 24 hrs after. I assume the other animals followed a same course but I only witnessed it in the LMB. I suspect highly that an Atl Blue Tang also kicked as it died within 2 days after I saw it gorging itself for a good 10min on a particularly heavy patch of the stuff.
BUT: I did the 24hrs (36 in fact) lights-out, followed by 1hr addl lights on every day after. Held at 4hrs for a week. Holding at 6hrs for a week. Then will go to 7 or 8 hrs and leave it there.
I think carbon is a good idea. It was after I doubled the amount that I noticed the turf die-off but I attribute it to the lights. Fortuitous timing though as the additional carbon was needed.
mkawayoshi
New member
tekknoschtev said:
Last edited:
scooterbundy
New member
Brown Algae/Diatoms
Brown Algae/Diatoms
Been reading the posts and I am experiencing the same thing in my reef-------Up and running for about 4 months now and was doing great, then all of a sudden BOOM!!! I come home one day and brown algae everywhere (basically this stuff just comes right off the rock with a little force of a sponge or something). All my levels are fine 0 everything actually calcuim a little high at 550. Started doing water changes, but now after reading messages on the board don't know if that was a good thing. Overfeeding is not a problem as most Tangs/Angles are picking off the reef. Corals are being covered up and the only thing I can relate to the problem is Lighting and maybe doing too much water changes. If the silicates are entering the tank that could be feeding the problem too? I have been going at 6-8 hrs lighting then increased to 10 and thats where the problem seemed to start, also with increased lighting the temp actually went up too (80-81 degrees). I don't know if that caused or helped cause the outbreak, but my tank looked just like the post with the picture of his tank brown covering rock, sand, glass. I would stir up stand and get it out, just that quick it would be back in hrs. Anyhow I appreciate all the posts on the topic and right now I will cut off lighting for a couple days and see how that goes. Oh yeah also my protein skimmer has been running like crazy (I have to empty it so it doesn't overflow at night). Would this be considered typical of the problem, pulling lots of proteins out? Thanks Mike
Brown Algae/Diatoms
Been reading the posts and I am experiencing the same thing in my reef-------Up and running for about 4 months now and was doing great, then all of a sudden BOOM!!! I come home one day and brown algae everywhere (basically this stuff just comes right off the rock with a little force of a sponge or something). All my levels are fine 0 everything actually calcuim a little high at 550. Started doing water changes, but now after reading messages on the board don't know if that was a good thing. Overfeeding is not a problem as most Tangs/Angles are picking off the reef. Corals are being covered up and the only thing I can relate to the problem is Lighting and maybe doing too much water changes. If the silicates are entering the tank that could be feeding the problem too? I have been going at 6-8 hrs lighting then increased to 10 and thats where the problem seemed to start, also with increased lighting the temp actually went up too (80-81 degrees). I don't know if that caused or helped cause the outbreak, but my tank looked just like the post with the picture of his tank brown covering rock, sand, glass. I would stir up stand and get it out, just that quick it would be back in hrs. Anyhow I appreciate all the posts on the topic and right now I will cut off lighting for a couple days and see how that goes. Oh yeah also my protein skimmer has been running like crazy (I have to empty it so it doesn't overflow at night). Would this be considered typical of the problem, pulling lots of proteins out? Thanks Mike
mkawayoshi
New member
I think the skimming is good as I have read you want to export the nutrients. Skimming is one of the ways to do it.
Be sure you are using RO/DI water. I was using TAP, then store RO water, and I finally bought and RO/DI filter a few months ago.
Cutting off the lights will help but in my experience, it comes back a couple days after I turn them on. It is also advised to change your bulbs every six months or so.
Be sure you are using RO/DI water. I was using TAP, then store RO water, and I finally bought and RO/DI filter a few months ago.
Cutting off the lights will help but in my experience, it comes back a couple days after I turn them on. It is also advised to change your bulbs every six months or so.
mkawayoshi
New member
When you say how you are turning them back on, are you suggesting I do the four hours a day for a week..and then bump them up maybe an hour a week until I get the number of hours I want or something to that effect?
tekknoschtev
New member
David, that works if you have FOWLR tank, or a tank with no inverts who will suffer from it. In my case, there were a multitude of reasons for the dinos taking hold and then exploding in growth. Yes, after fixing them we did notice a marked improvement, however, if the corals were still in there we'd have lost every single one of them...
Its like using chemicals to treat cyano bacteria. I dont believe in using them to treat the problelm but to get an upperhand on the problem while you fix the husbandry skills that works. (By the way, not going to get into that argument here, its been done before).
If I had tried, as you stated, to improve my husbandry skills while maintaining the tank as-is, you;d have seen someone very upset with the help given online because I;d have lost nearly $1,200 worth of corals. But putting a bit more effort into it, fixing my husbandry skills, I lost a $5 stalk of xenia. I think my method works out better because in the end, the husbandry skills were improved, I learned from my mistake, and didnt lose too much doing it (Oh and about $30 worth of snails I lost as well).
Its like using chemicals to treat cyano bacteria. I dont believe in using them to treat the problelm but to get an upperhand on the problem while you fix the husbandry skills that works. (By the way, not going to get into that argument here, its been done before).
If I had tried, as you stated, to improve my husbandry skills while maintaining the tank as-is, you;d have seen someone very upset with the help given online because I;d have lost nearly $1,200 worth of corals. But putting a bit more effort into it, fixing my husbandry skills, I lost a $5 stalk of xenia. I think my method works out better because in the end, the husbandry skills were improved, I learned from my mistake, and didnt lose too much doing it (Oh and about $30 worth of snails I lost as well).
rshemik,
I can't seem to find the thread you referred to below. Can anyone direct me to the reading?
"To address the problems, you need to reduce the nutrient levels in the in the system significantly. For a plan of attack see the sticky thread, near the top of the forum listings titled, "Red slime algae...."
Carl
I can't seem to find the thread you referred to below. Can anyone direct me to the reading?
"To address the problems, you need to reduce the nutrient levels in the in the system significantly. For a plan of attack see the sticky thread, near the top of the forum listings titled, "Red slime algae...."
Carl
