Help please.

[doubleott05]

All of my parameters are good and I don't understand why this crap is growing in my tank my log sheet says the stuff should not be able to proliferate

 

[doubleott05]

phos .1
nitrate 0

 

[whosurcaddie]

Looks like Dinoflagellates to me I'm no algae expert though. The reason your phosphate reading is low is because the algae consumes it before it will show on a test kit.

Dinos

 

[julie180]

+1 on algae consuming nitrates and phosphates. They are there, just not showing on test.

 

[thegrun]

Algae covered with diatoms. +1, your algae growth is consuming the nitrates and phosphates so they appear lower than what they actually are. the phosphates should be below 0.05 either way.

 

[Uncle Salty 05]

Looks like dinos to me.
Remove as much as possible manually (an old credit card, toothbrush and fine mesh net work nicely) and raise your magnesium level to 1500 using Kent's Tech M.
It's a battle, but one you can win if you are persistent.

 

[doubleott05]

i guess i should post the rest of my paramaters. reason i didnt is i didnt think MAG would play a part

SG 1.026
cal 480
ALK 11
mag 1600
nitrate 0
ammonia 0
phos <.01

I have a refugium packed with chaeto, caulerpa prolifera, green grape caulerpa and gracilaria hayi. i mean its plumb full of macro algea and this DINO is actually growing on my macroalgae. I have been hacking it up and pulling it out every week.

 

[Uncle Salty 05]

What are you using as a Mag supplement?

 

[doubleott05]

I was wondering why magnesium or how it would help with the DINO problem?

 

[doubleott05]

What are you using as a Mag supplement?

Red sea reef care program.

im using all Red Sea suppliments

 

[Uncle Salty 05]

It does, but Kent's Tech M seems to work on dinos. (so I have read, never had them before)
That is why I asked what you use to adjust your mag level.

 

[doubleott05]

ok so scrub scrub scrub. i have been doing water changes
up my MAG

anything else.

i have a pouch of chemipure elite in the sump... should i consider running a full on GFO reactor? if so will that tank my refugium?

 

[Uncle Salty 05]

Try Kent's Tech M.
I hear it works when others don't.
Your mag is already high so you would need to do WCs and add the Tech M to them.

 

[doubleott05]

Try Kent's Tech M.
I hear it works when others don't.
Your mag is already high so you would need to do WCs and add the Tech M to them.

i did a water change last night and then checked it twice more its still at 1600...... Thoughts?

 

[julie180]

Quit adding supplements