WHAT is the junk and how do I get rid of it?!?

[Squidmotron]

Those teardrop things are dinoflagellates.

It's essentially the worst. I would not bother with lights out, as they'll just come back.

I also went through a "phase" of them, like with diatoms. It happened much later and lasted way longer.

To me it looks like you might have some cyano too, but I can't verify that.

 

[Kevin Guthrie]

Check your RO/DI, make sure the TDS is at zero. Run all your makeup thru the Kalk, and try not to let the powder into the system - it locks phosphate and can unlock it if the pH goes low.

If you suspect your refugium is loaded with nutrient, consider dumping it.

I have 5 fish and only go thru one frozen food a day. The food and anything slipping past your RO/DI are the nutrient inputs.

The critters are eating the algae - the algae is the problem, not the critters.

Keep removing what algae you can. Your P and N numbers indicate that the algae is absorbing most of what comes in but not all - too much is coming in. So remove the algae and you remove the nutrients from the system. If you filter it, be sure to dump the filtrate quickly or it will break down and return the nutrients to the system.

 

[Bent]

I had similar algae and it turned out to be cyano.

There's a thread somewhere.

 

[Squidmotron]

You may have some cyano too, but the microscope pictures essentially prove dinos.

 

[stefdvm]

Yeah, I accepted that I have dinos and at first I was very stressed - but I did three days without lights on (didn't completely cover the tank) then started back with a limited light schedule -- about 4-1/2 hrs per day. I did a fairly good sized water change and vacuumed the sand - I've been blowing off the rocks when I see slime with bubbles. It seems to be about 85% resolved so I just recently lengthened my daylight time. Everything looks pretty good right now!