My Rockin' Flower Garden!

[kimberbee]

So jealous of how happy and healthy all your nems look!! Mine are not getting better, or worse. They are just there.

[FlowerMama]

So, the night before I started Chemiclean on 3/17. I've been dosing at night so the 20% water change after 48 hrs has sometimes had to happen after work the next day.

 

 

Starting my 5th dose tomorrow. Pretty sure this is the 2nd to last dose in the little container, it's small like a lip balm jar. I've not been feeding at all and this last time I had lights off for 3 days but past that I didn't want to have it off as I didn't want the flowers to get too upset or wilted looking. As you can see it's not gone yet.

 

[FlowerMama]

Actually, now wondering if I should skip the 5th dose tomorrow and get some DrTim's Refresh and Waste-away and this Eco-balance stuff. I feel I need to go in a different driection. What does anybody think?

[jball1125]

I see a significant improvement from the first picture to the second. I would stick with it. I used chemiclean in the past and it worked very well. I actually only needed one dose but I caught it early and it was only on a few rocks, it was also the green stuff which I have heard is somewhat easier to kill. It did later cause a huge hair algae bloom but that could have been my fault for not keeping an eye on my parameters.

[Pinner Reef]

I killed my outbreak of red slime in one dose. Now there is a light brown, really fine brown stuff that couldn't be bothered by chemiclean. Sooo I dug out the microscope for this waterchange. If it turns out to be dinos imma have a pretty hard decision.

[FlowerMama]

I killed my outbreak of red slime in one dose. Now there is a light brown, really fine brown stuff that couldn't be bothered by chemiclean. Sooo I dug out the microscope for this waterchange. If it turns out to be dinos imma have a pretty hard decision.

 

Crap, so maybe it is dinos. It is brown/red powdery now. Apparently then I had both. I take that back, I had all 3, the green coating, the cyano and the brown coating. So the Chemiclean did remove the cyano and the green coating.

 

So I just found some great resources.

• http://www.advancedaquarist.com/blog/how-i-beat-dinoflagellates-and-the-lessons-i-learned
• http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-11/rhf/index.php
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pk1UCB0dNKc. Great video as I like seeing practical application

So according to these sources:

• kill the lights for 3 days & make sure no natural light hits the tank
• stop water changes as this will replenish nutrients for the dino
• stop feeding
• increase pH by use of Kalkwasser to 8.6
• using Microbacter7 so this beneficial bacteria competes with the dino and starves it out
• increase GFO and/or carbon
• 1 ml of peroxide per 10g daily HOWEVER, can be harmful for anemones, crabs, shrimp.
• Remove little rock at a time that has no coral on them and sit them in RO/DI as this will kill off the dino but not all at once to avoid ammonia spike

Going right now to find a blanket to cover the tank tonight, no more water changes, feeding was already stopped, going to look for my container of kalkwassser and check what my pH is so I can increase slowly. Going to see what I can find to hold some carbon- maybe I should honestly just use the sock???. Remove the rock I have in my fuge into a bucket of RO/DI. I'll leave the rock in the display alone except for 2 pieces that have nothing on them.

[CronicReefer]

Edit: Confused dinos with diatoms.

[jedimasterben]

If you are for sure it is dinos all you should need to do is run a good silicate remover like ExtraxPhos. Silicates are required for dinos to build their cell walls so no silicate in water = no dinos.

Nope.

 

 

You don't have dinoflagellates, btw, your photos show cyanobacteria.

[Pinner Reef]

Like Ben said I wouldn't jump to conclusions just yet. I'm still fairly certain (praying) I have some other type of algae to deal with. The only way to tell if you for certain have Dinos is to check with a microscope.

[ninjamyst]

Looks like chemiclean is helping even if it didn't get rid of them completely. Huge difference between first and second picture.

[FlowerMama]

Well.....

 

1) I don' t have a microscope

2) I've seen the brown scum and bubbles of gas before on the sand & on the glass and it's brown & powdery.

3) The Chemiclean got rid of the green and the purple/red cyano only

4) Water changes every 48 hrs has not helped and every 2 days is not making a difference in what I'm seeing. It looks almost gone in the morning, the lights come on and it flourishes.

 

Google pic of dino.

 

 

My tank just now.

 

Yes, did have cyano and that part does appear to be gone. Apparently it's common to have green and red cyano and dinos all at once.

[jedimasterben]

If you want, you can send me a sample and I'll snap some pics of it magnified, but it's still pretty unlikely. If you're really worried about it, my first recommendation would be to immediately siphon out all of your sand.

[FlowerMama]

If you want, you can send me a sample and I'll snap some pics of it magnified, but it's still pretty unlikely. If you're really worried about it, my first recommendation would be to immediately siphon out all of your sand.

 

I don't want to get rid of the sand as I have a red starfish and serpent star. It would be easier for the baby nems to stick on it but I don't want bare bottom on this tank. I want it still to look natural with the nems. Maybe I'll see if I can get it to my friend, she works at a vets office and maybe she could check it for me.

[jedimasterben]

I don't want to get rid of the sand as I have a red starfish and serpent star. It would be easier for the baby nems to stick on it but I don't want bare bottom on this tank. I want it still to look natural with the nems. Maybe I'll see if I can get it to my friend, she works at a vets office and maybe she could check it for me.

Yep, just get some pics (preferably video to show their movement) and it will tell all. Be warned that several of the known dino species found in aquaria are extremely toxic, so handle with care.

 

What do the starfish have to do with sand?

 

 

Also, I forgot to ask, do you have any powerheads in the tank? If not and you're just using the return for flow, it isn't really enough for proper nutrient export, if you stir the sand in a corner of the tank you'll probably see a lot of nasty gunk

[FlowerMama]

Yep, just get some pics (preferably video to show their movement) and it will tell all. Be warned that several of the known dino species found in aquaria are extremely toxic, so handle with care.

 

What do the starfish have to do with sand?

 

 

Also, I forgot to ask, do you have any powerheads in the tank? If not and you're just using the return for flow, it isn't really enough for proper nutrient export, if you stir the sand in a corner of the tank you'll probably see a lot of nasty gunk

 

Yes, of course, Added a 2nd one before the treatments began, one on each end of the 60 facing each other Have to change direction here n' there to avoid blank spots where the sand has been pushed away. Also have the hawkwings and I want them to be able to burrow somewhere.

[MarieH]

I had this happen for a few months, got me very down. red slime and then even bright green slime! I bought waste away turned the skimmer off for a day after dosing,and I upped to wet skimming and water changed every 7 days after dosing dr tims, vaccumed the sand with each w/c and it took a couple weeks but improved in as litle as 2 days I saw a difference. Then came the hair algae with a vengance lol. I stopped water changing completely and started upping magnesium and won that battle over a course of 3 months. Now I only waterchange a few gallons to refresh the trace elements. I dose calcium and alk. I keep the alk at about 9, no more additions of magnesium and its better than ever. But I did think Dr. Tims was the start of something good. Best of luck, I saw some rock flowers at my lfs...hmmm. tempting! As a side, I now add a capful of macrobacter 7 here and there when I feel like it to keep the good bugs happy, leave the skimmer off for a day or a few hours here and there, is a good idea too.

 

Oh and bonjour!

[FlowerMama]

I had this happen for a few months, got me very down. red slime and then even bright green slime! I bought waste away turned the skimmer off for a day after dosing,and I upped to wet skimming and water changed every 7 days after dosing dr tims, vaccumed the sand with each w/c and it took a couple weeks but improved in as litle as 2 days I saw a difference. Then came the hair algae with a vengance lol. I stopped water changing completely and started upping magnesium and won that battle over a course of 3 months. Now I only waterchange a few gallons to refresh the trace elements. I dose calcium and alk. I keep the alk at about 9, no more additions of magnesium and its better than ever. But I did think Dr. Tims was the start of something good. Best of luck, I saw some rock flowers at my lfs...hmmm. tempting! As a side, I now add a capful of macrobacter 7 here and there when I feel like it to keep the good bugs happy, leave the skimmer off for a day or a few hours here and there, is a good idea too.

 

Oh and bonjour!

 

Hi Marie! Thanks for visiting! What color were the nems??

 

Great to hear about the microbacter7 too. It's coming in the mail later this week. My skimmer is on but just for oxidation, not using the cup, I don't want to collect any nem spawn if I can help it. Your tank is looking soooo good.

[jball1125]

I had the same experience as Marie, when my chemiclean killed the green slime it caused a nasty outbreak of hair algae. Took a lot of tooth brushing and water changes to beat it.

[FlowerMama]

I've heard that too, so another reason I wanted to stop the Chemiclean immediately when I found out I had killed the green and purple/red cyano and was left w/ brown dinos. I had the light turned off today and of course it looks better. That's what dino does. What's bad is there is a tall window to the left and the blinds are closed but w/ evening sun coming in it's bright. I'm considering throwing the box from my Sony TV to cover it and throw a blanket over it but I worry is the gas exchange below in the 20sump enough then?

 

I started yest slow w/ upping pH via the ATO. Went from like 7.8 yest to 8 after work. Says I need to be 8.6 to help kill the dino. Doing it slow of course because I don't want to shock anything, not the flowers, nor any of the 7 invertebrates. Microbacter in a couple days. I didn't do the 20% water change after the last Chemiclean that ended on Sat as I didn't want to feed the dino. So yest, started on the pH and have the tank mostly covered, then I just put in the 3c of carbon I had into the sock, it's only half full but water still should pass through around. Doing what I can til the Microbacter7 gets here. Flowers aren't happy cuz it's dark.

[MarieH]

Are you sure that's dino? I thought dino floated up from the substrate in bubbly strands over the spread and was on the rocks too. This looks like brown slime algae to me (I know it well). especially if its just on the substrate. I'd rather have brown slime than dinos. (yabba dabba doo)

 

PS: Rock flowers at lfs were not the prettiest, I think it was the left overs and the best were taken so I opted for tiny bubbles the rainbow bubble tip. I was shown a beauty once but he wanted 89 bucks fr it and at the time I didn't think my tank was ready for it being cursed with cyano!

 

 

Add: If the stuff disappear by morning and comes back with lights on...its cyano. That's what I had, I thought it was dino too. Because it was not red, but there is brown and bright green cyano, Later, I got the bright green too in corners with low flow, but then that slowly went away too. I stopped water changing and have not been happier. I just keep an eye on my alkalinity and change out 5 gallons once every 3 months. (intstead of once per week) Tank looks clean and I enjoy more, work less. All inhabitants are doing well. Pods like crazy.

[FlowerMama]

Are you sure that's dino? I thought dino floated up from the substrate in bubbly strands over the spread and was on the rocks too. This looks like brown slime algae to me (I know it well). especially if its just on the substrate. I'd rather have brown slime than dinos. (yabba dabba doo)

 

PS: Rock flowers at lfs were not the prettiest, I think it was the left overs and the best were taken so I opted for tiny bubbles the rainbow bubble tip. I was shown a beauty once but he wanted 89 bucks fr it and at the time I didn't think my tank was ready for it being cursed with cyano!

 

 

Add: If the stuff disappear by morning and comes back with lights on...its cyano. That's what I had, I thought it was dino too. Because it was not red, but there is brown and bright green cyano, Later, I got the bright green too in corners with low flow, but then that slowly went away too. I stopped water changing and have not been happier. I just keep an eye on my alkalinity and change out 5 gallons once every 3 months. (intstead of once per week) Tank looks clean and I enjoy more, work less. All inhabitants are doing well. Pods like crazy.

 

See, The green and the red/purple cyano left but the 3rd & 4th treatments of Chemiclean did nothing to change it. And I did have stringy brown/green bubbles on the back wall. And this brown crap came back stronger after water changes. And I've not been feeding the tank at all, phosphates zero. I may see if my friend can take a sample and check under the microscope at the vets office. It's on the rocks too. What does the brown slime algae look like?

[FlowerMama]

Update on my tank. Getting better. The lights have been off for 3 days in a dark basement and the pH was slowly raised to 8.3 so far. I turned on the light and touched them, slow reactions. I felt bad so I just left the light on from 9-10. Hoping the microbacter7 is here tomorrow. Said was shipped 3/31. Slowly raising to 8.6.

 

Before

 

After

 

I have set the lights for only 10-30% White at it's peak and then 100% on Blue but I may change my mind and turn it off altogether. They need more light than they need food so I'm concerned about having them off for more than 3 days.

[jball1125]

Making good progress, I think the RFA's will be just fine. They are troopers.

 

If anything try not to blast them with light when you turn them back on.

[jedimasterben]

Three days? What do you think happens when a big hurricane blows through the Caribbean, no light for a couple of days and for a couple of weeks the water would be so stirred up they couldn't get much of anything. They're tougher than you think

[FlowerMama]

Three days? What do you think happens when a big hurricane blows through the Caribbean, no light for a couple of days and for a couple of weeks the water would be so stirred up they couldn't get much of anything. They're tougher than you think

 

Ok, they stay off tomorrow. I can't help my emotions. Look at my pic. Everyone knows I'm a softie!!!