Under a microscope

[Srt4eric]

So I just took this picture from my microscope. Anyone know what it might be?

This is what it looks like in my tank. The stringy stuff

[Thrassian Atoll]

Need a closer photo.

[Tired]

Does it move around under the microscope? 

 

How old is the tank, and what are your parameters? Nitrate and phosphate in particular.

[Srt4eric]

1 hour ago, Tired said:

Does it move around under the microscope? 

 

How old is the tank, and what are your parameters? Nitrate and phosphate in particular.

It was moving but died quickly. Here were my parameters last week. I can get new numbers in a bit. 

Kh: 9.9
NH3: 0
Ca: 430
NO2: .05
NO3: 10
PO4: .03
SG: 1.025

[Clown79]

Looks like dino.

 

The shape is sesame seed like which is ostreopsis.

 

Were the seasame seed shapes moving around flipping quickly.

[mcarroll]

Looks like a fairly well established chunk of rock....what has changed with the tank (or rock) lately?   (ie What led up to this thread?)

[Srt4eric]

13 hours ago, mcarroll said:

Looks like a fairly well established chunk of rock....what has changed with the tank (or rock) lately?   (ie What led up to this thread?)

I moved the tank a few feet closer to a window. Other than that the parameters have stayed exactly the same for months. 

[Murphs_Reef]

Is the sun hitting the glass ? 

[mcarroll]

1 hour ago, Srt4eric said:

I moved the tank a few feet closer to a window.

Has temperature increased too?  If the tank is catching any direct rays, it's likely.

 

Pest dino's are particularly sensitive to light, so the window is a possible cause/trigger.....more daylight would have jacked up the amount of red, orange and green light they're exposed to daily.  Protection from light is one of the main reasons they mucus up together...which is very often what takes them from invisible epiphytes (probably on that turf algae) to a visible bloom.

 

If Clown is right and it's Ostreopsis (and I'm not doubting, I just don't know), that genera seem especially tuned not only to light levels, but to seasonal changes more generally, so might also have been triggered as much by their programming as by the light itself.

 

Check out the Ostreopsis article I have saved on my blog...they will be of interest.

https://reefsuccess.com/?s=ostreopsis

 

You will probably want to start by lowering (NOT ZERO'ing) nutrient levels, but again do some reading across those articles.  Post questions if you have them.  Ostreopsis is one of the "fun" ones.  (Not fun.)

 

It's possible that lowering the amount of algae you have growing in general will help too....that looks like a lot of turf.  Pinch it out little by little...work in one small section at a time or it might seem like you aren't making progress.  Makes sure your cleanup crew is keeping areas clean that you clear out....if not, you need to add a few more CUC.  They won't eat algae more than a millimeter or two high, depending on the snail.

 

[Srt4eric]

   I just did some major rock work in that tank and got rid of all the gha. So far it's looking a lot better. 

   The tank isnt getting any direct light from that window. Even though it's closer its actually getting less light that where it was previously. 

   

After. 

[Murphs_Reef]

Sometimes it's just a manual job.. nutrients down, head down