Brown string algae

[ronix]

Hey, just wondering if someone can help confirm what this is. From searches the description comes up as dinos, but there’s no trapped bubbles, just long strings of brown algae. Is this just because it’s at the early stages? 

[seabass]

Dinos can be difficult to identify with the naked eye, or from a photo.

 

Here's a simple dinos test:

• collect some of the material in question into a water bottle
• shake well
• Pour the contents through a paper towel into a shallow container
• Place that container in a sunny location (or under your reef lights) for at least an hour

If it regroups or new "strings" appear, you have dinos.

 

You can also look.at this filtered water through a microscope to identify.

 

Does this go away at night, or stay looking similar?

[ronix]

it stays looking similar, ill try your test today and see what happens.

[seabass]

52 minutes ago, ronix said:

it stays looking similar

Then it could be just hair algae.  Dinos disperse at night and regroup during sunlight hours.

 

I figure that under just white lights, that the algae looks more green.

[mxpro32]

2 hours ago, seabass said:

Then it could be just hair algae.  Dinos disperse at night and regroup during sunlight hours.

 

I figure that under just white lights, that the algae looks more green.

I thought only certain species disperse at night?

 

[seabass]

30 minutes ago, mxpro32 said:

I thought only certain species disperse at night?

I believe that most tend to disperse (while Amphidinium and Prorocentrum don't).  I'm not sure that the shake test would work with those.

[mcarroll]

21 hours ago, ronix said:

Hey, just wondering if someone can help confirm what this is. From searches the description comes up as dinos, but there’s no trapped bubbles, just long strings of brown algae. Is this just because it’s at the early stages? 

You can get a microscope that's good enough to look at dino's for <$20.  

 

This is the first scope I bought, though I found it cheaper on eBay (shops around): https://a.co/d/bZEyiXx

...it's a plastic toy scope, but at the price it's better than nothing.  

 

You can get a "real" microscope for <$100 if you think you'll use it more than a few times....it's a MUCH better experience than the toy scope...but a pretty similar image between the two.  This is the best way to know more about the algae you have growing!  🙂 

 

BTW, buying used can be a good option....I scored an older Tasco LM400 at a thrift shop for $40...

...I added an LED light and 3D mechanical stage for about another $40 total.  (You don't need 1200x to look at dino's.)

 

Microscopes aside, it's ideal to consider your whole situation along with the algae you see.

 

Was the tank started with dead rock or live?  (Please elaborate if possible.) How long ago?

 

How are your tank's water test numbers currently?  Have the tank's parameters been stable at those levels?  (If you want, please post any numbers you have from testing....ideally including no3 and po4.)

 

What are you doing to clean or filter the tank water currently?

 

[mcarroll]

BTW, there seems to be a ton of those LM400's for around $30-40 on eBay.   I suspected mine was upcycled from a school that upgraded.

[mxpro32]

I successfully got rid of dinos on both of my tanks with uv

[ronix]

I’ll definitely see if I can find a microscope.

I had an 8 gallon tank running for a year with live rock, I recently upgraded it to a 20 gallon and added a bit more rock. I had a fish die and so I did some testing and thought I had an ammonia spike so I panicked and did a very large water change. This is when this algae started. 
I have just used filter floss and carbon for filtration, today I added a skimmer. 
nitrates are around 10ppm, I have never tested phosphates but I will get a kit tomorrow and check to see where it is. I am going to guess very low after that water change. 

[mcarroll]

11 hours ago, ronix said:

I had a fish die and so I did some testing and thought I had an ammonia spike so I panicked and did a very large water change.

Were you able to confirm whether there was an ammonia spike or not?

 

11 hours ago, ronix said:

nitrates are around 10ppm

If 10ppm is on the high side of "normal" then it sounds like there could have been an ammonia spike.

 

Post your PO4 test results when you can!  🙂 

Any results from the "shake-up test", BTW?

[mxpro32]

keeping PO4 and Nitrates up a little in combination with the uv worked for me.  

[ronix]

8 hours ago, mcarroll said:

Were you able to confirm whether there was an ammonia spike or not?

 

If 10ppm is on the high side of "normal" then it sounds like there could have been an ammonia spike.

 

Post your PO4 test results when you can!  🙂 

Any results from the "shake-up test", BTW?

I did confirm that I didn’t have a spike by re testing some of the water I took out. 
It’s been a busy week so I haven’t got my PO4 kit yet, tomorrow! 
algae now has the bubbles in it so I am confident it is dinos, so I did not do the shake up test. 

[mcarroll]

Shake up test is still worth it....all algae (that I know of) make bubbles when they release excess O2 from photosynthesis.  

 

Cyano can trap bubbles too, for example.

[ronix]

So phosphates and nitrates are in fact at zero. Both tests looked like clear water. 
so the next question is on a smaller tank like a 20 gallon, do I dose neo nitro and neo phos, or just over feed my tank? 

[mcarroll]

5 hours ago, ronix said:

So phosphates and nitrates are in fact at zero. Both tests looked like clear water. 
so the next question is on a smaller tank like a 20 gallon, do I dose neo nitro and neo phos, or just over feed my tank? 

First thing, IMO, do that shake test.  Conditions are ripe for dino's, so makes sense to rule them out at least.

 

Second thing is to make sure you are feeding enough.  Do not overfeed (ie food ends up in rocks, sand or filters), but you do want to feed at the upper end of the correct amount.  (Your fish ought to be far fat and happy!!)  Some folks do underfeed – so you want to eliminate that if it's happening.

 

Third thing is to eliminate things that are reducing nutrient levels.  Filter pads.  Chemical media.  Water changes.  Etc.

 

If that's not enough, then FOURTH you can dose N and P.

 

(Your shake test results might change the priority of those steps, but you'd still need all four steps.  Post results when you have 'em!)

[ronix]

Shake tests, within an hour there were brown strings showing up again. Confirmed dinos 

[mcarroll]

In that case, dosing nutrients should happen as soon as you can get the supplies you need.

 

Still do all the other things....eliminate nutrient export, et al....

 

How are your CUC and pods looking?  You might want to begin using a small amount (1/4 of the recommended dosage or less) of activated carbon that you change out weekly.  (4x the usual rate so it stays at maximum activity levels while you're using it.)   You can hold off as long as snails and pods are all present and active.   Dinotoxin makes them lethargic....or dead/MIA.

 

If you can begin dosing nutrients quickly, it's possible to get ahead of things and you might not have to do much more.....it's gotta be quick tho.

 

If "quick" doesn't work out then you might consider adding micron filtration and/or UV filtration to your system very soon as well.

 

When you have time, check out the first post on this thread.  Try to get into as many of the links I put there as you can....some are admittedly slow reading, but worth it!

[ronix]

I started dosing neo nitro and neo phos today, as well I added a basic uv light in the back of my AIO tank.  I figured out the dosing amounts, I assume it is okay to manually dose the full amount at one time each day?

[mxpro32]

Be sure not to look at the uv bulb 

[ronix]

24 hours after adding the UV and just one dose of the neo nitro and neo phos, almost all the dinos are gone! Crazy 

[mxpro32]

46 minutes ago, ronix said:

24 hours after adding the UV and just one dose of the neo nitro and neo phos, almost all the dinos are gone! Crazy 

that worked for me as well.  I'm glad it worked for you.  

[mcarroll]

On 3/19/2023 at 7:31 PM, ronix said:

I started dosing neo nitro and neo phos today, as well I added a basic uv light in the back of my AIO tank.  I figured out the dosing amounts, I assume it is okay to manually dose the full amount at one time each day?

Just like you would for alkalinity, test PO4 at least daily for the first day or two so you know things are trending how you want them.  (and not back to zero!)

 

Work out your daily dose rate.  👍  No issues with adding it all at once.  You can even add a weeks worth of N and P to your ATO if you wanted to automate it.  (You gotta know your dose-rate before you can do that tho.)

 

On 3/19/2023 at 7:31 PM, ronix said:

Is that a naked UV bulb?  Is it T5 or LED?

[ronix]

I’ll be testing daily. Today the PO4 was still showing zero. The NO4 was maybe at 2. Did the same dose today so I’ll see what tomorrow brings. 
it is a naked UV bulb, I built a cover over that area so it’s enclosed now. I think the T5? It’s a 13 watt cheap I made by Accrie on Amazon. It’s doing a great job though for $20!

[mcarroll]

11 hours ago, ronix said:

I’ll be testing daily. Today the PO4 was still showing zero.

Remember what I said about not letting it return to zero!  🙂 

 

11 hours ago, mcarroll said:

...not back to zero!)

😉 

 

If it's getting use up that fast, then you want to re-test right after you dose – 20 min to an hour after – just to see if the nutrients are already used up.  Some folks have had to re-dose as many as 3-4 times to get a sustainable 0.10 ppm.

 

Initial usage can be surprisingly high.