She's gone from suck to blow!

[d2mini]

A little Space Balls quote for ya. :mrgreen:

But seriously now... my hair algae that I've been battling for months has now gone from HA to brown Diatoms! :shock: Now instead of green stringy stuff everywhere i have brown stringy stuff. And brown sand. My zoas and star polyps are not happy. :grumble:

I started dosing vodka two weeks ago so maybe that's causing the change. HA dying and causing diatoms? I dunno. But looks like I'll be trying to pull more of this stuff off my rocks again tonite...

 

[dcantucson]

I use Vodka for dosing too. Just in a different way. :)

 

[ccCapt]

I would say they aren't diatoms if they are stingy, but dinoflagellates from the excessive nutrients given off by the dead/dying hair algae.

 

[d2mini]

I would say they aren't diatoms if they are stingy, but dinoflagellates from the excessive nutrients given off by the dead/dying hair algae.

Ya, i was wondering the same thing. But thought they could be stringy if its diatoms clinging to the hair algae? Whatever it is.... yuck.

 

[Bifferwine]

Diatoms are not stringy.

Sorry bud, sounds like it's time for your corals to take a walk to the trash can!! ;)

(I'll be by to pick them up this weekend).

 

[d2mini]

Diatoms are not stringy.

I know! lol
Ok, imagine this.... you have hair algae. Now imagine the hair algae changes from green to brown with a little red on the edges. Plus your sand surface is turning brown. And some corals like your green star polyps and zoas are closed up and have a filmy brown something or other on them. Whatever that is... i got it. :pooh:

Oh ya, and your pencil urchin, long spine urchin, snails, hermits, emerald crabs and even your new sea hare don't seem to be doing a goddamn thing about it!

 

[Bifferwine]

Dude. I'm not sure if someone's mentioned this already or not, but diatoms are not stringy.
























;)

 

[d2mini]

 

[yote]

HAHAHAA
But,,,,,,,Its not diatoms.
You've Dinos.

 

[qxcontinuum]

It's about time to use red slime remover. it removed everything brown in the fish tank in less then 48 hours.
I'have had all the possible algae in my tank and now i can only see green stuff and some boubble things. I don't know to remove those

 

[d2mini]

Ok, so get this. I got out my trusty turkey baster and blew on the "stuff" and the brown got blown off revealing the green HA underneath. So is it dinos? Or is it diatoms being all luvy duvy with my HA?

I'm looking forward to ditching this weird tank and starting over. lol

 

[ccCapt]

There's some good info here for trying to fix your dino problem.

Dinoflagellates- mother of all battles! Help Please - Reef Central Online Community

 

[wontonflip]

Ok, so like, how do you tell the difference between dinos and algae? I just cleaned out my 10g, and of course, there are "sheets" of green stuff I had to scrape off and scopped out w/ my net. Are those dinos?

 

[ccCapt]

Well....the simple description would be dinos look like snots....stringy, gooey and many times have tiny bubbles attached to the ends.
Diatoms are more dust like.
Cyano can be red or green and comes off in sheets.

 

[wontonflip]

Thanks Cc.....then I guess my 10g has cyano....except on some parts of my rock, I have what looks like brown hair algae (looks like moss), and bubbles have started to form.

Sorry to hijack your thread, d2 :)

 

[imdaring]

I had a problem with the brown crap on the bottom of my sand for like 6-9 mon. try'd everything, so I did 2 rounds of lights out week 1 out for 4 day no lights at all waited 2 weeks and it started to look like it was coming back so I did 4 more days and it's gone not one hint of the crap during those 4 days I also did 2 10% water changes

 

[qxcontinuum]

I had a problem with the brown crap on the bottom of my sand for like 6-9 mon. try'd everything, so I did 2 rounds of lights out week 1 out for 4 day no lights at all waited 2 weeks and it started to look like it was coming back so I did 4 more days and it's gone not one hint of the crap during those 4 days I also did 2 10% water changes

so 4 days no light at all?
Were the corals affected by this?

 

[d2mini]

I did 3 days total black out with black trash bags this week and all signs of dinos are gone, just back to some short HA.

 

[imdaring]

no the lights being down didn't bother them at all they are doing just fine here are a couple of pics

so 4 days no light at all?
Were the corals affected by this?

 

[Bifferwine]

Corals will be fine for a few days without lights.