Bacteria? Algae? Rip clean didn't fix it (need help)

[wsqreef]

Hi!

I have an IM lagoon 25 that has been running for about 2 years now. I have this weird fuzzy growth on the rock (for about 6 months, doesn't go away on its own). It only grows in the light so its photosynthetic. It has a brownish tinge to it but also can be closer to white. It doesn't grow on the glass but did grow on the return jet a few times. The most odd thing about it is it seems to almost encrust with a white hard layer at the bottom made of what seems to be calcium? About 3 weeks ago, I tore my tank down completely. Corals and fish went in a holding tank and I hosed down my tank in the yard and completely removed everying from the glass, back chamber etc. I cleaned the rock with stainless steel wire brushes as its the only thing that can remove it and dunked them in peroxide (3%) for 5 minutes or so each. There was no trace of this stuff except the white layer it seems to grow from (encrusting stuff). This does NOT come off short of an angle grinder with a flap disk so I left it. Now it is back and I have no idea what to do. With the rip clean I also completely replaced the sand bed to really make sure whatever caused it would go. Anyone have clue what this is or what could cause it??

Params are as follows:
Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrates - <5
Ph - 8.05
Alk - 8.5 dkh
Calcium - 460
Mag - 1350
Phosphates - no idea, don't have a test but run phosgaurd

Algae or bacteria or whatever:

Full tank shot:

 

[brandon429]

that rip clean wasn't a fail its a total win. youd be 100% blanketed by now without it.


be removing rocks in sections, hand guiding back out, it aligns every variable in your favor for future work. until we find the lucky combo, simply don't allow it to takeover you've imported something highly selective and set for your tank, a true challenge.

very valid follow up pics though, very sharp and you did well in not allowing the current stuff to beard up fully. future rock cleanings wont require an entire takedown, that's key.

you can now lift, kill, put back and not cause a huge upwelling, you're very strongly insured against cyano as well

that's still a great reef, well done. looks sharp currently.

currently you get to experiment with non rip clean options, and if you win then tons of mass won't be dying off inside the tank and rotting, the rip clean pre removed that mass.

once you see it getting bad again, don't use wire brush just use perox and a metal knife tip this time to scrape down in sections its easier on the rocks.

the reason you're lifting out rocks and surgically detailing them with steel and peroxide is because that will keep your invasion under control until you find the lucky combo. well done example of pure resolve above; ceding no ground.

didn't get a one pass option on this one though. selected biology is pressing against you, press back.

you may be tempted to sit back, allow the uglies to totally take over until 2026, we should not is my vote. those corals and fish look outstandingly happy, swelled in fact. substrate laser clean, well done.

 

[wsqreef]

@brandon429 Oh I agree completely, the rip clean helped immensely with the happiness of corals and it did take a little while to come back. Other than taking two people 6 hours straight to clean 25 pounds of aragonite it felt worth it lol. Any idea what it could be? Algae or bacteria? Should I give something like vibrant a go?

 

[brandon429]

Im not sure at all, there's a certain post I recall from three years ago with that exact growth I think I can muster the key terms and posters from it to find the link and we can read their journey.

ps

the journey is me trying to convince them to rip clean it and them avoiding the action for eighteen straight pages heh

it is a painfully long journey chosen but in the end I really think they fixed it using alt means.

ok thinking it up now it'll be a sec haven't pondered it in 36 months or so.

 

[Arthur_Dent]

This reminds me of something I was dealing with recently called "euglena", a type of protist similar to dinos, but not as damaging (from what I gather - I am no expert). Do you have access to a microscope?

If it turns out to be euglena, light reduced to 10% (blue only), halving carbon dose (nopox), and dosing h2o2 at 1ml/10 gallons for a week at night, then MB7 dosing when lights come on and skimming wet got it under control for me very fast.

links to threads:

Green slime on sandbed (microscope photos included)

Recently, after running vibrant for two months to knock out a bunch of bubble algae, some green slime has found its way onto my sandbed. I assumed it was the beginnings of cyano, but my understanding is that cyano is typical for low nutrient systems. My PO4 is typically 0.08 - 0.1, and my NO3...

www.reef2reef.com

Euglena?

I have been struggling with one of my reef tanks for some time. Originally I had what I ID’d as ostreopsis dinos. Ever since then the tank has had ups and downs with blooms of a very thick green film forming algae. Or at least that was what I thought it was. I checked a sample under a microscope...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[dvgyfresh]

I saw something similar when someone was dosing nopox could be bacteria? Idk

 

[wsqreef]

@brandon429 if you do find the thread that would be awesome

@Arthur_Dent I don't have a microscope but might be able to find someone who does. I'll post pictures if I can. Not sure what MB7 is? Do you think I should remove the phosgaurd? My algae or bacteria isn't green so it might be different.

@dvgyfresh Did removing the phosphate media help you with this?

 

[dvgyfresh]

@brandon429 if you do find the thread that would be awesome

@Arthur_Dent I don't have a microscope but might be able to find someone who does. I'll post pictures if I can. Not sure what MB7 is? Do you think I should remove the phosgaurd? My algae or bacteria isn't green so it might be different.

@dvgyfresh Did removing the phosphate media help you with this?

The person in question stopped dosing nopox and found it was causing an issue , I’m in favor of increasing nutrients / adding macro algae to outcompete

 

[wsqreef]

Okay I'll take it out. I don't think it was ever high, I just put it in there preventatively

 

[ReefGeezer]

I think that's a type of Cyano called something like Calothrix. Fuzzy, tan/brown. Grows quickly in the light. Hard to get off rocks. It may even get some air bubbles in it, but not snotty like Dino's.
I had a bout with it. I came to believe it could get its N&P from organic compounds i.e. dissolved organics, ethanol, vinegar, NoPox, MB7, sugar, amino acids, and the like. Chemiclean will get rid of it, but may lead to hair algae problems.

You could try to starve it, but it will take time and be ugly for a while. To do so you would need to limit dissolved organics and not add too many organic compounds (including food). Do a couple 50% water changes, skim extremely wet, use a lot of GAC and change it frequently, harvest the "algae" where you can, and wait while doing like 25% weekly water changes.

 

[brandon429]

I know about the “ugly” stage of cycling but this is ridiculous.

My 40g got T5 lights last month after being up a year without lights. I knew I’d get algae and diatoms but not this much. Parameters are fine. Nitrates slightly above 0 and Phosphates 0. When is this going to end??? The hair algae on the rocks is light brown and some on the sand is green. Tank...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[wsqreef]

Thanks to @brandon429

Its Chrysophytes if anyone is interested or if anyone else has it. Apparently it comes out in nutrient limited tanks. I hardly feed my tank at all and run a skimmer, cheato, and phosphate removal media so I think that's my problem. Gonna keep pulling my rocks and do manual removal as well as up my feeding and take out the po4 removal stuff. Thanks everyone!

 

[Arthur_Dent]

@brandon429 if you do find the thread that would be awesome

@Arthur_Dent I don't have a microscope but might be able to find someone who does. I'll post pictures if I can. Not sure what MB7 is? Do you think I should remove the phosgaurd? My algae or bacteria isn't green so it might be different.

@dvgyfresh Did removing the phosphate media help you with this?

MB7 == Microbacter 7 in a bottle. Glad Brandon helped you figure it out.

 

[Dan_P]

that rip clean wasn't a fail its a total win. youd be 100% blanketed by now without it.


be removing rocks in sections, hand guiding back out, it aligns every variable in your favor for future work. until we find the lucky combo, simply don't allow it to takeover you've imported something highly selective and set for your tank, a true challenge.

very valid follow up pics though, very sharp and you did well in not allowing the current stuff to beard up fully. future rock cleanings wont require an entire takedown, that's key.

you can now lift, kill, put back and not cause a huge upwelling, you're very strongly insured against cyano as well

that's still a great reef, well done. looks sharp currently.

currently you get to experiment with non rip clean options, and if you win then tons of mass won't be dying off inside the tank and rotting, the rip clean pre removed that mass.

once you see it getting bad again, don't use wire brush just use perox and a metal knife tip this time to scrape down in sections its easier on the rocks.

the reason you're lifting out rocks and surgically detailing them with steel and peroxide is because that will keep your invasion under control until you find the lucky combo. well done example of pure resolve above; ceding no ground.

didn't get a one pass option on this one though. selected biology is pressing against you, press back.

you may be tempted to sit back, allow the uglies to totally take over until 2026, we should not is my vote. those corals and fish look outstandingly happy, swelled in fact. substrate laser clean, well done.

Does anyone use a power washer on rock to remove algae? It should do a pretty thorough job.

 

[brandon429]

yes I happen to have one of those direct examples lol love it. Amalee 75 on this page here below


*power washing rocks not just sand with tap water is known to cause public revolt in some circles. Ok in all circles

but when folks are so serious they do it anyway, though advised not to, I specifically want that data above all and here we are:

Build Thread - Amalee’s 75g Build

Haha yes it is. Thank you @Gernader @fishguy242! I know fallow is the best way to go, I’ve just been avoiding it if I’m being honest. I’m hoping this works. If not I’ll have to get a qt going to go fallow. I have seen many people that are doing ich management. They feed high quality foods by...

www.reef2reef.com

one could load a home depot porta blaster with saltwater and legit Rambo these rocks. side lip snarl and everything

 

[Cjeippert]

Thanks to @brandon429

Its Chrysophytes if anyone is interested or if anyone else has it. Apparently it comes out in nutrient limited tanks. I hardly feed my tank at all and run a skimmer, cheato, and phosphate removal media so I think that's my problem. Gonna keep pulling my rocks and do manual removal as well as up my feeding and take out the po4 removal stuff. Thanks everyone!

Are these chrysophytes on the zoas?