Cyano, Dino’s, diatoms, GHA, planaria, oh my!

[Synthgp]

Title says it all… I feel like I am dealing with everything under the sun at this point…

I have been dosing silicates to reduce a high population of Dino’s. This is still a work in progress….

In the meantime, I have a growing amount of red cyano, plentiful GHA, and diatoms. Of increasing concern now is also the presence of planaria under the scope…

I am at a loss on what to do next. Video and pics attached.

Nitrates bottom out quickly, likely because of the algae & bacteria. Other parameters are normal. Salinity is a little low at 1.024.

 

[aztoza]

Do you have some cleanup crew?

 

[PharmrJohn]

Well, the first thing that I noted was your dosing of silicates. Diatoms love silicates.

Do you have some cleanup crew?

And what kind of utilitarian fish do you have in there above and beyond a standard CUC?

 

[slingfox]

You need to provide more information to get better help: How long has tank been running, what is the setup (eg, size, equipment, livestock), full tank photos, parameters, etc. note also most cannot see the video you posted. Best is to post on YouTube or some other video sharing site.

 

[Synthgp]

A additional details. This is a Red Sea Reefer 350 (91 gal including sump). Tank has been up since beginning of January 2024 (almost 8 months)

Salinity: 1.024
Nitrates keep bottoming out when using NeoNitro.
Phosphates last checked at .04
Magnesium is at 1340
Calcium at 410

Clean up crew currently is snails
I have a yellow watchman goby, yellow eye Kole tang, and a one spot foxface, and two tuxedo urchins on order.

In the tank currently are 3 royal grammas (1 to be rehomed once I can catch it) 3 clown fish, and 2 firefish.

My build thread has additional details on the tank.

I have been dosing silicates as I was battling dinos - still have some. I also have BRS Rox carbon in a filter bag in the sump along with a skimmer and reef mat. I am also running a 25w aqua UV between two different chambers in the sump.

 

[Synthgp]

Well, the first thing that I noted was your dosing of silicates. Diatoms love silicates.



And what kind of utilitarian fish do you have in there above and beyond a standard CUC

You need to provide more information to get better help: How long has tank been running, what is the setup (eg, size, equipment, livestock), full tank photos, parameters, etc. note also most cannot see the video you posted. Best is to post on YouTube or some other video sharing site.

details included

 

[Synthgp]

Title says it all… I feel like I am dealing with everything under the sun at this point…

I have been dosing silicates to reduce a high population of Dino’s. This is still a work in progress….

In the meantime, I have a growing amount of red cyano, plentiful GHA, and diatoms. Of increasing concern now is also the presence of planaria under the scope…

I am at a loss on what to do next. Video and pics attached.

Nitrates bottom out quickly, likely because of the algae & bacteria. Other parameters are normal. Salinity is a little low at 1.024.

A additional details. This is a Red Sea Reefer 350 (91 gal including sump). Tank has been up since beginning of January 2024 (almost 8 months)

Salinity: 1.024
Nitrates keep bottoming out when using NeoNitro.
Phosphates last checked at .04
Magnesium is at 1340
Calcium at 410

Clean up crew currently is snails
I have a yellow watchman goby, yellow eye Kole tang, and a one spot foxface, and two tuxedo urchins on order.

In the tank currently are 3 royal grammas (1 to be rehomed once I can catch it) 3 clown fish, and 2 firefish.

My build thread has additional details on the tank.

I have been dosing silicates as I was battling dinos - still have some. I also have BRS Rox carbon in a filter bag in the sump along with a skimmer and reef mat. I am also running a 25w aqua UV between two different chambers in the sump.

 

[Reign1]

I agree dosing silicates is feeding the diatoms. Dinos should go away w/ UV what is the flow through ? I would look @ : Nitrates (I had some issues until I got the nitrates reading regularly), Flow in tank as good flow should help you w/ the cyano, water source for top off and or water changes.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Title says it all… I feel like I am dealing with everything under the sun at this point…

I have been dosing silicates to reduce a high population of Dino’s. This is still a work in progress….

In the meantime, I have a growing amount of red cyano, plentiful GHA, and diatoms. Of increasing concern now is also the presence of planaria under the scope…

I am at a loss on what to do next. Video and pics attached.

Nitrates bottom out quickly, likely because of the algae & bacteria. Other parameters are normal. Salinity is a little low at 1.024.

Stop dosing as you are feeding the issues. I see cyano and hair algae. Treat for cyano which take effecy on hair algae but First pull as much algae as you can by hand and discard. Many refer to this as an algae or bloom. It is actually a combo of algae and bacteria giving it - its name. Cyano is a common photosynthetic organism found in an array of colors such as green, purple and black. blooms typically emerge when nutrient concentrations of phosphate, nitrate and other organic compounds are too high where there are areas with little flow, detritus builds up and becomes a base for cyano. Water changes are important unlike what the perception of not doing one which reduces the organic content that feeds cyano.
I recommend to reduce white light intensity or even turn them off for 3-5 days. Add liquid bacteria daily for a week during the day at 1.5ml per 10 gallons. Add Hydrogen peroxide at night at 1ml per 10 gallons. Add a pouch of chemipure Elite which will balance phos and nitrate and keep them in check.

After the 5 days, add a few snails such as cerith, margarita, astrea and nassarius plus 6-8 blue leg hermits to take control.

 

[Synthgp]

I agree dosing silicates is feeding the diatoms. Dinos should go away w/ UV what is the flow through ? I would look @ : Nitrates (I had some issues until I got the nitrates reading regularly), Flow in tank as good flow should help you w/ the cyano, water source for top off and or water changes.

I am using a Syncra silent 1.0 with the UV.

For nitrates, I think the algae / diatoms are consuming this very quickly. If I keep dosing neonitro, I thought I would keep feeding the algae?

In the tank, I have 2 Red Sea reef waves running at 80% and the return pump running at 70%., so I feel flow through the tank is pretty good.

I have eliminated white light altogether. And just run blues.

I also have a few struggling zoas that are also trying to fight off the algae.

 

[Ziggy17]

What Dino species were you fighting? UV may not be your answer. And depending on the Dino, you will need to continue dosing the silicate until they are gone. Rid the dinos, then rid the Cyano. And until you have a dino free slide under the microscope , embrace the suck and the ugly. Cyano will help out compete the dinos, which is great. Cyano itself is simple to get rid of after the Dinos are gone, but if you stop the silicates, the Dino will stay and you will be posting the same thread in 2 months. Depending on the dino ID

 

[Synthgp]

What Dino species were you fighting? UV may not be your answer. And depending on the Dino, you will need to continue dosing the silicate until they are gone. Rid the dinos, then rid the Cyano. And until you have a dino free slide under the microscope , embrace the suck and the ugly. Cyano will help out compete the dinos, which is great. Cyano itself is simple to get rid of after the Dinos are gone, but if you stop the silicates, the Dino will stay and you will be posting the same thread in 2 months. Depending on the dino ID

It was identified as LCA, which is why I was dosing the silicates. There are still a few Dino’s per slide, but mostly diatoms at this point.

The red cyano is quickly taking over the tank and one of the slides I examined now also seems to be showing signs of bryopsis!


I am also seeing more planaria. Should I do something to combat those at this point?

Am planning a water change this weekend unless the general consensus is to leave the water as dirty as it is becoming.

Running through a full roller mat 500 filter in one month as well.

 

[Synthgp]

A few more pics of current state. Someone asked for a full tank pic.

 

[Ziggy17]

Keep dosing the solicates as you’re doing. Manually remove the cyano if it’s starts to carpet large areas. Have you been checking your nutrients often since dosing silicates? The diatoms will consume a lot as they proliferate and your PO4 could easily bottom out again. I had to dose NO3 and PO4 during my silicate regiment to keep 5 and .05 respectively. I’ve never run into bryopsis yet so I can’t comment.

The reason I say stay the course, is that if you pull the pin too soon on the silicates, the Dino’s will just stick around and you will have to start it all over again. Before I went the silicate dosing, I used some of the techniques I read on here. blackouts, H2O2, manual removal and bacteria. It didn’t work. Just wasted 2 months…. Then I went to Mack’s Facebook page and was given the proven method to rid them and it worked. Took 4 months but the LCA finally disappeared.

 

[goosemans]

If you don’t have any corals just turn off your lights to give the tank a reset. Problem solved

 

[Ziggy17]

If you don’t have any corals just turn off your lights to give the tank a reset. Problem solved

You should hop on one foot and chant an abstract prayer while turning off the lights to increase the efficacy.