Diatoms or Dino?

[samuel venner]

hello and thanks in advanced.
I have set a new tank up and it’s around 10 days old at this point.

Over the last two days a huge coating of brown algae I believe to be diatoms has covered my rocks, sand and glass.

however it is also covered in air bubbles which makes me think it’s not diatoms.

Here’s the photos.

made they diatoms or dinos ?

 

[tharbin]

It is very hard to be positive from your photos but that looks like just diatoms to me. If the tank is young, there can be bubbles from the rocks for weeks, depending on the rock and whether it was dry when you started the tank. The bubbles can get trapped in the diatoms and sometimes just have enough surface tension to stick to the rocks. They will dissipate eventually or you can hit them with a little blast to dislodge them.

It does not look like dinos to me and it is a little early in the cycle for dinos to be likely.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I would not even take a guess. Please take pics under white light. With no disrespect, this is what we see:

 

[ScottB]

Don't worry about new brown stuff, followed by new green stuff, then some rusty colored stuff, then...

Just stick with maintaining all your basics of salinity, temp, basic husbandry and some steady nutrients. Your biome will be noisy for many months --particularly if this was a dead rock start.

 

[samuel venner]

I would not even take a guess. Please take pics under white light. With no disrespect, this is what we see:

I have attached more photos appreciate your time thank you.

 

[samuel venner]

Don't worry about new brown stuff, followed by new green stuff, then some rusty colored stuff, then...

Just stick with maintaining all your basics of salinity, temp, basic husbandry and some steady nutrients. Your biome will be noisy for many months --particularly if this was a dead rock start.

It was indeed. It’s my second tank however they just don’t look the same as my last diatom bloom. Lots of bubbles in them

 

[ScottB]

It was indeed. It’s my second tank however they just don’t look the same as my last diatom bloom. Lots of bubbles in them

Yeah that second set of pics is pretty impressive.

Is the tank populated or are you still cycling?

You can stir that up a little without any harm, but don't worry. Something else will come along to replace this. Likely a film algae or bacterial film.

 

[samuel venner]

Yeah that second set of pics is pretty impressive.

Is the tank populated or are you still cycling?

You can stir that up a little without any harm, but don't worry. Something else will come along to replace this. Likely a film algae or bacterial film.

It is populated with some clowns. My main concern is that it’s not dinoflagellates and it’s diatoms.

 

[saltyhog]

Could still be diatoms but dinos are definitely a possibility also. A sample under the microscope is the only way to say for sure.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Appears to be diatoms. Assuming this is a newer tank, as many often state- normal. For me, it may be normal but not the appearance I welcome. Diatoms are a brown algae that typically appear in a reef tank that has just completed its cycle but they can also appear in an established reef tank. They can cover sand, rock, pumps, glass, you name it. Diatoms look ugly but in most cases they are harmless so the key is to not panic when they appear.

Diatoms feed mainly off of silicates but also consume dissolved organic compounds, phosphate and nitrates. Unfiltered tap water can contain silicates and is a good way to jump start a bloom if you use it to mix salt or to replace water that evaporated from the tank. The best way to prevent this from happening is to filter water through a RODI unit, although you can still get a diatom bloom when using RODI if the cartridge that removes silicates expires.
diatoms are typically harmless to a captive reef and can be beaten once their food source expires. Once you put the kibosh on the source, the outbreak should last a couple of weeks so just be patient and it will pass.

For major outbreaks you may want to consider the three day blackout. Diatoms are easily wiped from the glass with a mag float, a turkey baster or a toothbrush can access other areas of the tank. Be prepared for them to re-establish themselves quickly, they are likely to be able to resettle and have exponential growth rates.
To prevent their return, practice good aquarium husbandry by doing regular water changes, keep the substrate clean, don’t overfeed the fish, ensure your skimmer is running at an optimal level and rinse out filter socks and sponges on a regular basis.
Some cleaner crew to help control it are : Cerith snails, Nerite snails and Trochus snails and also Astraea snails are effective at removing diatoms.

 

[samuel venner]

Appears to be diatoms. Assuming this is a newer tank, as many often state- normal. For me, it may be normal but not the appearance I welcome. Diatoms are a brown algae that typically appear in a reef tank that has just completed its cycle but they can also appear in an established reef tank. They can cover sand, rock, pumps, glass, you name it. Diatoms look ugly but in most cases they are harmless so the key is to not panic when they appear.

Diatoms feed mainly off of silicates but also consume dissolved organic compounds, phosphate and nitrates. Unfiltered tap water can contain silicates and is a good way to jump start a bloom if you use it to mix salt or to replace water that evaporated from the tank. The best way to prevent this from happening is to filter water through a RODI unit, although you can still get a diatom bloom when using RODI if the cartridge that removes silicates expires.
diatoms are typically harmless to a captive reef and can be beaten once their food source expires. Once you put the kibosh on the source, the outbreak should last a couple of weeks so just be patient and it will pass.

For major outbreaks you may want to consider the three day blackout. Diatoms are easily wiped from the glass with a mag float, a turkey baster or a toothbrush can access other areas of the tank. Be prepared for them to re-establish themselves quickly, they are likely to be able to resettle and have exponential growth rates.
To prevent their return, practice good aquarium husbandry by doing regular water changes, keep the substrate clean, don’t overfeed the fish, ensure your skimmer is running at an optimal level and rinse out filter socks and sponges on a regular basis.
Some cleaner crew to help control it are : Cerith snails, Nerite snails and Trochus snails and also Astraea snails are effective at removing diatoms.

Im happy as long as it’s the usual diatom bloom that passes in 2/3 weeks. Just don’t want to deal with dinoflagellates. Thanks for the help.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Im happy as long as it’s the usual diatom bloom that passes in 2/3 weeks. Just don’t want to deal with dinoflagellates. Thanks for the help.

At minimum, siphon it up so it does not block the anerobic bacteria oxygen needs.

 

[samuel venner]

At minimum, siphon it up so it does not block the anerobic bacteria oxygen needs.

Okay i will do that as part of my water change tomorrow thank you.

how long do you expect diatoms to last if it is ? If not I’ll guess it’s dinos if they stay too long

 

[ScottB]

Okay i will do that as part of my water change tomorrow thank you.

how long do you expect diatoms to last if it is ? If not I’ll guess it’s dinos if they stay too long

If you want to rule out dinos, you can test for them. But even if it is, I really wouldn't sweat about it.

The coffee filter test:
a) Syphon out a good sample of the gunk along with some tank water.
b) Place in a container with a lid and shake very hard for 30 seconds or so. The gunk should be dissolved now.
c) Pour the solution through a coffee filter into a clear glass. The water should be largely clear now.
d) Place the jar under a light source for roughly an hour.
e) If the gunk coagulates back into a glob, well, welcome to the club nobody really wants to be in.

 

[Lavey29]

Kill your lights. No reason to run lights on a new tank with no coral. You are just feeding the problem. Several months down the road bring your lights online slowly and the ugly stage will be minimal.

 

[tharbin]

Im happy as long as it’s the usual diatom bloom that passes in 2/3 weeks. Just don’t want to deal with dinoflagellates. Thanks for the help.

I would also suggest a short blackout, maybe three days, just to knock the bloom down a little.

 

[samuel venner]

If you want to rule out dinos, you can test for them. But even if it is, I really wouldn't sweat about it.

The coffee filter test:
a) Syphon out a good sample of the gunk along with some tank water.
b) Place in a container with a lid and shake very hard for 30 seconds or so. The gunk should be dissolved now.
c) Pour the solution through a coffee filter into a clear glass. The water should be largely clear now.
d) Place the jar under a light source for roughly an hour.
e) If the gunk coagulates back into a glob, well, welcome to the club nobody really wants to be in.

I have noticed that when the bubbles release occasionally the Dino/diatom goes to the surface and creates a small oil puddle of brown algae on the surface does that help with either Dino or diatom ?

 

[ADAM]