Do Dinos create mats like in this picture?

[Lebowski_]

I was reviewing the Dino Treatment article and the Are You Tired? thread by @mcarroll , and I noticed that many of the pics people were sharing did not have quite the mat structure I am seeing on my rocks.

Right now I am waiting to see if anyone in my local group has a microscope and can help me identify, but in the short term I am just following some of the advice in those two threads.

Based on my tests (PO4 - 0.02, NO3 - 0-5) I am almost 100% sure it's dinos, but other people's pictures have me 2nd guessing.

 

[shakacuz]

cyano?

 

[Lebowski_]

cyano?

I started thinking cyano, but my Phosphate and Nitrates are very low, and I thought Cyano needed a ton of nutrients to thrive.

Maybe they were high and the Cyano dropped them! lol

 

[iamacat]

That’s a mess!

looks exotic.

I would suck it out and just continue forward with what you’ve been doing. It’s just a phase

 

[Lebowski_]

View attachment 3156675
That’s a mess!

looks exotic.

I would suck it out and just continue forward with what you’ve been doing. It’s just a phase

Buddy it's thick enough that I am tempted to lay it down as a carpet in the visitor's bedroom where my mother in law sleeps when she visits.

If my furnace ever acts up, I am just going to pull some out of the tank and use it as a blanket.

 

[iriecorals]

No need to overthink it. Just suck it out and let it do what’s gonna happen. Does look like cyno though.

 

[iamacat]

Buddy it's thick enough that I am tempted to lay it down as a carpet in the visitor's bedroom where my mother in law sleeps when she visits.

If my furnace ever acts up, I am just going to pull some out of the tank and use it as a blanket.

 

[taricha]

I'm going to bet that the structures in that picture are a combination dino/cyano mat. Everybody asks if it's either/or with nuisances. It can always be both/and!

 

[Lebowski_]

I'm going to bet that the structures in that picture are a combination dino/cyano mat. Everybody asks if it's either/or with nuisances. It can always be both/and!

Well that's terrible, thank you!

 

[Crustaceon]

I started thinking cyano, but my Phosphate and Nitrates are very low

Reverse. Low nutrients can cause all kinds of things to pop up. The theory is (pretty consistent IME), beneficial bacterial needs a certain amount of N&P to thrive but cyano can survive and thrive at lower levels, which means the beneficial bacteria starves with N&P drops too low and the cyano takes off.

 

[Megaloptera]

Reverse. Low nutrients can cause all kinds of things to pop up. The theory is (pretty consistent IME), beneficial bacterial needs a certain amount of N&P to thrive but cyano can survive and thrive at lower levels, which means the beneficial bacteria starves with N&P drops too low and the cyano takes off.

Cyano and some other undesirables actually sacrifice cellular structures to harvest phosphorous in order for it to grow.

 

[Crustaceon]

Cyano and some other undesirables actually sacrifice cellular structures to harvest phosphorous in order for it to grow.

Yeah, cyano is nasty stuff. For me, going under 2ppm nitrates and .02 ppm phosphates is always a no-no.

 

[Lebowski_]

Yeah, cyano is nasty stuff. For me, going under 2ppm nitrates and .02 ppm phosphates is always a no-no.

I think I've accomplished both. Even heavily feeding Reef Roids, a known phosphate raiser, hasn't had an impact.

 

[Lebowski_]

Man the information on Cyano varies wildly. I have no idea which sources are trustworthy. Some say manually remove and lower organics/cut ffeding, some say to raise phos and nitrates and to keep feeding heavily, some say to just use one of those red slime remover products as it's the only real solution long term. This hobby makes my head spin sometimes.

 

[Crustaceon]

I think I've accomplished both. Even heavily feeding Reef Roids, a known phosphate raiser, hasn't had an impact.

It takes time for bacteria to come back and outcompete the cyano. Usually a few weeks to a month at raised nutrient levels.

 

[19Mateo83]

View attachment 3156690

God I’m glad that phase went

 

[ScottB]

I think of cyano as a transitional or intermediate nuisance. When a system is transitioning to/from different nutrient levels they get their chance. Just vacuum them out and let you nutrients stabilize at some reasonable level like 10/.1 or so.

Chemiclean will kill it off for sure, but some other set of microorganisms will spool up quickly to fill the void. Dinos anyone?

 

[WestMI-Reefer]

God I’m glad that phase went

Jnco is actually enjoying more popularity right now than the last 20 years. Lol. Is it worse than the skinny jean phase?

as far as the cyano is concerned, I too am dealing with it. Tank is coming up on 6 months. From everything I’ve read (like you) advice is all over. Even the debate around chemiclean is erratic, some claiming it’s totally not reef safe.

the only consistent anecdote was that cyano seems to disappear after a certain maturity is achieved.

 

[19Mateo83]

Is it worse than the skinny jean phase?

Yea…. I guess your right…Well played good sir.

i have been having pretty good luck battling Cyano using @vetteguy53081 ’s advice. 1ml peroxide per 10 gallons at night and 1.5ml of microbacter 7 per 10 gal during the day. It is getting noticeably less In my tank. I did have to stop dosing N&P and go to running just blue spectrum.

 

[MrGisonni]

Cyanobacteria ugghhh. Siphon it out. Chemiclean works but use less than recommend and follow the other instructions exactly!!! Aerate lots. Lights out. Water changes, and get your nitrates up! Dose some bacteria as well afterwards, then wait out the inevitable cloudy bacterial bloom. Maybe add a small UV.