Thought this was diatoms, but possibly dino, please help ID

[taylorn13]

Okay so I posted yesterday about being sure it was diatoms in my tank but my lights have a programmed 30 minute moonlight phase where the whites turn off and it’s just blue light. Under white lights, this brown stuff looks exactly like diatoms, but just now, with the blue light on, I see a bunch of little airbubbles attached to the brown stuff on the sandbed. They are very tiny airbubbles but they are everywhere. This is now starting to worry me. My tank is new (only 2 months old) so I just assumed it was diatoms (I’ve also dealt with my fair share of diatoms with freshwater aquariums). Not sure where these came from since I started with dry rock. I did use live sand, but not sure how that would get in the mix. All of my fish were quarantined for 30 days at my lfs, so i didn’t see a need to quarantine them (i only have 2 clowns). Corals were also from the same lfs and also quarantined for 30 days. I have no clue how dino’s could have even entered my tank. I did buy 2 nerites and 2 nassarius snails, but that was after the first spotting of what I had thought were diatoms. Could someone give me insight as to what the heck is going on with my tank? Any help is appreciated!!

 

[taylorn13]

Not sure if this is a good pic but all the little white specks that look like tiny grains of sand are airbubbles

 

[taylorn13]

Here’s another. The rock with the giant airbubbles Isn’t anything. I just added more rock and the airbubbles haven’t floated to the top yet

 

[twilliard]

Sorry, but I can't tell with the lighting.
To help determine what it is I would need to see the color and texture. The best way to do that with your setup may be to have the lights off and take a picture using the flash.

 

[taylorn13]

Sorry, but I can't tell with the lighting.
To help determine what it is I would need to see the color and texture. The best way to do that with your setup may be to have the lights off and take a picture using the flash.

 

[taylorn13]

Sorry, but I can't tell with the lighting.
To help determine what it is I would need to see the color and texture. The best way to do that with your setup may be to have the lights off and take a picture using the flash.

I did also do the turkey baster test and it looked like it came off in clumps, but not sure if it’s snotty

 

[twilliard]

How much of that are you seeing on the rocks?

 

[taylorn13]

How much of that are you seeing on the rocks?

A lot. It started in small patches and quickly covered the sandbed and then started to form on the rock. Pretty much the backsides of the rocks are covered in the brown stuff. It still came off in clumps on the rocks. Basically, I woke up one morning after siphoning the sand and wiping the glass. Within 6 hours it covered a lot of the sandbed.

 

[twilliard]

With that info, I am leaning towards dinoflagellates.

 

[taylorn13]

How much of that are you seeing on the rocks?

If it helps, my water params are 0ppm ammonia and nitrite, 10ppm nitrate, 420ppm calcium, 8dkh alkalinity, 0 phosphate, 8.0 pH, 78°F temp, 1.025 sg

 

[taylorn13]

With that info, I am leaning towards dinoflagellates.

Was really hoping you wouldn’t say that. Do you know how it could have even entered my tank. I’m just curious so I dont do it again. I did dose Kent nano reef part A and B to help with corals too. Other than that no clue.

 

[taylorn13]

not sure if you can even see the second video but it comes off like those little particles you see floating around

 

[twilliard]

Without seeing it under a scope this is just my best guess from my experience with these issues.
Dinoflagellates are smart and small. I have specimens that will go dormant when they are stressed so even when a person quarantines they still may be introduced. There is a sticky up top if you would like to follow it. I am playing catchup right now as I have been gone for a while but do plan to continue my work.

 

[taylorn13]

Without seeing it under a scope this is just my best guess from my experience with these issues.
Dinoflagellates are smart and small. I have specimens that will go dormant when they are stressed so even when a person quarantines they still may be introduced. There is a sticky up top if you would like to follow it. I am playing catchup right now as I have been gone for a while but do plan to continue my work.

Currently doing the coffee filter test. fingers crossed!

 

[taylorn13]

Without seeing it under a scope this is just my best guess from my experience with these issues.
Dinoflagellates are smart and small. I have specimens that will go dormant when they are stressed so even when a person quarantines they still may be introduced. There is a sticky up top if you would like to follow it. I am playing catchup right now as I have been gone for a while but do plan to continue my work.

Do not see any dinos. Did the test twice just to be sure. The second time doing it, whatever was in there smelt very bad. Could that be a sign of cyano? I don’t mean to be a bother but as a new saltwater aquarium keeper I’m a little bit more stressed than most because I really want to get this right! I do not have any hydrogen peroxide to do the cyano test, but I will pick some up at the drugstore tomorrow!

 

[twilliard]

I would have to ask about the coffee filter test. I am not familiar with the procedure and its outcomes.

 

[taylorn13]

I would have to ask about the coffee filter test. I am not familiar with the procedure and its outcomes.

Basically, you get a sample of the suspected dinos, strain them through a coffee filter, wait 15-30 minutes (i waited an hour to make sure). After 15-30 minutes, if the sample clumps back together, it’s dinos and if not then its just diatoms since they dont regroup!

 

[taylorn13]

I would have to ask about the coffee filter test. I am not familiar with the procedure and its outcomes.

Its actually from @taricha’s dino confirmation guide

 

[taylorn13]

Found some hydrogen perioxide lying around. Did the hydrogen periodide test with a sample of the brown stuff all over my tank. Bubbles are attached to the brown stuff now. Guessing thats a positive on cyano. If someone could confirm that cyano could look like this that’d be great!