Dynoflagellates

[David]

I have had a problem with brownish stringy substance on my rocks. I suspect it is dynoflagellates. It used to be on my sand bed too, but I bought a conch, and it cleaned the sand spotless. I can’t seam to get it off my rock. I blast it away daily. It grows right back. I have less than 5 nitrates, and less than .1 phosphates. I have battled hair algae and bubble algae in the past by simply cleaning up my water, and starving it out. My efforts don’t seem to effect this. My snails that generally do a good job cleaning algae, won’t touch this stuff. I won’t buy anymore snails because they’d sooner starve than go near this stuff. Anyone ever have any suggestions? I have included a picture as well.

 

[njtiger24 aquariums]

Have you tried sucking it out during water changes? Maybe also a turkey baster to help suck it out?

 

[David]

Yea. I tried and tried. Scrubbed it with a tooth brush, syphoned it out, daily 10% water changes, you name it. 24 hours later it’s back.

 

[njtiger24 aquariums]

hmmm not too sure then.

 

[David]

I’m going to try a 3 day blackout. That may tell me if it’s lighting related

 

[mikem]

Here's a good read if it's dinos

Dinoflagellates – Are You Tired Of Battling Altogether?

 

[David]

Thanks. That is extremely informative.

 

[MadReefer]

Feel your pain. Second time this year for me. Been dosing Vibrant as perxide. My sand bed is disgusting and may stop by ACC for a conch.

 

[David]

The conch is amazing. Everywhere it goes it leaves pristine white sand behind. Mine happens to be a tiger conch. The fighting conch are supposed to be good too.

 

[Mrx7899x]

If the couch is eating it its probably not dinos

 

[MadReefer]

Thanks and good luck. Let me know how you beat it.

 

[David]

Yea, we’ll nothing will touch whatever is growing on my rocks. The coral are doing ok, but probably irritated to some degree by it.

 

[David]

Ok. I figure since none of this stuff is growing on the live rock in my sump, it has something to do with lighting. I have turned down the red and greens to 6 percent max. I have shortened my total lighting shcedule by 2 hours to 8. I have also turned all other settings down About 10 percent. I’m going to give this a week or so before I go black out.

 

[diana a]

David, it might be your light settings. I have this on my one rock. I have two Chinese lights on my 40b. The rock island that is the highest has this only at the very top. It is located right below my light. The light is 6 inches off the water. I had thought I had Dino's too a few months ago but I don't think it's the case. I have taken the rock out of the tank and scrub and rinse it. It occurs again. I have placed another rock in its place that didn't have it and it occurs on that rock too. This is only occurring right under the light in one location. I have no way of adjusting my red and green light separately

 

[David]

Removing the rock at this point is not feasible. The have coral on them. They were carefully scaped when the tank was dry. It would be impossible with the tank wet, and all the inhabitants. Best I can do is scrub them in the tank and catch the debris with a micron sock.

 

[MadReefer]

@Diana, I also have black box lights.
What adjustment to the light did you make.

 

[David]

I don’t have black box lights. I have reefbreeder photon V2. I am able to control 6 Chanel’s individuals. I reduced red, green channels a lot.

 

[diana a]

@Diana, I also have black box lights.
What adjustment to the light did you make.

only run blues on the lowest setting. my lights are too close to the water. I need to find time to redo the arms they are installed on to get them up. I find if I run the whites I have that white cotton algea on the rocks located near the surface of the water. Don't like not having some whites on but there is no way to adjust the green, and reds when the whites are on since it is on the same control switch

 

[David]

Yea. I seem to have the opposite of my previous tank. That was high nutrient, but didn’t have any algae problems. This one is low nutrient, but has problems. I suspect I’ll stumble on a solution with a little more troubleshooting. Thanks for all the suggestions.

 

[MadReefer]

Diana my lights are same as yours or similar and about 8 inches from surface.
David, I was just made aware as well that low nutrients cause dinos.