I need help please!! DINO?? not DINO? how to fix it!??

I am using only RO water. I also have a good clean up crew. I will reduce the light cycle to what you guys recomended and see what happens. Is that brown hair algae? Or what is it? Its so fluffy looking...

 

ok i think this is a great article on brown algae.

http://saltaquarium.about.com/od/di...or-Brown-Algae-In-Your-Saltwater-Aquarium.htm

 

Water parameters:

Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0
pH 8.4
Salinity 1.024
Calcium 430 Mg/L
Phosphate 0
Magnesium 1140 ppm

 

I know this may not be much help, but sometimes even when the phosphate test comes back as "0", phosphates still may be causing the algae growth. Phosphates can be consumed as quickly as they are generated, and hobbyist level phosphate test kits are usually low resolution (what kind of kit are you using by the way?).

I suggest a combination of GFO, reducing feed, and adding a few herbivorous snails/hermit crabs. When used together, this technique can reduce phosphates and control algae growth. If you are already using GFO, that is great.

Nothing wrong with using regular Instant Ocean salt... lots of successful aquariums use it. I recently switched from Reef Crystals, since it is more expensive and I find it easier to get the water parameters I want with regular IO.

Also, using "only" RO water is sometimes fine, sometimes not. It depends on the water quality in your area. If you are getting 0 TDS with just RO, I don't think it is necessary to add a DI stage.

Also, just a random thought, was anyone feeding the tank while you were away?

 

I'm using API liquid test kit.

I will test the water coming out of the RO filter. If it does have phosphates what could be the cause? And how do I fix it?
Shouldn't RO water be phosphate free?

I am already looking into getting a phosphate reactor soon, but I would like it if my RO water was clean because that was the purpose of buying the RO filter in the first place.

 

just ro will not remove sillicates from your water this is what i believe your problem is diatom algae, sillicate in the water and others cause this problem, there are filters you can add to the ro that will remove sillicate from the water, here is another read that may help.


How to Fight Those Darn Diatoms (Algae) - Page 1

 

Kind of looks like Chyrsophystes.

Bacterial and Algae Hitch Hikers

You did not post any parameters other than phos for your tank. My first guess would be a significant swing in parameters.

I/O is a great salt even for SPS tanks.

 

I posted them already (post #13) Everything seems normal? This was an used tank.
I stored my RO water in a barrel.. could this be the source of silicates that fueled this to grow? It kinda does look like Chrysophytes. It's very furry and crystalline with only a small brown part in the bottom where its growing out of.


If this is a silicate problem, how do I deal with it? Can I just add a filter? or is there some sort of reactor?

 

Why yes you did

Not that it is going to make a huge difference with what ever bloom you have but I would bring up the Mag 100 ppm/day until you get to at least 1350, that might help the corals.

If it is Chrystophytes, seems like it is one of the harder blooms do deal with. Serious reduction of silicates and waiting it out seems to be the only way to deal with it that I have ever read.

Some say to treat it as you would Dino.

Dinoflagellates - Predators, Pathogens, and Partners by Eric Borneman - Reefkeeping.com

 

I guess I'm ok with waiting it out as long as it doesn't get worse. How would I go about removing the silicates?
Also, could this be the cause of the death of my SPS coral? Or what do you think might have caused it to die?