Think I'm looking at dinoflagellates not diatoms???

The last 2 days I'm noticing air bubbles on top.and it blows off the rocks in Chunks not like dust like it was.. It's driving me bonkers!!!

 

Dinos usually form snot like strings and trap bubbles underneath the snot.

 

I'm starting to see some string like pieces. Can it form right after diatoms or during?

 

I suggest you go to ReefCleaners.org and look at the problem algae section.

Dino is a nightmare that I would not wish on anyone so you really need to make sure that is it.

If you decide it is indeed dino and not diatoms or cynobacteria let us know.

 

Dinos. Blah.



Yours looks like a bad case of diatoms.

 

I had exactly the same looking stuff when my tank was cycling. I swear it "looked" like dinos but it must have been a strong case of diatoms. It looked like that for a couple weeks, then they started fading away. I've never seen them since.

 

My last stank got a bad case during the cycle. It was hard to watch. At some points I was doubting whether or not it would go away like "regular" diatoms. It eventually did... but I chewed through all my nails.

 

I've been reading with dinos you do lights out for a while, should I at least cut my light cycle? Just incase

 

IMO no just treat like diatoms and wait. To treat dino it should be a full 4 day complete blackout otherwise you are just wasting your time IME.

 

jdameli1

yours look like diatoms, they look like diatoms that have become layered , you had a silicate spike in the new set up, and triggered a massive amount of diatom activity
the brown you see is not in fact the diatom it is in fact the dead remains of the diatom
the diatom when its alive is not visible to the human eye

you have so many diatoms they have clambered over each other and thus you have this brown stringy formation occuring

I am not a gambling man, but I would wager 37 cents (see I told you I was not a gambling man) that in 2 weeks time you say "they are fading" and in 4 weeks or so you will be saying " How am I going to give Steve 37 cents" as they will be gone

Steve