Algae ID needed please help.

Bryanmc1988 · 12/12/2018, 08:28 PM

I’m not sure what type of algae this is, but it’s growing all over my back and side glass and now some on the rocks and sand. Can someone help me ID this and how to treat it. I have scrubbed it off and it just grows twice as fast the next day.

I have put it under a microscope to get a more confirmation of it. Photos attached below.

P.S. is there a link to a full microscope thread of all the algae in order to ID them?

I know there is some hair algae that is green, but what is the brown slimy one. It comes off easily by blowing it off with a baster or rubbing my finger along side it. The tank has been running for about 6 months now with about 8 fish and 5 inverts and a hand full of snails.

The tanks water parameters are as follows and stabled:
Salinity: 1.025-1.026
Temp: 76F - 78F
Alk: 8-9
Cal: ~400
Mag: 1350-1400
NO3: 3-5ppm
PO4: 0.15

mcgyvr · 12/13/2018, 01:56 AM

Dinoflagellates likely the Ostreopsis variety..

JWClark · 12/13/2018, 07:35 AM

Yep, Ostreopsis. Google for pics.

Bryanmc1988 · 12/13/2018, 08:58 AM

What are the best treatment options that I have to rid these guys.

JWClark · 12/14/2018, 08:19 AM

UV and raise nutrient levels. Raising nutrient levels being more important. Good that you know what they are as it seems other genera require different strategies--hence the conflicting info out there. Search around here and google--lots of opinions out there--but I will tell you that low nutrients seem to make these guys (Ostreopsis spp.) worse.

From what I've read, low nutrient levels may be one of the triggers for blooms in the wild. Keep this in mind. They have a cyst stage that lasts 4-5 months on average but can go dormant for much longer. So, once gone, if nutrients drop to undetectable again they may re-appear (have for me).

Bryanmc1988 · 12/14/2018, 10:20 PM

So these dino are the easiest to get rid of compared to other types of dino?

I have started raising my NO3 and running my UV again on the tank. How long do you think it will take to see a chance or a reduction of these Ostreopsis dino?

garygonzales · 12/15/2018, 10:11 AM

manual removal works great too...scrape off as much as possible and turkey base the rest..maybe use a sock or floss to catch the debris ..untill you can get a head of this...

JWClark · 12/16/2018, 05:49 AM

Took about a week and a half for my tank. First few days it looked like not much was happening. Then, about 5 days in, they started disappearing exponentially day by day. I've read others didn't have such luck so there are probably a lot of complex interactions that will make every tank experience unique.

12/12/2018, 08:28 PM	#1
Bryanmc1988 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2018 Location: San Diego CA 92115 Posts: 262	Algae ID needed please help. I’m not sure what type of algae this is, but it’s growing all over my back and side glass and now some on the rocks and sand. Can someone help me ID this and how to treat it. I have scrubbed it off and it just grows twice as fast the next day. I have put it under a microscope to get a more confirmation of it. Photos attached below. P.S. is there a link to a full microscope thread of all the algae in order to ID them? I know there is some hair algae that is green, but what is the brown slimy one. It comes off easily by blowing it off with a baster or rubbing my finger along side it. The tank has been running for about 6 months now with about 8 fish and 5 inverts and a hand full of snails. The tanks water parameters are as follows and stabled: Salinity: 1.025-1.026 Temp: 76F - 78F Alk: 8-9 Cal: ~400 Mag: 1350-1400 NO3: 3-5ppm PO4: 0.15 Last edited by Bryanmc1988; 12/12/2018 at 08:51 PM.

12/13/2018, 01:56 AM	#2
mcgyvr Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: North Carolina Posts: 20,050	Dinoflagellates likely the Ostreopsis variety.. __________________ Who me?

12/13/2018, 07:35 AM	#3
JWClark Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: MD Posts: 576	Yep, Ostreopsis. Google for pics. __________________ Back after a 13yr hiatus--much to my wife's dismay. Though she sure loves looking at the tank and feeding the fish! Current Tank Info: Reefer 450 seed tank for the retirement 315gal Reef Savvy build.

12/14/2018, 08:19 AM	#5
JWClark Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: MD Posts: 576	UV and raise nutrient levels. Raising nutrient levels being more important. Good that you know what they are as it seems other genera require different strategies--hence the conflicting info out there. Search around here and google--lots of opinions out there--but I will tell you that low nutrients seem to make these guys (Ostreopsis spp.) worse. From what I've read, low nutrient levels may be one of the triggers for blooms in the wild. Keep this in mind. They have a cyst stage that lasts 4-5 months on average but can go dormant for much longer. So, once gone, if nutrients drop to undetectable again they may re-appear (have for me). __________________ Back after a 13yr hiatus--much to my wife's dismay. Though she sure loves looking at the tank and feeding the fish! Current Tank Info: Reefer 450 seed tank for the retirement 315gal Reef Savvy build.

12/16/2018, 05:49 AM	#8
JWClark Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: MD Posts: 576	Took about a week and a half for my tank. First few days it looked like not much was happening. Then, about 5 days in, they started disappearing exponentially day by day. I've read others didn't have such luck so there are probably a lot of complex interactions that will make every tank experience unique. __________________ Back after a 13yr hiatus--much to my wife's dismay. Though she sure loves looking at the tank and feeding the fish! Current Tank Info: Reefer 450 seed tank for the retirement 315gal Reef Savvy build.

12/13/2018, 08:58 AM	#4
Bryanmc1988 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2018 Location: San Diego CA 92115 Posts: 262	What are the best treatment options that I have to rid these guys.

12/14/2018, 10:20 PM	#6
Bryanmc1988 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2018 Location: San Diego CA 92115 Posts: 262	So these dino are the easiest to get rid of compared to other types of dino? I have started raising my NO3 and running my UV again on the tank. How long do you think it will take to see a chance or a reduction of these Ostreopsis dino?

12/15/2018, 10:11 AM	#7
garygonzales Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: WEST ALLIS ,WI Posts: 922	manual removal works great too...scrape off as much as possible and turkey base the rest..maybe use a sock or floss to catch the debris ..untill you can get a head of this...