+BobcatReefer Posted April 12, 2018 Share Posted April 12, 2018 So, I have been fighting this...whatever...for the last 6 months or so. I thought it was cyano, but not 100% sure now. It's not as "sheety" or maroon/dark as what I think cyano is, but close enough. I have treated w/ ChemiClean 4 times now. 1st time it worked pretty well, but the cyano came back a couple of weeks later. Fast forward to this week and the ChemiClean (heavy dosage) had literally zero effect. This is Day 4 - barely a dent. Is it immune to ChemiClean now?? Even worse, these Superman Rhodactis have not only been bulletproof, but thriving for 2+ years, and today they are dissolved into shroomgoo. I have no idea if the two are related, but both make me sad, so here we are. Someone please tell me how to fix this! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vernon Saunders Posted April 12, 2018 Share Posted April 12, 2018 This looks like a type of brown algae, not sure of the name but I don't think chemiclean is going to help long term. I would try some good sand sifters (sand sifting starfish/Gobies) to help the sand, scape the sides and do some water testing (nitrites/nitrates, phosphate) and see if there is a nutrient issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timfish Posted April 12, 2018 Share Posted April 12, 2018 Hopefully you haven't created a resistant super strain of cyano and it is just diatoms. I only use manual removal and hebivores for algae issues. For the sand hermits, burrowing snails and sand eating cucumbers will help (don't get filter feeding type cucumbers, they always starve). For manual removal it helps to get stainless steel straws suing a rubber band of needed to fit it into a siphon hose and siphoning it off. FYI while red is generally the type cyano encountered cyanobacteria comes in a brown, green and black. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isaac Posted April 12, 2018 Share Posted April 12, 2018 when you chemi-cleaned... did you do a water change before you fired up the skimmer, or just turn the skimmer on and replace saltwater as needed? the reason i ask... my just turning the skimmer on, its essentially a super-wet skim. if you agitate the "stuff" while the skimmer is running wet, it might actually take some of it out, even if its not cyano. I actually think it looks like a diatom bloom. this can occur on established tanks if your water change it too large of a ratio and/or you nitrogen cycle gets disrupted too much. I'd monitor your water parameters daily to try and get a better idea of things, back to the basics... ammonia/nitrite/nitrate/phosphate. if ammonia/nitrate are 0, doublecheck your top off water doesnt have chlorine/chloramines. assuming its diatoms, you are looking for reasons the cycle would crap out. for removal, i agree w/ tim, manual as much as possible, CUC for the rest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BBMarlin Posted April 12, 2018 Share Posted April 12, 2018 Whenever I have a diatom issue it's typically related to my di filter. Check the age of all your filters and see if you notice an increase in activity after a water change even if you show 0tds. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShawnM Posted April 12, 2018 Share Posted April 12, 2018 +1 for diatoms. It does not look like cyano to me. I agree some kind of sand softer would help counch or nassarius snails is what I use. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+BobcatReefer Posted April 12, 2018 Author Share Posted April 12, 2018 Definitely showing 0 TDS. Pretty sure I changed out all chambers of my filter less than a year ago. Never changed more than ~15gal at a time, as that's the biggest barrel I own. When I run ChemiClean: Turn off carbon reactor Run skimmer, but take the top off and just let it run over and back into the sump. I figure that adds the air exchange the instructions ask for. Run filter socks to catch the crud as I get aggressive w/ the turkey baster and put as much into the water column as possible. When I'm ready to clean out the Chemi, I fire up the carbon reactor and do a water change. Haven't done the change this time yet. Maybe I'll run it wet and into a bucket and replace as needed. I like that idea. I have a Kole Tang about 5 days from ending QT and heading in. He'll eat some of the green algae that's popped up in the last month or so since my sea hare died (she ate all the algae and I didn't get her out fast enough after). I need to pick up an Orange Diamond Goby that will turn the sand over enough that whatever it is can't build up. Had one in this QT batch, but it didn't make it. What kind of hermits? And where can I get more of the giant Nassarius I have? The big 1.5" ones - have 3 and could use another 5. The ones I order from Reef Cleaners are the tiny ones (I have a ton of those too). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+BobcatReefer Posted April 12, 2018 Author Share Posted April 12, 2018 Also - what melted my mushrooms?!?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vernon Saunders Posted April 12, 2018 Share Posted April 12, 2018 I had a mushroom at one point that melted after I used chemiclean (back when I first started reefing so I cant prove or disprove this due to lack of experience) but I always assumed that the mushrooms didn't like the chemiclean and died... I fully acknowledge that it seems a bit out there but I haven't gotten any more mushrooms since to verify the results. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Dogfish Posted April 12, 2018 Share Posted April 12, 2018 So looks like I have something similar. New tank, so it may not be the same. Does not appear to be slimy. It is on the sand, where there is not much flow blowing directly on it. Also on the top of the rocks where it gets the most light. Grows on the sides of the tank but is easy to magnet clean off. I tried to move the sand manually and that helped a bit. Put a powerhead to blow on it. It did not grow as fast but did not go away. I got 2 gobys. A watchman and a sleeper. One has been hard a work sifting the sand and the sand is looking a lot better. I turned off the powerhead that blows on it, and will wait and see. I have no clean up crew in the tank. I hoping that some coraline will start growing on the rocks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christyef Posted April 12, 2018 Share Posted April 12, 2018 This cleans the funk off the bottom for me. Even all the brown stuff like that. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sascha D. Posted April 12, 2018 Share Posted April 12, 2018 (edited) +1 diatoms. Here's what Reef Cleaners says about it. Diatoms Almost sure to appear in a new system, diatoms are some of the most abundant organisms on earth. They usually surface in the aquarium as a brown powdery like substance, within a week or so after a tank finishes its cycle. Diatoms feed on available silicates in your system and will run their course in time. Similarly, because they feed on silicates, anytime you add new sand, rock or something plastic they can pop up. Manual Removal - Diatoms are easily wiped from the glass with a mag float, a turkey baster or a toothbrush can access other areas of the tank. Be prepared for them to re-establish themselves quickly, they are likely to be able to resettle and have exponential growth rates. Clean Up Crew- Ceriths, Nerites and Chitons are effective at removing diatoms as well as the algae species that usually replace them as the silicates in your system are depleted. Edited April 12, 2018 by Sascha D. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Dogfish Posted April 12, 2018 Share Posted April 12, 2018 Oh and your froggy is doing fine. Just had a oyster phyto feast bath with his buddies Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+BobcatReefer Posted April 13, 2018 Author Share Posted April 13, 2018 Noice! Picked up another Orange Diamond Goby today, so it's in QT and the Wrasse and Tang went into the DT a couple of days early. This one looks healthier coming in from the LFS to begin with. Also grabbed a sea hare, 20 assorted hermits, 5 turbos and 3 nassarius (inch-ish). Used my mixed saltwater to change out the QT, so I'll mix another batch and deal w/ the skimmer and/or water change tomorrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timfish Posted April 15, 2018 Share Posted April 15, 2018 On 4/12/2018 at 10:55 AM, Sascha D. said: Diatoms . . . they are likely to be able to resettle and have exponential growth rates. . . This is where using paper towels to wipe them off and actually remove them works very well. ALgae magnets put most of the algae floating in the water where there's not as much competition for light like there is as a film on the glass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mirage Posted August 31, 2018 Share Posted August 31, 2018 This cleans the funk off the bottom for me. Even all the brown stuff like that. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk ProWhat kind of snail is that little guy?Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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