Bacteria/algae ID

[swtric85]

Hello everyone
My tank has been running since December(57gal and 20gal sump) and everything has been really great, my fish are healthy, and all of my corals are growing like crazy, even my yellow ball sponge is doing well. I have been running biopellets from the start, I added a quarter of a cup every two weeks until I achieved the recommended dose. I'm also dosing Dr.Tim's waste away weekly @ 1/4 the recommended dose to keep the pop of bacteria up, I pour it right into the bp reactor. I do 10% water changes every week also. About a month ago I started getting some hair algae, I decided to get a media reactor. I installed it about a week ago GFO is on the bottom and carbon on top. At the same time I started getting hair algae I noticed some of this stuff in the picture on my live rock and in the sump. Well now its everywhere on my rocks, growing on my corals, it clogs my filter socks in a day, it's all in my sump idk what happened. I'm pretty sure it's bacterial film, it has a snot consistency and it comes off pretty easily but it really clogs everything. Has anyone had this experience with pellets? Any suggestions would be appreciated!

 

[Mebbid]

I'm not specifically sure what it is but we will need to know your parameters. Ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, phosphate, alk, calc, mag. Also, the number of hours per day your lights are on would help as well.

My second thought is to ditch the Dr time. The BB doesn't need help keeping its population up. It will do it all on its own. Generally the fewer additives the better.

 

[swtric85]

ok I will do some testing... I think you're right on the Dr.T's I haven't used it in a week, we'll see if it makes a difference. I'm running LEDs... actinics come on at 8 and slowly ramp up to 40% at 11, it starts to ramp down at 4 turns off at 10. The white lights turn on at 9 ramp up to 40% at 12:30 and start to ramp down at 4, turn off at 7:30.

None of this stuff is growing on the sand only on the rocks and in the sump

I've been looking online and it looks closest to Chrysophytes or Dinoflagellates, but it doesn't have the air bubbles that they have.