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Unread 02/25/2016, 12:23 PM   #3195
DNA
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Location: Iceland
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Quote:
Originally Posted by taricha View Post
Regarding coccos, I can think of a couple of observations that might show weak evidence for them in my tank.
My water is completely clear under normal light, but under blacklight it's hazy. This kind of scattering indicates particles at least the size of the wavelength of light 375nm, so ~.4 microns and large. Additionally they must be strongly fluorescent to be visible under UV blacklight. Calcium carbonate is, as is paper, and a million other things.
Additionally if I skim dry and put vinegar on the dry skimmate scum and get bubbles, would that indicate CaCO3? Haven't tried it.
Now to the part that strongly suggests I have virtually no cocco activity in my tank - or at least I didn't for months.
My calcium tested around 485 (+- 15)
And my alk at dkh 10 (+-1)
(Mg high too)
...consistently in test after test for like 4 months despite no additions of any of those.

Having said all that, I'm still grasping at the suggested connection between coccos and dinos. Do we think they are competitors? are the coccos dino food?
Does the presence of one indicate water parameters unfriendly to the other?
Some small bits...

Here is what skimmate consists of.
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-12/rs/feature/

With the haze it's a matter of reference or contrast.
During the day there is no or poor blackpoint. The background is bright.
A very bright beam from a LED flashlight to an unlit tank will bring out the best in tank viewing for particles.

We have all mixed salt to RO water so we know how much stuff goes in there and that a slight haze is normal.
I've dived on the reef and most of the longer bandwidths are gone at 15 feet. (5 meters).
For a reference here is a healthy tank measuring that and you can see how the corals in the back all look cyan.
https://youtu.be/2pxTBHtnl-s?t=359
I don't know how if we can or should try to eyeball the coccos, but I'd welcome them or the diatoms if it would lead to the demise of the dinos.

Coccos are around 10 times smaller than dinos so they will not be eating them alive, but their blooms are massive and they block sunlight. When these organisms die off they break down and will become a feast despite of armor or toxicity.

I just read through local shellfish monitoring logs.
What they do is simply taking a sample from the water column and measuring densities.
This will govern if they rule shellfish from the area edible or not.

I also found out for the first time that diatoms can also cause shellfish poisoning.


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