Amphidinium Dinoflagellate Treatment Methods

[aras]

Large cell amphidinium won't swim en masse no matter what. It's not what they do. Weird, I know.
heavy carbon dosing is probably one of the strongest correlations with dinos just behind heavy GFO use.

Thanks. I'm now stopping all dosing except Ca and Kh (no more NOPOX, Red Sea Trace and Red Sea Energy). Will let Nitrates/Phosphates raise naturally and get chaeto refugium setup for future nutrient control. Appreciate UV won't help with Amphidinium but connected one anyway just in case there are other strains.

If this doesn't help, would you suggest Silicate dosing or sand removal (or something else)? One thing I don't want to have is a filthy algae covered tank in my living room. Dinos are ugly but because this strain stays mostly on sand I manage to keep the tank in a reasonable condition with regular syphoning.

 

[dvbrien]

What type is this? looks similar but behaves differently.

 

[dvbrien]

 

[Wxguy23]

So I can’t get a great pic with a microscope.

My question, does raising nitrates and phosphates destroy all forms?

It’s really getting out of control now. As mentioned, the microbacter7 messed me up. Since dosing, in the two weeks, by day 12-14 I’ve seen an explosion of Dino.

 

[OpenOcean33]

I dosed Microbacter 7 for two weeks at 3 caps a day for my 75gal....I have more dinos than ever. I was shocked.

I believe they only recommend that much for cycling an aquarium if I'm not mistaken. Dosing that much may have lowered your nitrate ? I am dosing one cap after water changes just to help keep biodiversity up for my 75 gallon tank. However, I'm still fighting dinos myself not saying my way is working either.

 

[OpenOcean33]

So I can’t get a great pic with a microscope.

My question, does raising nitrates and phosphates destroy all forms?

It’s really getting out of control now. As mentioned, the microbacter7 messed me up. Since dosing, in the two weeks, by day 12-14 I’ve seen an explosion of Dino.

Maybe your nutrients have bottomed out from overdosing ? Also the simple answer is no, it helps develop biodiversity to allow other organisms and algae to grow and submit the dinos back into place.

 

[Wxguy23]

Maybe your nutrients have bottomed out from overdosing ? Also the simple answer is no, it helps develop biodiversity to allow other organisms and algae to grow and submit the dinos back into place.

They have. All 0.

 

[OpenOcean33]

They have. All 0.

This is why your dinos have exploded, they have nothing holding them back, dirty up that water a little bit. I personally aim for nitrates 5 and phosphate 1 while I'm fighting the dinos. I have been doing this for a year and still am fighting but i do no that raising nutrients helps. I have them under control where they are not every where but just slightly visible on the sand bed. Have you identified the type of dinos yet ? If not spend the 14 dollars on amazon for a microscope and it will save you so much trouble in the long run.. I promise you this because i thought i could do it with out one.

 

[taricha]

I dosed Microbacter 7 for two weeks at 3 caps a day for my 75gal....I have more dinos than ever. I was shocked.

I haven't seen any bacterial source that hasn't had some people say it made everything worse. (and some say it helped)

Thanks. I'm now stopping all dosing except Ca and Kh (no more NOPOX, Red Sea Trace and Red Sea Energy). Will let Nitrates/Phosphates raise naturally and get chaeto refugium setup for future nutrient control. Appreciate UV won't help with Amphidinium but connected one anyway just in case there are other strains.

If this doesn't help, would you suggest Silicate dosing or sand removal (or something else)? One thing I don't want to have is a filthy algae covered tank in my living room. Dinos are ugly but because this strain stays mostly on sand I manage to keep the tank in a reasonable condition with regular syphoning.

what is your Ca / Alk source? I discovered mine had Fe (bad).

I had a post about a possible way to vacuum sand and remove dinos, while keeping sand largely intact. check it out.

What type is this? looks similar but behaves differently.

ostreopsis.

So I can’t get a great pic with a microscope.

My question, does raising nitrates and phosphates destroy all forms?

elevating P & N seems important to all forms. some respond quicker than others.

 

[Wxguy23]

I mixed 2 tblspoons to two cups yesterday with stump remover.

Dumped 15ml in my 75gal.

No change.

Dumped 15ml in my 75gal a few hours ago.

No change.

Not saying I’m impatient, but when should I see it go up, or can I dose more?

 

[OpenOcean33]

I mixed 2 tblspoons to two cups yesterday with stump remover.

Dumped 15ml in my 75gal.

No change.

Dumped 15ml in my 75gal a few hours ago.

No change.

Not saying I’m impatient, but when should I see it go up, or can I dose more?

I will have to deffer this to someone else, i never dosed supplements, i just over fed and stopped water changes, took me 1 1/2 months with this method.

 

[aras]

what is your Ca / Alk source? I discovered mine had Fe (bad).

I had a post about a possible way to vacuum sand and remove dinos, while keeping sand largely intact. check it out.

It's Red Sea Foundation A and B. Calcium has strontium and barium in it, is that bad?

That's an interesting method... Do you think water changes should be avoided with Amphidinium? I'm removing tons on Dinos with my weekly throughout gravel syphoning / water changes. Obviously, it all grows back by next weekend, but hopefully that will improve with the changes I'm making.

 

[taricha]

It's Red Sea Foundation A and B. Calcium has strontium and barium in it, is that bad?

That's an interesting method... Do you think water changes should be avoided with Amphidinium? I'm removing tons on Dinos with my weekly throughout gravel syphoning / water changes. Obviously, it all grows back by next weekend, but hopefully that will improve with the changes I'm making.

Red sea looks good. Sr Ba not a concern.
I think there is a time to force competition for scarce resources and limiting water changes can be helpful.

 

[aras]

Red sea looks good. Sr Ba not a concern.
I think there is a time to force competition for scarce resources and limiting water changes can be helpful.

Good to hear about Red Sea, especially since I just bought a few new bottles!

Are we not harming corals as well by limiting these microelements when stopping water changes? My corals are slowly recovering after DinoX mess. Don't want to do anything that would stress them further...

 

[Idoc]

I mixed 2 tblspoons to two cups yesterday with stump remover.

Dumped 15ml in my 75gal.

No change.

Dumped 15ml in my 75gal a few hours ago.

No change.

Not saying I’m impatient, but when should I see it go up, or can I dose more?

Go slowly when dosing to get to your initial target point... and go in increments, ie: if you want to get your nitrates to 10ppm, first start dosing to get to 5ppm and then raise incrementally up to 10ppm.

When I started dosing No3 and Po4, I too had the same results...I would dose and the next day's testing would show zero still! Just keep dosing and testing daily... the system will eventually saturate and hold the nutrient levels. I believe it took several weeks of daily testing and dosing for me to hit that mark. Actually since hitting my targets, I haven't had to dose for the past few weeks! My normal feeding now seems to be maintaining my target levels.

 

[taricha]

Are we not harming corals as well by limiting these microelements when stopping water changes?

corals can consume particulates and tiny zooplankton etc to bypass this limitation.

but taken to extreme there are slight risks - as this paper talks about coral bleaching through starvation of P or Iron, though I know of no one whose corals starved while N & P was elevated and water changes were on hold.

 

[Idoc]

I had a post about a possible way to vacuum sand and remove dinos, while keeping sand largely intact. check it out.

Do you think this will also work with small cell amphidinium dinos also going the sand need? Do you know if they have the same shell system like large cell amphidinium that will lyse in the fresh water dip?

 

[OpenOcean33]

Just an update, I've been dosing silicate sponge excell for two weeks up to 250 drops/day half way through the bottle no signs of diatoms under the microscope, silicates reading 0. This is on sailfert test kit. I'm thinking maybe there is an issue with the kit I find have 0 very hard to believe however still nondiatoms under scope. Tommorow I think I'll up it to 350/day and go fro there not sure were all the silicates are going I have no sponges unless there hiding in the rock lol

 

[JerseyReefer]

Just an update, I've been dosing silicate sponge excell for two weeks up to 250 drops/day half way through the bottle no signs of diatoms under the microscope, silicates reading 0. This is on sailfert test kit. I'm thinking maybe there is an issue with the kit I find have 0 very hard to believe however still nondiatoms under scope. Tommorow I think I'll up it to 350/day and go fro there not sure were all the silicates are going I have no sponges unless there hiding in the rock lol

That test kit doesn’t work. Many others have complained about the same.

I couldn’t get a good mix of dinos and diatoms until I vacuumed out all the dinos I could and continued sponge excel dosing to allow the diatoms to catch up. Still continuing the battle for weeks now.

 

[OpenOcean33]

That test kit doesn’t work. Many others have complained about the same.

I couldn’t get a good mix of dinos and diatoms until I vacuumed out all the dinos I could and continued sponge excel dosing to allow the diatoms to catch up. Still continuing the battle for weeks now.

Yeah, that's what I saw, however no sight of them under the scope which is weird so it kind of matches the 0. I only have a light dusting on the sand to which is the weird part. However I am getting alage on the glass I can seems to get a sample to test though as it dusts away when I scrape.