ggNoRe
Well-Known Member
Background: My system is right at 2 years old. It's been very problematic since the beginning. This is my 3rd bout with dinoflagellates. The first one was severe and I took the everything and the kitchen sink approach which took several months to battle and resulted in many coral casualties. The 2nd was minor and went away fairly easily it was somewhat of an aftershock shortly after the first battle was "won". Then I had almost a full year of a dino free tank. In that time my nutrients began to creep up more and more until I had 50 nitrates, 1.0 phosphates, and a hair algae bloom. To lower nutrients and combat algae I used vodka dosing and Rowaphos to slowly reduce back to more normal levels. Then I started to get what seemed to be cyano growing on the sand. After a month or 2 of trying to remove it through natural methods I decided to use Chemiclean. This is when I realized the matting on my sand was actually a combo of cyano and dinos which morphed into the latter after the chemiclean treatment. I proceeded to try to get rid of the dinos by turkey basting every night and periodically using ATM Colony bottled bacteria (which I still had from my first bout and quite possibly an expired batch). While this did a good job of keeping the dinos in check it did not stop them from re-growing everyday when the lights were on.
About my system (at start of experiment): 160G display, 40G sump, UV sterilizer in the sump, hybrid T5s and Reefbreeder's LEDs, filter pad, skimmer, .03 phosphates, 5 nitrates.
Plan: My plan is to use somewhat of a hybrid between Vetteguy's method, Elegant Corals Regimen, and my own influence. This comes out to first 2 days no lights other than natural sunlight (I have giant windows surrounding the tank). Day 3 no T5s and only blue leds at 75% of my normal settings. Then a slow ramp up from there based on progress or lack of.
Day 1 at night turkey baste, dose 10ml hydrogen peroxide 3%, leave UV sterilizer, fine micron filter pad, and skimmer on. In the morning remove filter pad, leaver skimmer, and UV off. Dose 20ml Microbacter 7, 20ml Dr Tim's Waste Away, 10ml priority carbon mix (80% vinegar, 20% vodka, with a dash of brown sugar).
Day 2 at night turkey baste, dose 10ml peroxide, stir 30% of sand. Skimmer, UV, and filter pad back online every night. No dosing.
Day 3 same regimen in the night. Morning dose 20ml Microbacter 20ml Waste Away 15ml carbon.
Day 4 and moving forward the same alternating routine with possible minor tweaks based on out come.
I will also test my nutrients frequently and dose neonitro or neophos when they begin to bottom out
About my system (at start of experiment): 160G display, 40G sump, UV sterilizer in the sump, hybrid T5s and Reefbreeder's LEDs, filter pad, skimmer, .03 phosphates, 5 nitrates.
Plan: My plan is to use somewhat of a hybrid between Vetteguy's method, Elegant Corals Regimen, and my own influence. This comes out to first 2 days no lights other than natural sunlight (I have giant windows surrounding the tank). Day 3 no T5s and only blue leds at 75% of my normal settings. Then a slow ramp up from there based on progress or lack of.
Day 1 at night turkey baste, dose 10ml hydrogen peroxide 3%, leave UV sterilizer, fine micron filter pad, and skimmer on. In the morning remove filter pad, leaver skimmer, and UV off. Dose 20ml Microbacter 7, 20ml Dr Tim's Waste Away, 10ml priority carbon mix (80% vinegar, 20% vodka, with a dash of brown sugar).
Day 2 at night turkey baste, dose 10ml peroxide, stir 30% of sand. Skimmer, UV, and filter pad back online every night. No dosing.
Day 3 same regimen in the night. Morning dose 20ml Microbacter 20ml Waste Away 15ml carbon.
Day 4 and moving forward the same alternating routine with possible minor tweaks based on out come.
I will also test my nutrients frequently and dose neonitro or neophos when they begin to bottom out
