Chemistry troubles

[fushi]

Very nice come back. I will take your advice. Luckily my tomini seems to enjoys the hair algae. Have a Gem and purple in QT hoping they help the tomini. Thank you for your input much appreciated.

Sounds like a great fish clean-up crew, you’ll have this fixed up in no time.

Phosphate can get bound and used rapidly. I recommend testing daily until you get used to its usage pattern.

I also like to make my TSP solution so it’s 0.01ppm /ml for my tank volume so it is easy to put on a doser and dose a little throughout the whole day.

 

[rishma]

Sounds like a great fish clean-up crew, you’ll have this fixed up in no time.

Phosphate can get bound and used rapidly. I recommend testing daily until you get used to its usage pattern.

I also like to make my TSP solution so it’s 0.01ppm /ml for my tank volume so it is easy to put on a doser and dose a little throughout the whole day.

When phosphates are low, @Miami Reef recommends doses of 0.1-0.15 ppm until the tank holds detectable phosphate. I think that’s great advice. Rock and sand binds a shocking amount of phosphate and you could spend forever trying to raise the tank levels using small doses.

Don’t be bashful with it. I recently accidentally dosed 10x what I normally do…and it all sorted itself out in a couple days.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/diy-phosphate-dosing-recipe.1109919/

 

[fushi]

When phosphates are low, @Miami Reef recommends doses of 0.1-0.15 ppm until the tank holds detectable phosphate. I think that’s great advice. Rock and sand binds a shocking amount of phosphate and you could spend forever trying to raise the tank levels using small doses.

Don’t be bashful with it. I recently accidentally dosed 10x what I normally do…and it all sorted itself out in a couple days.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/diy-phosphate-dosing-recipe.1109919/

I think you may have misread my post. It was an addition to an earlier post with a DIY recipe.

The point of making a 0.01ppm/ml solution is so you can dose it through the day on a doser.

10 doses a day = 0.1ppm , 15 doses a day = 0.15

The nice part about a 0.01ppm/ml solution is once your phos consumption stabilizes, you usually only need a little daily dose and a 1ml solution makes it easy to dose that.

 

[rishma]

When phosphates are low, @Miami Reef recommends doses of 0.1-0.15 ppm until the tank holds detectable phosphate. I think that’s great advice. Rock and sand binds a shocking amount of phosphate and you could spend forever trying to raise the tank levels using small doses.

Don’t be bashful with it. I recently accidentally dosed 10x what I normally do…and it all sorted itself out in a couple days.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/diy-phosphate-dosing-recipe.1109919/

I think you may have misread my post. It was an addition to an earlier post with a DIY recipe.

The point of making a 0.01ppm/ml solution is so you can dose it through the day on a doser.

10 doses a day = 0.1ppm , 15 doses a day = 0.15

The nice part about a 0.01ppm/ml solution is once your phos consumption stabilizes, you usually only need a little daily dose and a 1ml solution makes it easy to dose that.

Ah, ok. I mix mine a bit stronger but i see your logic.

I also tend to dose all at once but I see no issue spreading it out either

 

[RobertK]

I don't know about you but I have a hard time reading the color chart on the Salifert phosphate test, especially telling the difference between low levels, e.g. the difference between 0.03 and 0.1. I'd consider a Hanna checker, especially if you are considering dosing PO4.

 

[TwelveL16]

I don't know about you but I have a hard time reading the color chart on the Salifert phosphate test, especially telling the difference between low levels, e.g. the difference between 0.03 and 0.1. I'd consider a Hanna checker, especially if you are considering dosing PO4.

yea they are pretty close. Id be happy with any color at all at this point. Water is just crystal clear after performing the test. I think ill purchase the Hanna checker for future dialing in.

 

[TwelveL16]

 

[TwelveL16]

Definitely Dino’s. I have turned off my skimmer, removed the majority of the chaeto, raised the sensors on my fleece roller, dosed phosphate, over fed, and turned on UV. Dinos still running rampant and phos still showing 0.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Definitely Dino’s. I have turned off my skimmer, removed the majority of the chaeto, raised the sensors on my fleece roller, dosed phosphate, over fed, and turned on UV. Dinos still running rampant and phos still showing 0.

Dose more. :)

 

[TwelveL16]

Definitely Dino’s. I have turned off my skimmer, removed the majority of the chaeto, raised the sensors on my fleece roller, dosed phosphate, over fed, and turned on UV. Dinos still running rampant and phos still showing 0.

Dose more. :)

I dumped in 85 ML of neophos today. Bottle calls for 15. Hoping that’ll change something. I can tell you one thing my water looks crystal clear. But i also start reef moonshiners yesterday. Tank looks good minus the Dino’s.

 

[fushi]

Definitely Dino’s. I have turned off my skimmer, removed the majority of the chaeto, raised the sensors on my fleece roller, dosed phosphate, over fed, and turned on UV. Dinos still running rampant and phos still showing 0.

OK, so the ICP looks fine. You may want to add a second DI cartridge on your RO water.
I used to use a "silica buster" but found a second DI cartridge worked just as well and is a lot cheaper.

If UV is not knocking down the Dinos, I would take it off as it will just kill all the good things that you want to outcompete the Dinos. You most likely have a Dino strain that doesn’t hang out in the water column like Amphidinium so UV doesn’t help. Join Macs dinoflagellate support group on Facebook for more detailed information.

Do you have access to a microscope to confirm it’s Dinos and its type? A cheap one is good enough.

It’s possible it could be a diatom bloom, which is a much better situation.


If it's non UV treatable Dinos

First step is to keep dosing phosphate, put it on a doser, and dose 24/7. You want to be able to detect phos on a test anytime of day. I find phos gets bound up or used very quickly in new setups, so single large doses aren’t the best option. Going from high phos to near 0 will just stress your corals, fuel your dinos.

You need to get your biom healthy. I have tried all the different bottled bacteria and have found most of them to be useless (even if they say they kill dinos).

Stick to Prodibio Biodigest or real live rock/sand. Biodigest is pretty much the only bacteria product that members have tested that was actually a good marine bacteria mix and not just wastewater treatment bacteria.

Have people said they beat non UV treatable dinos with random bottled bacteria and phosphate dosing? Yes, have I, No.

I have beaten LCA and SCA a couple of times, and the only real fix was live rock and major phosphate dosing and monitoring. But the live rock will not work if your phosphate keeps dropping to near zero. It just gives the dinos the ability to outcompete everything good.

You may need to dose a ton of phosphate all day.
In this case, you’re going to want to make your own phosphate solution using TSP and a planted tank calculator.
It’s much cheaper and better than a lot of the products for sale that use potassium phosphate instead of trisodium phosphate.

 

[fushi]

TSP ---------- calculator

In calculator, use "potassium - from potassium phosphate”.
Get a decent scale and weigh it (accuracy of 0.01 grams).
Make your dosing solution to 0.01 ppm/ ml or 0.05 ppm/ ml depending on your tank’s needs.
Dose every hour 24/7 untill phos starts rising too far from your desired level, then reduce dosing solution strength or dose every other hour to find a dose that keeps your levels stable.

 

[TwelveL16]

OK, so the ICP looks fine. You may want to add a second DI cartridge on your RO water.
I used to use a "silica buster" but found a second DI cartridge worked just as well and is a lot cheaper.

If UV is not knocking down the Dinos, I would take it off as it will just kill all the good things that you want to outcompete the Dinos. You most likely have a Dino strain that doesn’t hang out in the water column like Amphidinium so UV doesn’t help. Join Macs dinoflagellate support group on Facebook for more detailed information.

Do you have access to a microscope to confirm it’s Dinos and its type? A cheap one is good enough.

It’s possible it could be a diatom bloom, which is a much better situation.


If it's non UV treatable Dinos

First step is to keep dosing phosphate, put it on a doser, and dose 24/7. You want to be able to detect phos on a test anytime of day. I find phos gets bound up or used very quickly in new setups, so single large doses aren’t the best option. Going from high phos to near 0 will just stress your corals, fuel your dinos.

You need to get your biom healthy. I have tried all the different bottled bacteria and have found most of them to be useless (even if they say they kill dinos).

Stick to Prodibio Biodigest or real live rock/sand. Biodigest is pretty much the only bacteria product that members have tested that was actually a good marine bacteria mix and not just wastewater treatment bacteria.

Have people said they beat non UV treatable dinos with random bottled bacteria and phosphate dosing? Yes, have I, No.

I have beaten LCA and SCA a couple of times, and the only real fix was live rock and major phosphate dosing and monitoring. But the live rock will not work if your phosphate keeps dropping to near zero. It just gives the dinos the ability to outcompete everything good.

You may need to dose a ton of phosphate all day.
In this case, you’re going to want to make your own phosphate solution using TSP and a planted tank calculator.
It’s much cheaper and better than a lot of the products for sale that use potassium phosphate instead of trisodium phosphate.

I ordered the silica buster resin yesterday, Im on it. I have access to a microscope I am going to take a sample out there here in a little bit. Coffee filter test said it was dinos though, Just dont know which one specifically yet. As far the phosphate goes recommended by miami reef its estimated delivery isnt until July 22nd. I think I am going to have to improvise with neophos. Ill give the prodibio a shot as well. Appreciate the help.

 

[fushi]

I ordered the silica buster resin yesterday, Im on it. I have access to a microscope I am going to take a sample out there here in a little bit. Coffee filter test said it was dinos though, Just dont know which one specifically yet. As far the phosphate goes recommended by miami reef its estimated delivery isnt until July 22nd. I think I am going to have to improvise with neophos. Ill give the prodibio a shot as well. Appreciate the help.

Any time, good luck. Keep us posted; documenting what worked and didn’t work helps others in the future. :)

The neophos will work just fine; you should just plan to be dosing phos for months. I still have to dose phos and nitrate in this particular tank that I had problems with, and I feed the tank 2-4 times a day lol

 

[TwelveL16]

I ordered the silica buster resin yesterday, Im on it. I have access to a microscope I am going to take a sample out there here in a little bit. Coffee filter test said it was dinos though, Just dont know which one specifically yet. As far the phosphate goes recommended by miami reef its estimated delivery isnt until July 22nd. I think I am going to have to improvise with neophos. Ill give the prodibio a shot as well. Appreciate the help.

Any time, good luck. Keep us posted; documenting what worked and didn’t work helps others in the future. :)

The neophos will work just fine; you should just plan to be dosing phos for months. I still have to dose phos and nitrate in this particular tank that I had problems with, and I feed the tank 2-4 times a day lol

 

[fushi]

Hard for me to tell, I hope this guide helps, if not the Mac’s Dino support group is great at id

 

[TwelveL16]

 

[fushi]

I can’t really tell, and don’t want to give you a random guess. The folks on Macs are better at ID.

https://www.facebook.com/share/g/18nnF5eR2t/

 

[TwelveL16]

I can’t really tell, and don’t want to give you a random guess. The folks on Macs are better at ID.

https://www.facebook.com/share/g/18nnF5eR2t/

They all kinda look the same lol.

 

[fushi]

I can’t really tell, and don’t want to give you a random guess. The folks on Macs are better at ID.

https://www.facebook.com/share/g/18nnF5eR2t/

They all kinda look the same lol.

Sometimes they can tell by the way it moves, a video will help them too.