Dino’s and should I be worried?

vdubers

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Hi again.
So my tank is around 4 months old now and been going through all the uglies.

I am happy taking things slow and really not bothered about the uglies all that much.

It recently went through a massive GHA bloom which I mostly left to its thing while manually removing some and it’s now generally receding.

However I seem to have a new problem which I think might be Dino’s? I originally thought it was bubble algae as it was originally bubbly and green but has now turned brown. However today saw some posts with similar pics that were suggested to be dinos?

This was actually all over my rocks and stingy but I syphoned most of it out a couple days ago. It came off the rock really easy! I actually hoped it was just dying algae.

Not sure if this part in the pic is new or I just missed it tbh. I do have other bits dotted around the tank.

If it is dino’s and safe to do so I am happy to just let it run it’s course syphoning it out when it gets too much but don’t want it to kill any tank inhabitants!

All tank inhabitants seem to be fine right now! Corals such as GSP seem to be growing. I have added cheato into the sump a week ago.

Nitrates are between 0.0 to 5.0 ppm (API). I haven’t tested phosphate. But I am researching into the best test kit for them. Sadly can’t afford the Hanna :(.

Sorry for the long post I hope I haven’t chucked in too much info! Thanks for your help.

16540877-EFEF-4438-8BD0-5F8A8DA1DC3F.jpeg
 

brandon429

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Agreed that’s common new tank dinos it really seems per pics. Cyano doesn’t express that way. How many gallons is this tank



there is a certain way you can clean it to fix it easily, but in large tanks people usually won’t make that effort.
 

BanjoBandito

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Agreed that’s common new tank dinos it really seems per pics. Cyano doesn’t express that way. How many gallons is this tank



there is a certain way you can clean it to fix it easily, but in large tanks people usually won’t make that effort.
Just rip cleaned my dino problem in my 12 gallon. Going through a mild diatom bloom but left enough coralline on the rocks n' the like that it's not that major. Dinos are hard to get rid of period. Once they are in there, there will always be a chance of them coming back if something swings. You absolutely need to know your Phosphate levels, I would recommend a salifert test, they are usually like 15 bucks. Go on ebay and look for a Hanna Phosphate ULR checker. You can snag one for 35-40 bucks. I'm going to say something, and I am not trying to be rude, but if you can't afford a decent test kit, this is going to be a major hurdle. I have no issue with "budget" tanks but testing equipment is something you NEVER skimp on IMHO. Without accurate tests you are just guessing, and that's dangerous in a reef tank.

What is the livestock of the tank? What size is it? What equipment are you using?

Dinos will need to be ID'd with a microscope to truly understand what is going on. A cheap pocket microscope from Amazon for under 20 will do it. Again, the startup in this hobby can be pricey.
 
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vdubers

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Agreed that’s common new tank dinos it really seems per pics. Cyano doesn’t express that way. How many gallons is this tank



there is a certain way you can clean it to fix it easily, but in large tanks people usually won’t make that effort.
It’s a
Agreed that’s common new tank dinos it really seems per pics. Cyano doesn’t express that way. How many gallons is this tank



there is a certain way you can clean it to fix it easily, but in large tanks people usually won’t make that effort.
Thanks for your reply. It’s about 80 is gallons or 300 litres. As long as it’s not dangerous to the fish and inverts I’m happy to just siphon it out till my nutrients come back up and hope that it goes away then!

Don’t particularly want to mess around with it too much when the inhabitants seem to be doing pretty good :).
 

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It’s a

Thanks for your reply. It’s about 80 is gallons or 300 litres. As long as it’s not dangerous to the fish and inverts I’m happy to just siphon it out till my nutrients come back up and hope that it goes away then!

Don’t particularly want to mess around with it too much when the inhabitants seem to be doing pretty good :).

Certain dinos emit toxins and will absolutely choke everything out, your inverts are at risk by ingesting it. We've seen whole multi-thousands of dollar systems go from "mild dinos" to "total melt down" quickly. Without proper ID and proper test numbers you are being reckless with the health of your overall system. Good luck!

There is a thread on this forum "...are you sick of battling dinos all together?" that's like 500 pages long, it's many many many people talking and working through the dinos problem that's common these days in reef tanks. It might be worth a look through or a post. I might be paraphrasing the title a bit.
 
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vdubers

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Just rip cleaned my dino problem in my 12 gallon. Going through a mild diatom bloom but left enough coralline on the rocks n' the like that it's not that major. Dinos are hard to get rid of period. Once they are in there, there will always be a chance of them coming back if something swings. You absolutely need to know your Phosphate levels, I would recommend a salifert test, they are usually like 15 bucks. Go on ebay and look for a Hanna Phosphate ULR checker. You can snag one for 35-40 bucks. I'm going to say something, and I am not trying to be rude, but if you can't afford a decent test kit, this is going to be a major hurdle. I have no issue with "budget" tanks but testing equipment is something you NEVER skimp on IMHO. Without accurate tests you are just guessing, and that's dangerous in a reef tank.

What is the livestock of the tank? What size is it? What equipment are you using?

Dinos will need to be ID'd with a microscope to truly understand what is going on. A cheap pocket microscope from Amazon for under 20 will do it. Again, the startup in this hobby can be pricey.

Thanks for your reply and no offence taken :). I was looking to buy a salifert phosphate kit but heard mixed opinions. The Hanna ULR here in the uk is around £70 or $90! It’s not that I can’t afford it it’s more that I would rather not tbh.

I can pick up a microscope though! My main concern is if it will harm the livestock because if not I’m really not that bothered about it. I have a royal gramma, two clowns, and some soft corals. It’s 300 litres DT. I also have a sump, skimmer, illuminaire 900 light, two wave makers and recently added some cheato to my sump.
 
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vdubers

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Certain dinos emit toxins and will absolutely choke everything out, your inverts are at risk by ingesting it. We've seen whole multi-thousands of dollar systems go from "mild dinos" to "total melt down" quickly. Without proper ID and proper test numbers you are being reckless with the health of your overall system. Good luck!

There is a thread on this forum "...are you sick of battling dinos all together?" that's like 500 pages long, it's many many many people talking and working through the dinos problem that's common these days in reef tanks. It might be worth a look through or a post. I might be paraphrasing the title a bit.

Thanks I have read about a few ways to get rid of them if they are dino’s but I guess the first steps are getting a microscope and phosphate test kit. I just wondered if from the pic it looked like dino’s. Guess there are no shortcuts though !

I will be sure to take a look at that thread though once I have a positive ID.
 

brandon429

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theres a 120 gallon rip clean, the fun part was we can usually only muster the will to run one :)

Jon takes that huge reef and rip cleans it over and over, 4x, in one thread, talk about wanting dinos gone lol. not all large tank owners require such push to do the job right, some over do.

notice his corals there, it shows the method isn't harmful. when he starting dosing phyto at the end new challenges came but in the end you can see what the rip clean(s) did even in large tanks.
 

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There's a link on the top post to a little PDF ID guide for dinos that is INVALUABLE. It's a great resource and free. It'll help once you get a handle on what's going on in there. Some dinos are not that big a deal, others (like ostreopsis) are home wreckers and VERY difficult to get rid of.

Salifert's are titration tests I believe. I use their tests for Ca and Mg. If you aren't aware of how to do those tests, I can see the mixed results....but they are better than the NYOS or other "match the color" tests IMHO.
 

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I started having dinos in my 75 gallons tank and thought I would ride it out as well. But my pulsing xenias (easiest corals) are starting to suffer so I had to take action.

I might buy a cheap microscope; right now my actions are having good results so I’m just waiting to see.
 

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theres a 120 gallon rip clean, the fun part was we can usually only muster the will to run one :)

Jon takes that huge reef and rip cleans it over and over, 4x, in one thread, talk about wanting dinos gone lol. not all large tank owners require such push to do the job right, some over do.

notice his corals there, it shows the method isn't harmful. when he starting dosing phyto at the end new challenges came but in the end you can see what the rip clean(s) did even in large tanks.
Hard reboots and elbow grease save high dollar systems. +1 Brandon is your guy if you get to that point, I'm a loyal disciple these days of the RIP CLEAN. Don't be afraid. I had fun (somewhat) gutting mine. lol.
 

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I started having dinos in my 75 gallons tank and thought I would ride it out as well. But my pulsing xenias (easiest corals) are starting to suffer so I had to take action.

I might buy a cheap microscope; right now my actions are having good results so I’m just waiting to see.
Xenias love phosphates, that's why they are considered "easy" or "bulletproof"! Softies can easily get choked out by dinos. I had some SPS weather pretty well, but the first to go was the softies. Again, just my experience.
 
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vdubers

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Thanks for the replies. I have a microscope on the way and now looking at phosphate tests. Sadly I don’t think the salifert one is titration but also couldn’t find any that were for phosphate as I actually prefer titration tests to the matching colour ones!

My Xenia’s seem to be thriving but maybe it’s too early to tell.
 
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vdubers

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I started having dinos in my 75 gallons tank and thought I would ride it out as well. But my pulsing xenias (easiest corals) are starting to suffer so I had to take action.

I might buy a cheap microscope; right now my actions are having good results so I’m just waiting to see.
Thanks for your reply what are the actions you are doing now that seem to be having good results?

I have read that raising the temp to 82f has got rid of dino's in some cases?
 

Idech

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Thanks for your reply what are the actions you are doing now that seem to be having good results?

I have read that raising the temp to 82f has got rid of dino's in some cases?
Here is what I’m doing, without knowing what kind of dinos I have :

- raised temp to 80F (I’m afraid to go up to 82)
- dose plankton every day for 2 weeks (on day 3)
- only run skimmer a few hours a day instead of full time
- added a bit of bacteria (not sure about this one)

With a Marineland Maxijet 1200 and Aquaclear quick connect filter running at full speed (micron filter) and skimmer running :

- lightly brush over the sand to lift the dinos so the Maxijet and skimmer can catch them
- brush the rocks with toothbrush
- do this every day (on 2nd day)

The Maxijet, with it’s venturi line, is adding tons and tons of microbubbles also, which I’ve read can help.

Today I will be measuring my phosphate levels and if not adequate I will be dosing Seachem Flourish, which I have on hand, to increase it.

If this doesn’t give steady good results in a few days, then I’ll order the microscope to set up a more targeted action plan.
 

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I may have missed the stats. What is the nitrate and phosphate? I think your choices will vary by a few factors. Tearing down the tank and cleaning and re assembly has merits.i recently fought off my dinos. My biggest struggle was maintaining detectable amounts of nutrients. My tank is at 5 months and started with dry rock. Dinos certainly have become a normal part of dry rock starts. If coral seems unaffected I would try raising nutrients if they are 0. And see how that works. In my case the dinos wernt killing off my coral. Took me 2 months to rid my tank of them by vaccing the rock and sand and keeping my flow high and cleaning the socks daily. Reef roids helped me with the po4
 

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