Dino and hair algae

[Flounder's Reef]

I've been struggling with dino an hair algae for about a year. Sometimes it looks like it's getting better then it just blows up. I've used both vibrant and dosing peroxide on my old 40 gallon... the problem I'm having is on my 150 gallon acrylic aquarium. Would peroxide be a good option? I've add a uv sterilizer 4 months ago not to much of a change along with dosing phytoplankton


Alk 8.7
Cal 416
Mag 1223
Phosphate .05
Nitrate 9
Ph 8.11

 

[Lavey29]

I only see some moderate GHA. Dinos need to be ID with a cheap microscope. You have a lot of coralline which is a good indicator that your tank is stable. Do you have a diverse cleaner crew that includes tuxedo urchins, turbos, sea hare, etc... do you do daily manual removal?

 

[Flounder's Reef]

I have 6 tuxedos 3 pin cushions... turbo snails die in a couple of weeks along with sea hares.. I do removal once a week

 

[Lavey29]

I have 6 tuxedos 3 pin cushions... turbo snails die in a couple of weeks along with sea hares.. I do removal once a week

How about algae eating fish in your big tank?

 

[Flounder's Reef]

I have 3 tangs sailfin purple tang lavender tang. Along with blennies. I just added a fox face after a month of qt and the tangs are super aggressive and killed it after 2 days first day was fine no problems then the next night that was it. I've done at least 7 black outs they definitely work but short term fix

 

[Lavey29]

I have 3 tangs sailfin purple tang lavender tang. Along with blennies. I just added a fox face after a month of qt and the tangs are super aggressive and killed it after 2 days first day was fine no problems then the next night that was it. I've done at least 7 black outs they definitely work but short term fix

Blackouts do nothing . Chemicals kill your biome. These are bandaid fixes that do more harm then good. Your magnesium is low. Raise it to 1500. It will turn the end of the GHA white and make it weak so your cleaners can get at it. Daily manual removal too. See how the battle is going 2 months after trying this.

 

[Flounder's Reef]

The dinos killed my Duncan last week and are starting on my cloves how fast should I raise it? Will this kill the dino as well?

 

[Lavey29]

The dinos killed my Duncan last week and are starting on my cloves how fast should I raise it? Will this kill the dino as well?

Don't know if you have dinos. Did you take a picture under microscope for ID purposes? Mag can be raised a little faster then alk. I add 30ml weekly to my 80g system if I want it raised a little. Your tank almost twice as large.

 

[Flounder's Reef]

Don't know if you have dinos. Did you take a picture under microscope for ID purposes? Mag can be raised a little faster then alk. I add 30ml weekly to my 80g system if I want it raised a little. Your tank almost twice as large.

 

[Lavey29]

Could be but there are different types of dinos that are bad. Cheap microscope will tell you what type they are and give you an idea how to move forward. Some disappear into the sand at night others into the water column. So UV might help in one situation but not the other. I dose PNS probio weekly which is a natural heterotrophic bacteria that eliminates organic waste that feeds nuisance algae.

 

[Flounder's Reef]

Ok I do run a 45 wat uv I will pick up a small microscope

 

[Lavey29]

Ok I do run a 45 wat uv I will pick up a small microscope

https://www.reef2reef.com/attachments/dinoflagellateid12_12_2019-pdf.1324729/

 

[Rob Biederman]

Have your tried Dr Tim’s? I just used it their method and it worked for and my Dino’s

 

[Flounder's Reef]

Starting to loose my candy cane micro scope comes tomorrow dr tims says to do a blackout... I looked at the diotoms chart I will post what I find tomorrow thank you

 

[Rob Biederman]

Starting to loose my candy cane micro scope comes tomorrow dr tims says to do a blackout... I looked at the diotoms chart I will post what I find tomorrow thank you

There is more than a black out. It is dosing competitive organisms and a black out. Which is exactly what BRS says to do to get rid of dinos. It worked for me. Good luck they are a pain

 

[jhrightyhein]

I am having similar problem just not nearly as bad. Manual removal has been helping

 

[jhrightyhein]

Ok I do run a 45 wat uv I will pick up a small microscope

did you look under microscope?

 

[Flounder's Reef]

This is what I found with the microscope

 

[Flounder's Reef]

This is what I found with the microscope

 

[saltyfins]

could be small cell or large cell. Get over to Macks and send them this! they'll help you. they're helping me as well...it's a SLOOOW process