Dino Frustration

[tanknana]

Let me start by saying this is where we are at...
pH 8.2, Alk 8.3, Nitrate 10.3, Phosphate 0.18, Calcium 300, Salinity 1.024
Tank is 5+ months
Running UV, Skimmer, Reef Mat, Carbon (changed out every 2 weeks)
Weekly 10% water change (RODI Salt Water)
Dosing pods every 2 weeks and Microbacter7 with each water change
Feeding only frozen foods to our fish. Don't have coral yet. Waiting for things to be stable.
We survived a battle with hair algae and everything was stable and looking great. Excited to try coral and then it happened.
Dino outbreak. This stringy nightmare first on the rocks and then it moved to the sand and glass all bubbly and menacing. We would get home at night and it would even have pieces floating. Got a microscope and indeed I did see a few of the little guys (hard to id from the pics I've seen on the internet vs what I was seeing in the microscope to confirm exactly which variety). We turned off the lights (not the UV) for 3 days and magically they went away. Hurray!!
Then, about a week later they returned. The next day we killed the lights again. They have gone away...or so it appears, but we know from last time they probably aren't.
How long should I keep the lights out? How can I permanently get rid of them? I cannot keep turning the lights out once I get coral, so I need a better fix. I've read about what to do and I think I've covered it. What am I missing? Keep reading some conflicting info out there...
Thank you! You guys have been so awesome at helping with issues that have come up by combing through threads!

 

[ShakeyGizzard]

Since you only have fish at this point I would shorten the lighting period to 6 to 8 hrs. Also if the lights are turned up PAR wise, I would lower the lighting strength. I would work on building up your good biome in the tank and stick with regular water changes. Your nitrates and phosphates don't look bad, but they could be high but are consumed by algae or dino's. You need to verify that this is dino and not cyano .Sticking with a regular maintenance and watching nutrients in the tank helped me get past them. I do dose microbactor clean, not to remove anything but to help prevent. it will take time to get past them and beefing up your tank biome will help prevent them from coming back

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Check out this thread! https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/dinoflagellates-–-are-you-tired-of-battling-altogether.293318/

 

[tanknana]

Thank you both for your help!!

 

[vetteguy53081]

Pics would be helpful under white light intensity.
No light is first key followed by the addition of bacteria to overcome the bad bacteria allowing them to thrive
Prepare by starting by blowing this stuff loose with a turkey baster and siphon up loose particles. Turn lights off (at least white and run blue at 10% IF you have light dependant corals such as SPS) for 5 days and at night dose 1ml of 3% hydrogen peroxide per 10 gallons for all 5 nights which works as an oxidizer. If you dont have light dependent coral- turn all lights off. During the day dose 1ml of liquid bacteria (such as micro bacter 7 or XLM) per 10 gallons. Clean filters daily and DO NOT FEED AMINO OR ADD NOPOX which is food for dinos, however you can feed coral, food which will help no3 and po4 to increase. If increasing nutrients, try to keep no3 to about 5 until you are done battling these cells.
Doing a daily siphoning will help greatly But . . . . . Siphoning will reduce nutrients , so siphon the water into/through a filter sock and save the water and return it back to tank. Obviously clean the filter sock each time.
You can feed fish as normal and if doing blackout, ambient light in room will work for them

 

[tanknana]

Pics would be helpful under white light intensity.
No light is first key followed by the addition of bacteria to overcome the bad bacteria allowing them to thrive
Prepare by starting by blowing this stuff loose with a turkey baster and siphon up loose particles. Turn lights off (at least white and run blue at 10% IF you have light dependant corals such as SPS) for 5 days and at night dose 1ml of 3% hydrogen peroxide per 10 gallons for all 5 nights which works as an oxidizer. If you dont have light dependent coral- turn all lights off. During the day dose 1ml of liquid bacteria (such as micro bacter 7 or XLM) per 10 gallons. Clean filters daily and DO NOT FEED AMINO OR ADD NOPOX which is food for dinos, however you can feed coral, food which will help no3 and po4 to increase. If increasing nutrients, try to keep no3 to about 5 until you are done battling these cells.
Doing a daily siphoning will help greatly But . . . . . Siphoning will reduce nutrients , so siphon the water into/through a filter sock and save the water and return it back to tank. Obviously clean the filter sock each time.
You can feed fish as normal and if doing blackout, ambient light in room will work for them

Thank you.