Dino outbreak

[Fscarr2216]

Hello, I’m still really new to saltwater and recently i just finished dealing with brook and now algae. My tank is only a month old and i noticed brown algae buildup which i assumed was diatoms. But now that i look at it, it looks like nasty sludgy algae which one if my co workers told me was called dino. How in the world do i treat this? I wanted to get some coral but something keeps on happening that prevents me from doing so.

 

[Retro Reefer]

This would be a good place to start, long thread but lots of great info

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/dinoflagellates-–-are-you-tired-of-battling-altogether.293318/

 

[Fscarr2216]

@Retro Reefer awesome i appreciate it, bur do you think it’s diatoms or dino?

 

[Retro Reefer]

Hard to tell from pictures but looks Dino’s on the rock due to the air bubbles.. I have only skimmed through that thread but there should be detailed information on identification

 

[Cheng]

Tank is pretty new still and probably just got out of cycling. Have you picked up a cleanup crew?

 

[Fscarr2216]

At the moment I have two hermit crabs and a snail

 

[sfin52]

This would be a good place to start, long thread but lots of great info

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/dinoflagellates-–-are-you-tired-of-battling-altogether.293318/

That's a great place. Read the first thread. It helped me beat them.

 

[sfin52]

Hard to tell from pictures but looks Dino’s on the rock due to the air bubbles.. I have only skimmed through that thread but there should be detailed information on identification

There's info on Id with and with out microscope. Highly recommend you get one though.

 

[Cheng]

At the moment I have two hermit crabs and a snail

You will need a few more snails. Crabs will not do as good against algae. Keep up with your water changes and it will go away in a few weeks.

 

[Fscarr2216]

Update* I’ve been blacking the tank out, took the rocks out and let them soak in a freshwater solution, alot of them died off the rocks. But now I’m going to start dosing the tank with peroxide. How much should i usr for a 13.5 gallon? And should i put it right in the tank or use a turkey baser to spray it on the dino in the sand?

 

[Josh Kraft]

If I were you, I would try to find what caused it, rather than attacking it. You need to test nitrates and phosphates, get those under control, then remedy the problem.

Dino's are often from having unbalanced nitrates / phosphates. The easiest solution I've come across is raising your nitrates, and letting green algae grow to out compete the dinos. Then get a cleanup crew that will mow down the green algae. Dinos are toxic to a cleanup crew, so I would resolve the issue before spending on a CUC. If you notice your snails die, pull them before the dinos feed on the dead snail.

 

[Fscarr2216]

@Josh Kraft I already noticed dead CUC and took them all out, here’s my water parameters as we speak.

 

[Fscarr2216]

@Josh Kraft alot of the dinos are gone, but the thing that sucks right now is that i have a Caribbean carpet anemone in the tank and because of the black outs it’s been getting smaller and smaller.

 

[jsvand5]

Honestly, I’d get rid of the carpet. You likely won’t want it eventually anyway. There are much better options for anemones but I’d wait until your tank is better established before getting one.

Keep an eye on the ammonia. Soaking your rocks in FW likely killed all of the bacteria and any other life that was on the rocks.

 

[Josh Kraft]

Dead CUC would be enough to confirm it was dinos to me.

Do you run a skimmer, or any kind of filtration? That nitrate reading looks right at 0, right?

 

[Fscarr2216]

Yeah the nitrates are reading zero, and the tank is a fluval 13.5 so it comes with filtration but i also added a cascade internal filter. But not a skimmer, everyone at my LFS’S told me that a protein skimmer on a small tank like mine wouldn’t be necessary if i do water changes every week. @Josh Kraft

 

[Tuan’s Reef]

Yeah the nitrates are reading zero, and the tank is a fluval 13.5 so it comes with filtration but i also added a cascade internal filter. But not a skimmer, everyone at my LFS’S told me that a protein skimmer on a small tank like mine wouldn’t be necessary if i do water changes every week. @Josh Kraft

Are you using RODI water? Impurities in water can cause as well. I would not use treated tap water at all.

 

[Fscarr2216]

Are you using RODI water? Impurities in water can cause as well. I would not use treated tap water at all.

I use R/O water

 

[mcbdz]

It may help to get a better test kit. The dip ones aren't so great. IMHO. Don't add anything else to your tank until it is stabilized. Hopefully you'll get there soon. I would agree with taking the anemone back. If it dies in there just adding to the problem.

 

[Fscarr2216]

*Update* after cleaning the rock blackouts, taking the anemone, back a few days later my dino started spreading like crazy again. So my LFS told me to get Ruby Reef Rally. And dosing my tank with it hasn’t done anything. I tested my parameters with the master test kit and they’re all really good. I’m legit at a standstill and losing all hope. Does anyone have any more advice by any chance? Greatly appreciated!!