Dinoflagellates – Are You Tired Of Battling Altogether?

[cchomistek]

It is definitely the common green hair algae. Seen enough of it in my day. Not bryopsis or anything like that.

As for the sand it still is pretty nasty. Still lots of detritus held up in it.

 

[mcarroll]

I would probably keep up with the vacuuming if it seems productive. But otherwise, I'd let the rest of the changes sink in – especially shutting off the carbon source. Some folks see results pretty quick, but it could easily take up to a week or so before you see improvement. If no livestock is imperiled, I'd try to be patient and see what happens after a few days. Keep doing what you're doing....including manual remove, as needed.

 

[mcarroll]

It is definitely the common green hair algae. Seen enough of it in my day. Not bryopsis or anything like that.

As for the sand it still is pretty nasty. Still lots of detritus held up in it.

K.

Keep up on the sand like I said, then. But if nothings actually getting worse, then I'd stick with patience for now.

If you wanted to remove the sand bed for sure, it wouldn't hurt anything. But I'd wait until this has passed before you install a new sand bed.

 

[cchomistek]

Ok will do. Not much seems to be bothered by what is going on.

 

[Bebow]

Just to clear up a misunderstanding... I’m dosing phyto food which is fertilizer I had from culturing phyto. N is now above 5ppm which is out of range of my Red Sea test kit but P has not gone up so I have KH2PO4 powder that I’ll make a solution with.
Thanks for the heads up about pH. There’s a lot of info out there, what works in a lab doesn’t always work in our tanks. I won’t get to carried away with pH.
One thing I did notice about this outbreak versus the last one I had, these Dino’s seem to be less light dependent. They are not going away at lights out and are still showing in the morning. The last outbreak which was a few months ago, they would totally disappear by morning.
Thanks also for the info on UV, looks like this strain is gonna be a pain to get rid off!
In summary I guess my battle plan is to remove the sand and raise N and P.
Thanks
Bob

 

[mcarroll]

I’m dosing phyto food which is fertilizer

Ah – gotcha!!

Getting PO4 up sooner than later is fairly important, and overshooting is relatively harmless. So if you want to, increase your dose by +1 mL each time until you get some residual on your next test. (Make sense?)

 

[Bebow]

Getting PO4 up sooner than later is fairly important, and overshooting is relatively harmless. So if you want to, increase your dose by +1 mL each time until you get some residual on your next test. (Make sense?)

Got it, will dose PO4 alone then I’ll check it this evening and probably start removing sand.

 

[Paullawr]

Ah – gotcha!!

Getting PO4 up sooner than later is fairly important, and overshooting is relatively harmless. So if you want to, increase your dose by +1 mL each time until you get some residual on your next test. (Make sense?)

Relatively, maybe but do read the following article.

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-09/rhf/index.php

 

[James Barton]

Ok guys. So I have procrastinated getting the UV and pretty much anything else to help the situation since. Chad yo spend the money on those expensive college books for the semester.

Anyhow, I have done nothing with my tank aside from keeping the ato filled. No water changes, not cleaning the glass, nothing. I just feed the fish and have removed my corals that weren't doing well. The light cycle and everything remained the same.

As the days progress I don't see much of the dinos left. They just leave a stringy white web like substance behind. The sand isn't covered anymore even at peak light and the rocks have just a little left on it. Again, I haven't been tracking my phosphates or nitrates during this time either. I run my system as I always have minus the water changes and glass cleaning.

What is really going here because I'm confused. I have an Amazon cart and brs cart filled ready to place an order on my next payday but I want to know what is really going on in There!

 

[tonymacc]

quick update, no3 seems to be holding around the 12-16ppm region and I haven't dosed since Monday morning, po4 is holding at .08 with dosing 2 x 3ml daily (am/pm) microscope has finally arrived so will see whats what tomorrow with that. There doesn't seem to be hardly any stringy snot, just the odd bit here and there but I think I have diatoms now, light brown dusting on the zoas and plugs and the front glass gets dirty quick.

 

[Paullawr]

Ok guys. So I have procrastinated getting the UV and pretty much anything else to help the situation since. Chad yo spend the money on those expensive college books for the semester.

Anyhow, I have done nothing with my tank aside from keeping the ato filled. No water changes, not cleaning the glass, nothing. I just feed the fish and have removed my corals that weren't doing well. The light cycle and everything remained the same.

As the days progress I don't see much of the dinos left. They just leave a stringy white web like substance behind. The sand isn't covered anymore even at peak light and the rocks have just a little left on it. Again, I haven't been tracking my phosphates or nitrates during this time either. I run my system as I always have minus the water changes and glass cleaning.

What is really going here because I'm confused. I have an Amazon cart and brs cart filled ready to place an order on my next payday but I want to know what is really going on in There!

Sounds to me like your experiencing the effects of the dirty water method. Basically feed tank and let it ride.

Its another one of those 'it works for some'.

If I were you, continue as you are doing and see how things are this time next week. What might be worth doing is picking up a microscope and seeing if there is a visible reduction in cell counts taken from same areas of tank.

Either way its good news and also makes me wonder whether you do have something loving in there which is giving the protists a hard time.

 

[Paullawr]

quick update, no3 seems to be holding around the 12-16ppm region and I haven't dosed since Monday morning, po4 is holding at .08 with dosing 2 x 3ml daily (am/pm) microscope has finally arrived so will see whats what tomorrow with that. There doesn't seem to be hardly any stringy snot, just the odd bit here and there but I think I have diatoms now, light brown dusting on the zoas and plugs and the front glass gets dirty quick.

This is usually the effects of the bloom diminishing and a good sign. Maintain now everything you are doing and let's see where you are next week. Be nice to see microscope results as well, tomorrow and next Saturday.

 

[tonymacc]

This is usually the effects of the bloom diminishing and a good sign. Maintain now everything you are doing and let's see where you are next week. Be nice to see microscope results as well, tomorrow and next Saturday.

will be grabbing a sample first thing. One other thing to note, I see others loosing cuc, my trochus and narsarius snails haven't been hurt neither my conch, but my 3 or 4 hermits and couple of mithrax have disappeared along with a couple of shrimps.

 

[Paullawr]

CUC usually bear the brunt of the casulties. Normally molluscs bite the bullet first. Nasarius I can understand they prefer detritus. I also had a conch survive a number of strains of dinoflagellates. So that seems to stand up with my own situations of past. Shrimp must be prone to the toxins perhaps as per the emerald.

 

[Jolanta]

The first time I had ostreopsis my tank was phosphate limited and all cuc was dying,I also lost shrimps. This time my tank is nitrate limited and all my snails and shrimps are ok, its ostreopsis too. Maybe toxicy has to do with which nutrient is limited.

 

[tonymacc]

Perhaps now I have clumps of gha appearing maybe its time to get a few more mithrax.

 

[tonymacc]

I do hope this is not the return of bryopsis hiding in there

 

[mcarroll]

I want to know what is really going on in There!

It's hard to say without any intelligence on the situation.

Can you take some tests for nutrients (no3 and po4) and mineral levels (alk, ca, mg) so we can see what that's all like?

What did you do to confirm the ID of your algae? And did you do any of the stuff mentioned throughout your past posts to take care of them?

I see others loosing cuc, my trochus and narsarius snails haven't been hurt neither my conch, but my 3 or 4 hermits and couple of mithrax have disappeared along with a couple of shrimps.

Keep your activated carbon fresh. It's apparently very good at adsorbing toxins like this.

I do hope this is not the return of bryopsis hiding in there

Remind me what you have in that tank for CUC? Doesn't look like any herbivores are working on it at all.

 

[Paullawr]

Keep your activated carbon fresh. It's apparently very good at adsorbing toxins like this.

Carbon will absorb toxins in the water column not the cells of the protist. These are clearly being injested by the CUC. Therefore the carbon is in this case not helpful

 

[Paullawr]

It's hard to say without any intelligence on the situation.

Can you take some tests for nutrients (no3 and po4) and mineral levels (alk, ca, mg)

why are we looking at the base elements Matthew, I'm curious on what part alk mag and cal have to play in a protist life cycle.