Dinoflagellates – Are You Tired Of Battling Altogether?

[Beardo]

All along I have been blasting the tank daily at lights out, all surfaces including the rocks and glass. What's different is that last night I scraped all the green and brown off the glass that I'd previously been allowing to grow at the advice of this thread, trying to promote green algae growth etc.

Makes sense now, thanks for clarifying.

 

[JAMSOURY]

Anyone have it where their Dino’s completely coat the ground after a complete vacuum in about 12 hours? It’s crazy how these things spread and cover everything fast. I have 2 24 watt uv sterilizers and a lot of pods but can’t seem to keep the population down. Still trying to get my nutrients up but they keep bottoming out despite my daily dosing.

 

[brandon429]

Taricha as I read po4/sps threads like this one, I have questions as it relates to this thread

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/the-importance-of-keeping-consistent-parameters.360673/

We can see them suppressing po4 and nutrients down to levels that were claimed as causative for dinos here, so I'm wondering as I read this nutrient debate link above why aren't more sps tanks affected by dinos especially if they're common in sw setups


I fully believe large tankers are benefitted by making nutrients and competition correct for their needs. In reading the link above and considering these relationships in non Dino challenge tanks, I'm trying to use bulk thread trends to find repeating patterns and from the numbers of nutrient obsessed uninvaded sps tanks it makes me second guess the n and p causative angle, or the frequency of invasive cells present in common reef tanks, though adjusting up the nutrients is clearly showing benefit for invaded tanks.

 

[reefwiser]

All on my Dino's are on the glass or at the surface of the water along the sides of the tank. I am stepping thru the water parameters to see where I have issues that may be keeping them going. I do Daily water changes of one gallon a day spaced over 8 hours of the day. May stop that. An I am changing out my RO filters today to make sure they are not compromised.

 

[mcarroll]

All on my Dino's are on the glass or at the surface of the water along the sides of the tank. I am stepping thru the water parameters to see where I have issues that may be keeping them going. I do Daily water changes of one gallon a day spaced over 8 hours of the day. May stop that. An I am changing out my RO filters today to make sure they are not compromised.

That's the oddest location for a bloom I've heard so far....are you microscope sure that it's dino's and not (e.g.) chrysophytes or a combo with something at least? My chrysophytes liked the water line...and they do look snotty, but usually less orange and more yellow-green....unless they're co-blooming like I said, then color is subject to what's growing.

 

[reefwiser]

I know it is a strange thing going on. It is brown and has bubbles on the ends. It does grow on my Alternative reef Power station frag rack. It takes two days to show up on the glass. If you want I can send you a sample of it see what you think. I also see small air bubbles at the water line in places around the tank. Nothing on the corals or tank bottom just sides of the tank. I am going to get my diatom filter fired up and suck it all up This Sunday and let the diatom filter run for a couple of days on the tank. That will remove everything in the water column for sure.

 

[Bret Brinkmann]

I know it is a strange thing going on. It is brown and has bubbles on the ends. It does grow on my Alternative reef Power station frag rack. It takes two days to show up on the glass. If you want I can send you a sample of it see what you think. I also see small air bubbles at the water line in places around the tank. Nothing on the corals or tank bottom just sides of the tank. I am going to get my diatom filter fired up and suck it all up This Sunday and let the diatom filter run for a couple of days on the tank. That will remove everything in the water column for sure.

For the cost of shipping a sample you could get a cheap microscope on eBay or Amazon, take pictures and post them here, plus you would have a scope for future use. They are really fun.

Taricha as I read po4/sps threads like this one, I have questions as it relates to this thread

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/the-importance-of-keeping-consistent-parameters.360673/

We can see them suppressing po4 and nutrients down to levels that were claimed as causative for dinos here, so I'm wondering as I read this nutrient debate link above why aren't more sps tanks affected by dinos especially if they're common in sw setups


I fully believe large tankers are benefitted by making nutrients and competition correct for their needs. In reading the link above and considering these relationships in non Dino challenge tanks, I'm trying to use bulk thread trends to find repeating patterns and from the numbers of nutrient obsessed uninvaded sps tanks it makes me second guess the n and p causative angle, or the frequency of invasive cells present in common reef tanks, though adjusting up the nutrients is clearly showing benefit for invaded tanks.

I think most people on here fall into a general category, but some of us, myself included, have something additional going on. I still got dinos even with tons of algae still growing and tons of biodiversity. I have read of others that always had high nutrients but still got them as well. I think nutrients is only a contributing factor but I don't know what the other variables are.

 

[revhtree]

Here is what I’m still dealing with!!

 

[mcarroll]

The wormy ones are Nematodes!

 

[Mike S]

So I spent a few hours reading upnon how to tackle my ostreopsis in my 300 gallon tank.

- I had been feeding heavily to try to get my nitrates and phosphates up. Seems that was misguided. Stopped feeding heavily yesterday and dosed some nitrate to get it to around 2 ppm. I'm also putting acropower and reefroid dosing on hold.

- Phosphate has read around 0.04 to 0.05 ppm and I've ordered some seachem flourish phosphate to bump it up slightly.

- I had turned back my ATS but it looks like I should run it normally to comptete with the dinos if I can keep my phosphate and nitrate levels up.

- I've been running around 700 or 800 gph through my sump. All of my return water goes through an 80 watt sterilizer. I've bumped up that flow a little bit.

- Bumped up the flow from my powerheads and am using a baster to knock the dinos off my rocks with the hope of keeping them in suspension and hopefully knock some back with my UV and skimmer.

- Lastly I noticed that my snails weren't hanging on tightly when I was going to work with the baster. I added some carbon last night to address the toxins. They seemed to have a much better grip today.

Is my approach sound or am I off base with anything? Their appeared to be less dinos today and I'm starting to see a little green algae and some cyano. Sounds odd being happy about that lol.

 

[kecked]

I’ve got mine down to a light dusting. I let nitrate go up to 8-10. I have not added phosphate yet but am running a lot of carbon. I also resumed ethanol. Cap full in 90 gal. 5ml? Only do it once every few days to a week. Also reduced light 20%. And took time to 10 hours. Looking better some days other not.

I mentioned using fertilizer. As mention don’t. It has copper. Should have know that from the color. It looks like pure copper sulfate!

 

[kecked]

Anyone try hardware store trisodium phosphate? Not sure if there are other items. How about phosphoric acid? Mix with a little sodium hydroxide to make sodium di tri mono phosphates?
What about an organic form of phosphate? Cheato slurry. Take some cheato and nuke it literally and then put in a blender and add to tank. Yes I could just order phosphate but looking at the options. I think I like the idea of a natural source like algae that is killed and lysed. More balance food source.

Or. Food. How about sushi wraps? The idea feeding the bacteria.

 

[reeferfoxx]

Anyone try hardware store trisodium phosphate? Not sure if there are other items. How about phosphoric acid? Mix with a little sodium hydroxide to make sodium di tri mono phosphates?
What about an organic form of phosphate? Cheato slurry. Take some cheato and nuke it literally and then put in a blender and add to tank. Yes I could just order phosphate but looking at the options. I think I like the idea of a natural source like algae that is killed and lysed. More balance food source.

Or. Food. How about sushi wraps? The idea feeding the bacteria.

Keeping things simple is the best route. Potassium phosphate or trisodium phosphate work. Unless nitrates become an issue, potassium nitrate in the form of stump remover works. You might be surprised to know that nutrients feed bacteria. Your rocks and fish food and ambient co2 provide enough carbons for bacteria. Rather than focusing on feeding bacteria, you could just dose beneficial bacteria with a probiotic.

I like thinking outside the box every once in awhile. Especially when a tank crash is affordable.

 

[reeferfoxx]

Here is what I’m still dealing with!!

Nice pictures! Which scope did you go with?

I think I see 3 different types of dino. Whats your update on nutrients and/or any equipment added?

 

[Bob Lauson]

This morning I added the UV sterilizer to the display tank. Eventually I will move it to the sump area. I bought a Pentair Smart 40W UV Sterilizer with about 180 gph flowing through it.

 

[reeferfoxx]

This morning I added the UV sterilizer to the display tank. Eventually I will move it to the sump area. I bought a Pentair Smart 40W UV Sterilizer with about 180 gph flowing through it.

That's a nice piece of equipment. If you have reefer friends, I would flaunt it!

 

[Bob Lauson]

I mostly have Dino friends who I hope really enjoy it.

 

[reeferfoxx]

I mostly have Dino friends who I hope really enjoy it.

Haha!! ;Hilarious I'm sure they will enjoy the elevator ride more so the 'Pent'house (pun intended).

 

[kinetic]

Would adding NoPox to increase the population of bacteria help fight Dinos? Or would that just add fuel to the fire?

 

[Waterbourn]

well... i HATE Dinos.

I have been reading all these threads and slowly trying to wage battle. I have a 125 gallon tank and had very low phosphates and 1 ppm nitrates. I am guessing this is what started it. I had just done a chemiclean treatment for cyano which did wonders. My tank had never looked so good. It was about 2 weeks after that treatment that I the dinos came in crazy. They are mostly completely on my sand bed and the roock or coral seem fine so far. I am wondering if the chemiclean wiped out competitors and with the low phosphate the dinos came in. This would be a good thing to look into for those battling cyano with low nutrients.

• I know have phosphates above 0.1. Usually it is staying at between 0.1 and 0.25
• I have nitrates up to 5 ppm and stabilized - Dinos only looks worse sense nutrients are up.
• I have turned off algea scrubber
• I have removed GFO
• I have always had carbon, but changing it more often. Even with carbon I have lost 95% of my snails (counting over 75-100 off the small ones which seem very suceptable)
• I have installed a jabao 55w UV sterilizer and have the pump sitting right on my sand bed. It does not appear to be helping. I have flow all the way up (550 gph pump) and not sure what it should be, although i think mine dino stay in the sand.

I did look at them again under the scope and here is a picture. Based on previous feedback I guess this is amphidinium. I would love to know what the tell is for that type so I can learn to identify.

I also have two movies. One is them swimming. The second is after one drop of hydrogen peroxide. They seem extremely sensitive to hydrogen peroxide, so i really think this will be my next attack. 1 ml/ gallon at night. I am not sure if i should do night or day since they seem to stay in the sand and maybe i want the h2o2 to hit them when they are out the most. Any thoughts?

Swimming:

30 seconds after one drop of h2O2: