Dinoflagellates – Are You Tired Of Battling Altogether?

[puffy127]

Mostly Coolia dinos, 2 cells that are probably ostreopsis, and two long pointy diatoms.

Any specialized plan of attack?

 

[Ert]

If there were equal amounts of ammonia nitrites and nitrates in a system, which nutrient would a simple macro algae like chaeto consume first or prefer?

 

[taricha]

If there were equal amounts of ammonia nitrites and nitrates in a system, which nutrient would a simple macro algae like chaeto consume first or prefer?

ammonia, over nitrates. Nitrites? I dunno.
In general, green algae consume simpler, smaller forms of N better.
Dinos actually do pretty well comparatively at consuming complex / organic forms of N.

 

[taricha]

Any specialized plan of attack?

These seem to respond pretty well to the typical plan of attack laid out in this thread, starting with the first post for a good overview.

 

[puffy127]

These seem to respond pretty well to the typical plan of attack laid out in this thread, starting with the first post for a good overview.

Hmm. I've had an Aqua UV 57 watt running since I set the tank up (120 gallons, 7 months old). Nitrates are at 2.5 - 5 ppm, phosphates are at 0.077 ppm. I feed heavily. Nori 1x day, NLS pellets 2x day, frozen mysis or LRS 1x day, and live blackworms 1x day.

 

[ream]

Hi, can anyone help with ID. I'm pretty sure the large ones are amphidinium and my sand bed is loaded with them. However does anyone know what the smaller circled ones may be? They move quite fast and for the past few days my water column gets cloudy during the day and samples from water column are full of these, same with glass.

 

[mcarroll]

I was able to increase my Nitrates by feeding more.

Not a great strategy because it doesn't target the problem (lacking only N and P), it adds all nutrients to the system. This will make any cyano bloom you get on the back end worse.

now I have phosphates.

...how much?

I just introduced phosphates into the system last week. I have had algae all along with the dinos. is it possible to have Algae without Phosphates? Please educate me.

Yes. Read this: Is nutrient control an effective method of treating algae in a reef?

In short, there are phosphates adsorbed to the live rock and other aragonite substrates in your tank and there are non-nitrate forms of nitrogen available.

So you can definitely have algae without nitrates or phosphates showing up on your test kits.

 

[taricha]

Hi, can anyone help with ID. I'm pretty sure the large ones are amphidinium and my sand bed is loaded with them. However does anyone know what the smaller circled ones may be? They move quite fast and for the past few days my water column gets cloudy during the day and samples from water column are full of these, same with glass.

Video?

 

[ream]

Video?

Sorry none of these are particularly great

 

[taricha]

Sorry none of these are particularly great

Those tiny fast guys don't move like dinos, at least not like photosynthetic ones that typically cause problems.
They are likely hunters and will decrease as their food disappears. If they mass in the water at night like you say, then UV could knock them back perhaps entirely.

 

[ream]

Those tiny fast guys don't move like dinos, at least not like photosynthetic ones that typically cause problems.
They are likely hunters and will decrease as their food disappears. If they mass in the water at night like you say, then UV could knock them back perhaps entirely.

Thanks Taricha. It's the opposite though, the water clears overnight and gets cloudy in the morning and as brown dust on the glass which reaccumulates soon after I clean. I may try UV but wouldn't that knock out anything potentially beneficial to increase diversity? Also can you confirm the other dino as amphidinium?

 

[taricha]

Thanks Taricha. It's the opposite though, the water clears overnight and gets cloudy in the morning and as brown dust on the glass which reaccumulates soon after I clean. I may try UV but wouldn't that knock out anything potentially beneficial to increase diversity? Also can you confirm the other dino as amphidinium?

Oh, sorry. Misread your earlier post. So you have DayWalkers?
Not really. The beneficial biodiversity we try to support has a mostly benthic life cycle. And UV has been found to kill way more baddies than good things during a dino bloom.
I mean it's not like we have thriving populations of pelagic copepods. That would be awesome, but in the hobby our skimmers/filters prevent that from ever happening.

 

[ream]

Oh, sorry. Misread your earlier post. So you have DayWalkers?
Not really. The beneficial biodiversity we try to support has a mostly benthic life cycle. And UV has been found to kill way more baddies than good things during a dino bloom.
I mean it's not like we have thriving populations of pelagic copepods. That would be awesome, but in the hobby our skimmers/filters prevent that from ever happening.

I see your point . Will give UV a try. Are the ones in the first 2 vids amphi?

 

[taricha]

Are the ones in the first 2 vids amphi?

Yes, sorry. They are amphidinium.

 

[Deezill]

@ream when you took you sample you just took water and put on a slide and put it under the scope? Or did you actually grab some of the slim or was it some of the brown substrate? I am trying to figure how to pull a sample. My scope will be delivered on tomorrow and I want to be able to post a pic so I can get help as well. Thanks.

 

[Deezill]

Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy was a fine movie. Classic in my book. Always know where your towel is.

 

[fishbox]

@ream when you took you sample you just took water and put on a slide and put it under the scope? Or did you actually grab some of the slim or was it some of the brown substrate? I am trying to figure how to pull a sample. My scope will be delivered on tomorrow and I want to be able to post a pic so I can get help as well. Thanks.

I used a small dropper and sucked up what I could near the sandbed. Then I put 1 drop on the top of 5 different slides. I did not wedge the drops between slides as I wasn't sure if I needed too. Also I did not need all 5 samples. I found the dinos in the first sample. You can find eye droppers cheap at walgreens, walmarts and like stores

 

[ncaldwell]

I need an ID if possible. Finally found a microscope

 

[ncaldwell]

Closer pictures for id

 

[Deezill]

I used a small dropper and sucked up what I could near the sandbed. Then I put 1 drop on the top of 5 different slides. I did not wedge the drops between slides as I wasn't sure if I needed too. Also I did not need all 5 samples. I found the dinos in the first sample. You can find eye droppers cheap at walgreens, walmarts and like stores

Thank you so much for your help. I should get my scope delivered today and I now know what I am doing. I think lol