Dinoflagellates – Are You Tired Of Battling Altogether?

[aras]

Do they zoom around in a pulsing (expanding / contracting) motion? I'm going to guess amphidinium.

They are moving around a bit, but I wouldn't say pulsing...

 

[mtdaly85]

They are moving around a bit, but I wouldn't say pulsing...

In my not-so-expert opinion, I'd say amphidinium.

 

[aras]

Here is a short video.

 

[mtdaly85]

Here is a short video.

Yes, the movement looks a lot like amphidinium I believe.

 

[taricha]

Heres the photos of it on the corals

A LOT of prorocentrum dino cells, but also a lot of something else. Filamentous algae maybe? I wonder if you sucked up a bunch of it, put it in a bottle, shook the heck out of it for a few seconds, and poured it through a coffee filter....
how much would go through (dinos), and how much would be long filamentous stuff caught in the filter?

Doesn't look like its a serious infestation, I see a lot more cyano than I do dinos, but none-the-less it looks like I might have coolia and prorocentrum?

looks like almost all cyano. Dinos if present, not concerning in number.

 

[._Z_.]

Any tips on getting coolia into the water column?

I’m on the first day of a blackout period. They’re mostly on my sand bed

 

[dwest]

Any tips on getting coolia into the water column?

I’m on the first day of a blackout period. They’re mostly on my sand bed

Blast them with a turkey blaster or powerhead. Do you have uv going?

 

[._Z_.]

Blast them with a turkey blaster or powerhead. Do you have uv going?

I do. Ostreopsis got mostly knocked back but the coolia have stayed on the sand and seem to be holding strong

 

[Scottybgood]

I do. Ostreopsis got mostly knocked back but the coolia have stayed on the sand and seem to be holding strong

Coolia seem to be much more stubborn. Some of the strains have "armour" and take many trips through the UV to be affected. Also I was advised that Coolia like high nitrate environments...I was dosing to keep my PO4 near .1 and NO3 ~10-15 and when i dropped N03 to around 5 I started seeing an improvement.

Just keep coaxing them into the water column by blasting the rocks and sand a bit.

I also ran a Vortex Diatom Filter after lights out and blasting with a turkey baster, and that seems to knock them back as well.

 

[._Z_.]

Coolia seem to be much more stubborn. Some of the strains have "armour" and take many trips through the UV to be affected. Also I was advised that Coolia like high nitrate environments...I was dosing to keep my PO4 near .1 and NO3 ~10-15 and when i dropped N03 to around 5 I started seeing an improvement.

Just keep coaxing them into the water column by blasting the rocks and sand a bit.

I also ran a Vortex Diatom Filter after lights out and blasting with a turkey baster, and that seems to knock them back as well.

Thanks! I’ll check my NO3 and try blasting the sand

 

[dvmsn]

Just blacked for 4 days. Success. I used a completely opaque tarp. Tried before with a tarp that was not opaque. They came back. This time they are gone. Everything is ticked and some corals may die. A worthy trade IMO. This is the only method I have found to work. Keep trying though! It is rough on a tank.

 

[taricha]

Just blacked for 4 days. Success. I used a completely opaque tarp. Tried before with a tarp that was not opaque. They came back. This time they are gone. Everything is ****** and some corals may die. A worthy trade IMO. This is the only method I have found to work. Keep trying though! It is rough on a tank.

Thanks for posting your experience. Do you have microscope pic, so we can establish ID? Did you do other interventions on top of darkness - UV, nutrient, etc?

I have kept a strain of Large Cell Amphidinium dinos in total darkness in a beaker for about 2 weeks.
And they were scooting around happily after.
So we need to be as specific as possible about the context and details.

 

[dvmsn]

I believe it was Coolio (ball with four sections) I tried Dr Tim's waste away before blacking. Made it worse IMO. I also added a UV and chaeto prior to black out with no help. Literally stirred the sand every day. Nothing. Again, everything oncludinc the sump was completely blacked with a giant tarp. Chaeto reator went off.

 

[._Z_.]

Looks like it was possibly coolia. I’m also curious how long it took them to come back the first time, and how long it’s been now that you’ve beat them?

 

[dwest]

I believe it was Coolio (ball with four sections) I tried Dr Tim's waste away before blacking. Made it worse IMO. I also added a UV and chaeto prior to black out with no help. Literally stirred the sand every day. Nothing. Again, everything oncludinc the sump was completely blacked with a giant tarp. Chaeto reator went off.

What size is your tank? What UV are you using?

 

[dvmsn]

250. 12x Coralife. It took a day or two before I saw signs last time . This time I am a week and a half out with no signs. I can't stress enough how much complete and utter blackness is required. Don't open it. Don't check on your fish. Cover and pray. Even tiny slivers of light into your sump.

 

[dvmsn]

Your corals will hate it. Your fish will hate it. Some may die. This is preferable to me than looking at Satan's aquarium pest. I did 4 days, if I didn't mention that. I also ramp my lights back up slowly. This works on the snotty one really well.

 

[Jonreefer]

Your corals will hate it. Your fish will hate it. Some may die. This is preferable to me than looking at Satan's aquarium pest. I did 4 days, if I didn't mention that. I also ramp my lights back up slowly. This works on the snotty one really well.

It probably isn’t going to be a total success. I did a 5 day blackout fully covered and hit them with other things during blackout. Everything looked great when I was done and all Dino was gone. About 2 weeks later they started to pop up slowly. This time I added a uv sterilizer. I have done nothing else. No light change no feeding change and they are gone so far in my tank after about 4 nights. I am going to keep it running in the tank for about 2 weeks. But expect them to come back from only a blackout.

 

[OpenOcean33]

I believe it was Coolio (ball with four sections) I tried Dr Tim's waste away before blacking. Made it worse IMO. I also added a UV and chaeto prior to black out with no help. Literally stirred the sand every day. Nothing. Again, everything oncludinc the sump was completely blacked with a giant tarp. Chaeto reator went off.

Keep us updated please, i have done black outs and after 2 weeks they start to reappear. So I'm curious to see what happens with yours. You say that Dr time made it worse then you did a black out. This statement caught my attention. Maybe Dr. Tims was working, putting the dinos in fight or flight mode.. growing and growing.. so you hit them with a black out and Dr Tims finishes them off with the strong black out because they are weakened. Isn't Dr Tims a macrophage bacteria meaning it will eat the dying dinos. This is just a thought by reading your post and may make a good experiment for some to try? If silicate dosing does not work for me i will defenilty try this.

 

[mx36]

Currently battling ostreopsis, currently have a 36W coralife turbotwist UV in the sump feed by a mag 3 pump. Haven't really noticed a decline in it yet. I am thinking about upgrading to a aquavu 57 watt feed by a mag 5 directly placed in the main display. Any thoughts on this upgrade or should I let the coralife continue to run? The tank is 255 gal, the entire set up around 325 gal. Also has anyone had luck when syphoning the sandbed to run it directly through a UV with good results?