Dinoflagellates – Are You Tired Of Battling Altogether?

[Meg012]

@Paullawr The sandbed is roughly 6 months old. The tank is still in early stages of it's life. Thank you so much for the confirmed ID!

@Matthew Marracino Not sure if this will work for you, every tank is different, but I'll share my experience with the dinos I've been battling (large cell large cell amphidinium). It started out a few months back for me, and happened when my N and P were at almost undetectable levels, which I believe is how they got their foothold in the first place. I started out with two, almost back to back 3 day blackouts, with heavy peroxide dosing (ok'd by an experienced reefer helping me out who suggested the blackouts). I moved all my livestock to a temporary tank while doing so. After the second blackout and the heavy peroxide dosing (about 8 mL a day, I have a 20 gallon) the dinos were gone and my sand looked amazing, until two weeks after I did my first water change. Stupidly I vacuumed the sand which I think really brought them back, as I've heard dinos have a fight response when disturbed (not sure how true this is, but in my case it seemed very true). After the blackout I ramped the lights back up, within about a week or so. Through some trial and error I've found a setting with my lights that seems to be good for the corals, but not enough to cause the dinos to be growing like weeds like they used to. I used to have the lights on for 12 hours a day, but they're cut back to 9 now. I also re-positioned my powerheads, they used to graze over the sandbed to really get any detritus off the sandbed and into the filter. My attack plan has been letting my N and P climb to encourage other algae to grow and out-compete the dinos, which seems to be working for me It was suggested to me by a local reefer to stop water changes, until my alk drops (testing daily), so I've been doing that, plus daily feedings (used to be every other day), and also zero disturbance to the sandbed. I hope you can get yours under control Never give up is what I've learned through this whole process.

The picture I previously posted of the dinos in my tank was a month ago, and this is where I am today. I haven't looked under the microscope and am not an expert, but I do believe I'm starting to see more diatoms than there are dinos at this stage.

 

[Paullawr]

My microscope just came. I’ve been running UV, siphoning out what I can each day. This is really, really stringy. It grows in a mat almost like cyano, maybe incorporating cyano as was mentioned.

I’ve been running UV, dosing Dino X and dosing hydrogen peroxide. I also replaced my sandbed with starboard and have been keeping my T5s off, using only led which is mostly blue.

Green algae is growing on the glass and I seem to be holding the Dinos back but I wouldn’t say I’m winning. The progress I’ve made in the display, is made up for the Dino mess that’s in my sump.

I’ve mostly kept my fuge light off because the Dinos take over down there. To keep my macro alive I do turn it on for a few hours every couple days but the Dinos cover everything in the fuge during that time.

I cannot work out from photo what strain you have but looks like several.

 

[Paullawr]

@Paullawr The sandbed is roughly 6 months old. The tank is still in early stages of it's life. Thank you so much for the confirmed ID!

@Matthew Marracino Not sure if this will work for you, every tank is different, but I'll share my experience with the dinos I've been battling (large cell large cell amphidinium). It started out a few months back for me, and happened when my N and P were at almost undetectable levels, which I believe is how they got their foothold in the first place. I started out with two, almost back to back 3 day blackouts, with heavy peroxide dosing (ok'd by an experienced reefer helping me out who suggested the blackouts). I moved all my livestock to a temporary tank while doing so. After the second blackout and the heavy peroxide dosing (about 8 mL a day, I have a 20 gallon) the dinos were gone and my sand looked amazing, until two weeks after I did my first water change. Stupidly I vacuumed the sand which I think really brought them back, as I've heard dinos have a fight response when disturbed (not sure how true this is, but in my case it seemed very true). After the blackout I ramped the lights back up, within about a week or so. Through some trial and error I've found a setting with my lights that seems to be good for the corals, but not enough to cause the dinos to be growing like weeds like they used to. I used to have the lights on for 12 hours a day, but they're cut back to 9 now. I also re-positioned my powerheads, they used to graze over the sandbed to really get any detritus off the sandbed and into the filter. My attack plan has been letting my N and P climb to encourage other algae to grow and out-compete the dinos, which seems to be working for me It was suggested to me by a local reefer to stop water changes, until my alk drops (testing daily), so I've been doing that, plus daily feedings (used to be every other day), and also zero disturbance to the sandbed. I hope you can get yours under control Never give up is what I've learned through this whole process.

The picture I previously posted of the dinos in my tank was a month ago, and this is where I am today. I haven't looked under the microscope and am not an expert, but I do believe I'm starting to see more diatoms than there are dinos at this stage.

I've been impressed with fauna marin red x. It might be worth a try you.

 

[taricha]

Thank you @taricha that is very helpful.

Would you recommend acquiring isopods or amphipods to help prevent future Dino outbreaks?

I don't think isopods are for sale. I do recommend having a part of your system where there is live healthy growing algae so that small inverts such as those guys I'm describing have a foothold in your system, and they can make their way into the main display tank and will increase population there anytime a food source arises.

 

[CDavmd]

I subscribed to Florida pets pods last year when I was struggling with amphidinium.

My most recent shipments of pods contain a few large isopods mixed in with the amphipods and copepods.

 

[taricha]

I subscribed to Florida pets pods last year when I was struggling with amphidinium.

My most recent shipments of pods contain a few large isopods mixed in with the amphipods and copepods.

Dang. I forgot how good the florida pets stuff looks. They keep the unconventional, but actually useful stuff.
If my tank was ever not actively producing amphipods isopods and other weird critters, I'd subscribe to their pod service.

 

[Act1n1c_L1fe]

I’ve been fighting these Dino’s since December. Nitrates were at 5-10ppm phosphates were at .10-.15. They grow on the rocks like a film. They grow on the sand like a mat. No bubbles, no strings. I bought a 11w uv sterilizer and got a cheato reactor... reactor eliminated nitrates and phosphates are still the same. Dino’s starting to recede but not going away. I stopped doing water changes and tried a blackout. What are they? What else should I do? Tank is a year old. Pictures were taken with hydra whites at 100% and I never run whites over 30% on a daily basis

 

[taricha]

I’ve been fighting these Dino’s since December. Nitrates were at 5-10ppm phosphates were at .10-.15. They grow on the rocks like a film. They grow on the sand like a mat.

Large Cell Amphidinium.
If your herbivores will allow it, the single best thing I ever did against them was put blobs of chaeto right on the brown sand spots. Have done that more than once.

 

[Act1n1c_L1fe]

Large Cell Amphidinium.
If your herbivores will allow it, the single best thing I ever did against them was put blobs of chaeto right on the brown sand spots. Have done that more than once.

They will. All but one snail died. But 2500gph in my 45 gallon tank probably won’t let cheato sit there... won’t cheato break off and grow everywhere?

 

[taricha]

They will. All but one snail died. But 2500gph in my 45 gallon tank probably won’t let cheato sit there... won’t cheato break off and grow everywhere?

Ok, then set a small rock in the middle to hold in place. Chaeto doesn't attach, so you can just pull it out if it grows anywhere else.

 

[Fritzhamer]

I cannot work out from photo what strain you have but looks like several.

Perhaps this one is a bit better. If it is several Dinos I may have to throw in the towel.

 

[NotFishyFishGuy]

Based on what I can tell, it looks like amphidinium....but looking under our home microscope, hell I can't tell the difference between them. I have brown dots with cells inside them.... I am such a newb.

Ok so I’m still pretty new for The Who,e nuisance algae sort of thing, but I once had to battle them. Had an insane amount on my fluval evo 13.5, cleaning it out by hand everyday. Then I lowered my feeding, got some snails, changed filter, and cleaned the entire skimmer (not just cup), and in a week, no more algae. Haven’t scraped the glass or saw algae on sand for a month

 

[JARJOR]

@taricha thanks for the help. I have been scouring the forum trying to look for ways to battle/kill coolia...Do you know or happen to know where I could find that? thanks

@taricha do Coolia release toxins like other dino species? thanks

 

[taricha]

@taricha do Coolia release toxins like other dino species? thanks

Yes they are almost toxic as often and as much as ostreopsis.

 

[m0jjen]

Hi!

Would love some help with ID on my dinos

Short video: https://imgur.com/a/tQlwktX

 

[Fritzhamer]

These look like the ones I have.

 

[m0jjen]

These look like the ones I have.

Which is?

 

[Fritzhamer]

I cannot work out from photo what strain you have but looks like several.

I’m not sure but the above is what I was told.

 

[taricha]

Which is?

Y'all both have the blurry, tiny, out of focus kind. Lol.
The video sped up the motion, I think.
From it I would say either amphidinium or prorocentrum. Distinguishing between the two may be easier with tank shot and observing for toxins.
Stringier, and more toxic suggests prorocentrum.

 

[Paullawr]

Y'all both have the blurry, tiny, out of focus kind. Lol.
The video sped up the motion, I think.
From it I would say either amphidinium or prorocentrum. Distinguishing between the two may be easier with tank shot and observing for toxins.
Stringier, and more toxic suggests prorocentrum.

Lol

Here was me buying new glasses.