Dinoflagellates – Are You Tired Of Battling Altogether?

Murraydar

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Started dosing sodium silicate solution last Friday evening, over the course of 4 days I achieved a 2-3 ppm level. Reading thr Salifert test kit is a challenge. Also hit the sandbed hard with a sand vac Saturday and Sunday. By Monday Dino’s where back in the exact same places which leads me to believe they somehow attach to the sand. I was hitting them with enough suction that I was getting sand with the water. Strange! Next time I’m just sucking then out sand and all with a hose. Still keeping up with N and P. N is around 8ppm, P is close to 1ppm.
By Monday I started seeing a brown haze on the glass, pictures where taken Tuesday of a glass scrape. Looks like diatoms and algae with some Dino’s. I didn’t expect to see Dino’s on glass also looks like I have a picture of a cell splitting.
So far my Dino population has not changed much. They are in several distinct areas which could make removal of the sand a little easier.
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Hey. I started dosing sodium silicates in my tank yesterday as well. After reading Randys article on dosing silicates into the reef tank I figured I may as well give it a shot to try and increase my tanks biodiversity. Diatoms, sponges, anything to compete with the Dinos.

In the last couple days I have been reading articles and various research papers on red tides (dinoflagellates) and what may cause them. In addition to the article that was posted a few pages back, I have seen several different sources that suggest that that a lack or crash of diatoms / silicates may be allowing dinos to bloom. From what I've read diatoms will outcompete dinos.

Obviously I'm not a scientist or researcher but this sounds like it makes sense. Usually our tanks are depleted of silicates fairly quickly, not to mention that many of the people that report dinos have been vigorously using GFO to remove po4 and silicates. Maybe were killing the dinoflagellates competition? Kind of goes hand in hand with what people are suggest by adding nutrients to increase biodiversity to outcompete the dinos. Ill continue dosing silicates at well and keep you guys updated on the results. I have a seachem silicate test coming in in a few days, ill let you know if its better than the salifert.

dino.png
 

Paullawr

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2. Drop of nutrients for optimum growth.

This has been my theory from the off and holds up more than the microfauna out competing.

I genuinely believe with low nutrients we are kick-starting their survival mechanism.

When a species is threatened it reacts. Some animals for example release larvae at near death.

If they are in your tank and you are starving them out of existence I believe this is the start of the bloom.
- where possible to disperse to other areas of the ocean where nutrients are not limited.
- take up all available nutrients to reproduce and outcompete other organisms which maybe utilising the same food sources.

By adding po4 and n03 or not vigorously removing organics and Nitrogen compounds we are calming the stress sensors within the cells.

In nature when a bloom occurs no one really knows when it will subside but usually during strong tides, cooler water and no doubt more nutrient rich currents.

This is totally speculative but then so is the increased diversity. Which I must point out - for diversity (microfauna) to consume dinoflagellates once boomed there would surely be massive evidence of their presence in oue tanks with or without magnification.
Something I've never really witnessed in all the photos.

Just my two cents.
 

xilez

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Haven't tried to add bacteria since my tank was initially cycled. Whats the best product for a tank over a year old to add? Figured its worth giving it a shot.
 
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mcarroll

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Dunno the origin, but this always comes to mind:

Fool me once, shame on you.
Fool me twice, shame on me.
Fool me three times.....?#$%^ ? #? %?##

;)
 

reeferfoxx

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To be fair there's a high number of success stories. Then again, there is for vibrant.

Quite a few of the successes do go sour though.
I think it also boils down to whos using it correctly and dosing correctly. How many people also want to admit to physically removing as much as they possibly can versus side stepping with a case of LARS? Lot of situational factors including forgetting to remove carbon etc. But nobody will admit. It just becomes a back and fortg battle. I truly believe it works.
 

Paullawr

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Oh no doubt. For every failure there is a hidden reason.

I'm fairly confident it works also.

Remember @mcarrol is like a new age hippy. If involves pharmaceuticals or a PhD then he's not keen.
:)
 

reeferfoxx

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Oh no doubt. For every failure there is a hidden reason.

I'm fairly confident it works also.

Remember @mcarrol is like a new age hippy. If involves pharmaceuticals or a PhD then he's not keen.
:)
Understandably so. I feel the same about vibrant lol
 

Paullawr

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Vibrant, ah yes. Used it and wouldn't again. Not a fan. Sorted out the initial problem for more resistant ones to appear.
 

wopadobop

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well boys and girls. I am back. As predicted, once i cured crysophytes, DINOS!

but, im gonna attempt something. instead of dosing phosphates (mine are already around .04) im gonna try the algae barn method and see if there is any merit to it. Im not afraid!

i have photos of species in the tank under microscope and before shots.
1 whole bottle of phyto coming up (yep doing it)
 

reeferfoxx

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well boys and girls. I am back. As predicted, once i cured crysophytes, DINOS!

but, im gonna attempt something. instead of dosing phosphates (mine are already around .04) im gonna try the algae barn method and see if there is any merit to it. Im not afraid!

i have photos of species in the tank under microscope and before shots.
1 whole bottle of phyto coming up (yep doing it)
Did you have chrysos before dinos or both?
 

wopadobop

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Just Chryso , but the cure for that is starve them out. So Dino’s reared up. We knew it was gonna happen.
 

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