Dinoflagellates – Are You Tired Of Battling Altogether?

[ScottB]

It's a brand new 50W Pentair HO on 130g tank and ~200g total water volume. Plumbed DT to DT. Tried for a couple weeks at 250gph, then tried at 450gph for a couple weeks. It might be slowing them down, I'm not sure. But again, if a significant portion of the Ostreo doesn't go into the water column, it seems like it's not going to work. My Ostreo is definitely enjoying the comfort of the mucus mats at night.

Edit: I have done a 1 day blackout initially, which improved things drastically. Then they returned a week later. So I did a 3 day blackout with the UV running, and it again improved things. But they always eventually returned. My nutrients are where they "should be" the whole time (using a doser for No3 and Po4).

No amino dosing, right? That stuff was dino-fuel in my system.

 

[Yodeling]

No amino dosing, right? That stuff was dino-fuel in my system.

I just dose No3/PO4 and have a CaRx running. Nothing else gets added to the tank.

 

[ScottB]

I just dose No3/PO4 and have a CaRx running. Nothing else gets added to the tank.

Puzzling. You seem to have a lazy variant.

Alright, since they seem to be content remaining in the mats, maybe supplement your manual removal tactics by clamping a bunch of filter floss to the glass in high flow and light areas (or wherever they seem to park). Once the mats build up, remove and rinse.

If you don't make much more progress in the next week or two, maybe tag @Reef and Dive for a modified Cruz method.

 

[dwest]

I just dose No3/PO4 and have a CaRx running. Nothing else gets added to the tank.

I think you should keep running UV, do as much manual removal as you can, and be as patient as you can. I think you will get there. At some point you should see film algae growing on the glass and maybe some cyano in the tank and that will be the start of good things.

 

[Reef and Dive]

My UV (Pentair HO) has not proven effective at eliminating Ostreo. So, in my case at least, it's not as simple as just running UV 24/7. Your results may vary, and I've seen people on this board claiming that UV alone eliminated it in short timespan. See my post above regarding my observation.

IMHO check your diagnosis.
Consider this: Ostreo might be not anymore the prevailing species, really worth checking.

If you are 100% sure it is an Ostreopsidaceae, check if the UV method is consistent (do not shift methods in this case):

- 1W / 10gal of a good UV
- new bulbs not obliterated by detritus
- slow flow for parasites (each model has a table for this, and really check the flow with a timer over 15s at least, never “think” it is ok)
- put UV on the display if still needed

If taken meticulous care of this conditions I consider nearly impossible not to solve Ostreo, it is pretty easy actually. I have visited many reefers to help “unsolvable” dinos for months and here, found something that was not as required on 100% and solved 100% of the problems after the changes.

Unfortunately, too many cases are those of a different dinoflagellate prevailing, and this specifically demmands a complete change of methods for control.

Recently I did a video with this comments (in portuguese, but with english subs):

 

[Yodeling]

Thanks for the advice. I am 100% sure it’s all Ostreopsis as I periodically verify under microscope. I will keep the UV treatment as well as manual removal. I also added filter floss to various spots in the tank, per @ScottB advice. It gets covered in Ostreopsis pretty quick, after which I rinse in hot water and repeat. I will post on my progress.

 

[iLMaRiO]

for a 430 liters net tank and a 55w UV which flow is needed to beat ostreo? i have to choose a pump. at the moment i have a 1200 liters and an 800 liters, but i think they are small

 

[ScottB]

for a 430 liters net tank and a 55w UV which flow is needed to beat ostreo? i have to choose a pump. at the moment i have a 1200 liters and an 800 liters, but i think they are small

The 1200 is perfect. Fire it up.

 

[Reef and Dive]

for a 430 liters net tank and a 55w UV which flow is needed to beat ostreo? i have to choose a pump. at the moment i have a 1200 liters and an 800 liters, but i think they are small

Near 700L/h, but also check that UV instructions, flow for “parasites”, usually the slower option.

 

[ScottB]

Thanks for the advice. I am 100% sure it’s all Ostreopsis as I periodically verify under microscope. I will keep the UV treatment as well as manual removal. I also added filter floss to various spots in the tank, per @ScottB advice. It gets covered in Ostreopsis pretty quick, after which I rinse in hot water and repeat. I will post on my progress.

Your last pic was 100% ostreo.

Are you sick of the smell yet? I can smell ostreo now from two towns away.

I am curious as to why yours are replicating so quickly. Where are your nutrient numbers now?

 

[ScottB]

Near 700L/h, but also check that UV instructions, flow for “parasites”, usually the slower option.

I am also fine with slower. I was more liberal due to the wattage you chose for that size display.

 

[iLMaRiO]

putting UV in display tank is mandatory or i can keep the UV Always on in the sump? from the skimmer compartment to the skimmer compartment, like a closed loop

 

[Reef and Dive]

putting UV in display tank is mandatory or i can keep the UV Always on in the sump? from the skimmer compartment to the skimmer compartment, like a closed loop

Not mandatory. Cases can sure be solved on the sump.

let’s say it’s a case of Ostreopsidaceae not getting better, then putting on the display would be nice.

 

[iLMaRiO]

Still have to use UV (it should be delivered by the end of this week) but I can see a huge improvement after reducing to 6 hours (and 60% power) the light and by using both Dinoxal and Dino X. I think that when I start to use UV, dino will be defeated in a couple of days.

Actually I can see some cyano, this is usually a good sign. Any idea on how to beat them without powering dino ?

 

[ScottB]

Still have to use UV (it should be delivered by the end of this week) but I can see a huge improvement after reducing to 6 hours (and 60% power) the light and by using both Dinoxal and Dino X. I think that when I start to use UV, dino will be defeated in a couple of days.

Actually I can see some cyano, this is usually a good sign. Any idea on how to beat them without powering dino ?

Yes, cyano is the next phase out of dinos. It can take a while and many manual removals for it to give way to other bacterial films and algae. Just keep nutrients available and in balance. Somewhere in the 10/.1 to 5/.05 consistently helps me get through the cyano phase.

 

[iLMaRiO]

Yes, cyano is the next phase out of dinos. It can take a while and many manual removals for it to give way to other bacterial films and algae. Just keep nutrients available and in balance. Somewhere in the 10/.1 to 5/.05 consistently helps me get through the cyano phase.

should I keep nutrients available even if i'm planning to start zeovit ?

 

[a.t.t.r]

While this isn’t terrible I had it die back and then got some cyano and now the cyano is gone and this is back. It vanishes almost 100 percent at night. Can I get any help with an ID.

 

[ScottB]

should I keep nutrients available even if i'm planning to start zeovit ?

Yessir. Easy to relapse without consistent residuals. Don't have to be high.

and keep doing your homework on Zeo!

 

[wolfen281]

To Dino or Not to Dino
4 month old mixed reef
Thought it was just the ugly phase but thinking it might be the extra ugly phase.

I'll be in the lab on Thursday. I can use a basic light inverted scope or a confocal. Right now I'm thinking I can just live mount the sample on a slide and use light on 10X or 20X. Suggestions?

The pictures are what I vacuumed up off the sand bed. The last picture is about 20 minutes later and the wee beasties have conglomerated to several foci on the bottom of the bucket.

Dinos?

I may have gone overboard on the video ;Watching

 

[iLMaRiO]

Yessir. Easy to relapse without consistent residuals. Don't have to be high.

and keep doing your homework on Zeo!

not really clear, if i rase po4 and no3 (i have to remove rowaphos) , it will be much longer to start zeovit. raising to remove after doesn't look a great idea, or not?