Dinoflagellates - dinos a possible cure!? Follow along and see!

[rog2961]

Seems like the dirty method is to just raise nitrates. I have a hunch that when people try the dirty method with extra feedings and less cleanings, there are still enough nutrients for the dinos to feed off of. I used kno3 to raise nitrates and the dinos literally dissapeared in a day or two. I have a hunch that maybe pure nitrates are a better way to combat them rather than just throwing everything at them. Seems many people have success with kno3.

 

[mcarroll]

Seems like the dirty method is to just raise nitrates. I have a hunch that when people try the dirty method with extra feedings and less cleanings, there are still enough nutrients for the dinos to feed off of. I used kno3 to raise nitrates and the dinos literally dissapeared in a day or two. I have a hunch that maybe pure nitrates are a better way to combat them rather than just throwing everything at them. Seems many people have success with kno3.

Depends a little on what's wrong/missing from the tank. If your tank only/also lacked available PO4 (or something else....but PO4 is the other most common after nitrate) then just adding KNO3 wouldn't do much.

2¢

 

[becks]

I've stopped all maintenance on my tank and by week 2 my dinos have been on the decline and today only around 1/4 of my sand bed is covered... the only algae growing is bit from the return pipe and there's some green stuff growing on top of the remaining dinos.

 

[rog2961]

I really think low level bleach + fixing nutrient imbalance is probably the quickest fix. I honestly havent seen my corals open up so much after bleach. Must be the oxygen.

 

[DesertReefBoy]

@twilliard

Hey I just came across this thread and am reading it but it is long. I have a 90 DT mixed reef and I'm pretty sure I have the dreaded Dino algae. Can you guys confirm?

I just ordered the seachem medication and it will be here Friday.

 

[Thor2j]

Confirmed

 

[DesertReefBoy]

Confirmed

I'm still reading through the thread but what was the decision they came up with on treatment?

 

[becks]

I'm still reading through the thread but what was the decision they came up with on treatment?

Nothing conclusive, there seems to be many different solutions that work for different people most likely dependent on Dino species and individual tank dynamics.

I tried the following;

Dino x
H2o2
Blackout

What seems to be working for me is neglecting the tank and allowing it to dirty up.

 

[mcarroll]

I'm still reading through the thread but what was the decision they came up with on treatment?

None of the treatments are even close to a sure thing and most have bad side-effects in at least some cases. Not worth it, IMO.

Instead, check out post #4146.

 

[DesertReefBoy]

None of the treatments are even close to a sure thing and most have bad side-effects in at least some cases. Not worth it, IMO.

Instead, check out post #4146.

Good to know. Do you know which have bad side effects? I just started micro bubble scrubbing for 10 hrs a night. I was going to start dosing seachem metro for tbeee days. Would you say this is a bad idea?

 

[mcarroll]

Good to know. Do you know which have bad side effects? I just started micro bubble scrubbing for 10 hrs a night. I was going to start dosing seachem metro for tbeee days. Would you say this is a bad idea?

None are a good idea, IMO. PM sent.

 

[K. Steven]

Letting the tank go dirty by skimming only at night and feeding heavier 3-4 times a day is working well. I did the first WC today (~40%) since seeing Ostreopsis about a week ago and will follow up with observations.

 

[Jolanta]

So they are coming back fast Im so tired of it, I just came home from work to see some brown patches on my sand and rocks, now there is hair algea growing, ciano and dinos, all together, my rocks start to look as a mess once again. I should start the diatom filter to clean it but I feel simply tired to look at my tank today. I think I will clean it tomorrow and see how it goes, but I loose my faith I think I would need diatom filter working 24/7 to get rid of them.

 

[K. Steven]

Did you try the dirty method to increase nutrients?

 

[Jolanta]

Did you try the dirty method to increase nutrients?

I did and its seems to get worst, my system is no longer low nutrients couse in this moment my nitrates are about 30 and my phosphate 0.059. Do you think getting them higher taking off my skimmer would help? I know a friend in facebook who have ovata also and his phosphates is at 0.26 and dinos are still killing all his corals, so I dont know what much I can do

 

[mcarroll]

I did and its seems to get worst

This is expected....the dino's need to be overtaken by the rest of the microbial cast....cyano is usually first, but not last.

If it's just ugly and not hurting anything, then you're already around the corner from the worst of it!

nitrates are about 30 and my phosphate 0.059

Keep scrubbing if running the filter and other things are too much to keep up with.

Your tank is on the right course....cyano and algae will start out-competing it for space, etc.

Do you still have any CUC or can you try to add 1 or 2 snails? Any sign of pods in the tank or ATS?

 

[Jolanta]

This is expected....the dino's need to be overtaken by the rest of the microbial cast....cyano is usually first, but not last.

If it's just ugly and not hurting anything, then you're already around the corner from the worst of it!



Keep scrubbing if running the filter and other things are too much to keep up with.

Your tank is on the right course....cyano and algae will start out-competing it for space, etc.

Do you still have any CUC or can you try to add 1 or 2 snails? Any sign of pods in the tank or ATS?

The bad thing is that now all my zoas all loosing color, getting brown or not opening or shriveling, my ricordea and one hammer is white and with tisue recesion. I get all visible dinos with diatom filter but I dont see my corals getting better so I think something in the water is way off and Im sure if I make a big waterchange my dinos will go crazy. If I would see my corals getting better I wouldnt worry about ciano and dinos and hair algea but its not that way. I have one turbo snail now that is ok, I see him everyday in a diferent place so at least its moving and eating. Also have lots of small baby copepodes in the glass and baby chitons. My scrubber stays the same, its green but I think is some kind of ciano on the mesh couse I dont see it growing longer.

Thats how it looks like.

 

[mcarroll]

Have you started cleaning the ATS screen at all? It might be curious just to clean a few centimeters in the middle or on an edge and see if it grows back any differently.

I don't recall if you clarified, but at 30 ppm NO3 you don't need to be dosing any nitrates.

Is there any chance that you're re-cycling the diatom powder and possibly re-introducing toxins from dino's that have broken down, or are you cleaning the diatom filter out in between cleanings?

If your dino's aren't toxic, this step might not matter at all....

How is your CUC and/or snails?

 

[Jolanta]

Have you started cleaning the ATS screen at all? It might be curious just to clean a few centimeters in the middle or on an edge and see if it grows back any differently.

I don't recall if you clarified, but at 30 ppm NO3 you don't need to be dosing any nitrates.

Is there any chance that you're re-cycling the diatom powder and possibly re-introducing toxins from dino's that have broken down, or are you cleaning the diatom filter out in between cleanings?

If your dino's aren't toxic, this step might not matter at all....

How is your CUC and/or snails?

I clean the screen once a week couse it starts to grow red ciano on the green stuff and I clean it with tooth brush trying to leave the green only but it grow the same next week, now I see some brown also so I think there are dinos in the middle. I will clean it today.
When I use the diatom filter I always clean it all after couse Im scared to reintroduce some dinos back so I clean it good and let it dry.
My CUC is all death couse of ostreopsis, I have one turbo left alive and he seems to do good, at least its moving I dont want to buy more couse I know dinos will kill them.
I dose in this moment only kh, ca and mag. I bought Microbacter 7. You think it would be a good idea to make a big waterchange, syphoning all the visible dinos, add some microbacter7 and then control if they start to grow using diatom filter. Maybe I should use it daily ?

 

[mcarroll]

Interesting cyano would still be so favored with that much NO3 in the water, but I'm guessing it's still just a matter of time.

Are all your test kits and reagents within their freshness/"use by" dates?

I might still leave half or more of the ATS un-cleaned and just see where the cyano takes the ATS colony.....cyano is not a bad thing.