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

[RMS18]

@dansreef I would not be concerned with nuking the tank with this. So far everyone trying this has had no noticeable effects on any fish, corals, or other inverts.

Not true a couple of us have some issues going on with corals and inverts. Myself including, we just don't know if it's due to Metro or fluctuation in nutrients or toxins.

 

[domination2580]

Twilliard do u think that metro is doing anything to the dinos in my tank? Are there any that are dead? That sample was day 4 of dosing.

 

[dansreef]

Well.... With the exception of a couple hairy shrooms and a neon green toadstool.... I only have snails and a few small hermits remaining. If this protocol wipes these out...no concern on my part. If this knocks the DINOs out... I am all for it!

 

[Jakepen]

This is the most popular thread right now ha, hands down.

 

[twilliard]

When you say slow process, you mean it takes my tank a little while to properly adjust to the rise in "nutrients", and may show symptoms such as these? And what do you mean I will see the strands take off. If it is dinos, I will see strands start, then take off into longer stringy algae? Is it a quick process?

The process of dinoflagellates may appear slow and by the time you see it the are millions of them that can double daily. That's what I meant by taking off.

Twilliard do u think that metro is doing anything to the dinos in my tank? Are there any that are dead? That sample was day 4 of dosing.

I am still working with your sample as of 5am this morning.
I have never seen these before and so far no dead ones that I can find. Therected may be dead ones but these guys are hard to see due to the cell structure

 

[dansreef]

It sucks... DINOs has chased a lot of really great reefers out of the hobby. I have scaled back...and am close to throwing in the towel. This is a blight that we need to find a solution to. You would think some scientist would be working on this.... They could make a fair amount of money! I have seen two LFS close and the owners attribute it to people getting away from corals and SW.

I have spoken to a lot of "experts"....and they have no clue. I remember speaking to a certain guy with initials JS at a local event this winter. He was eager to talk until I said DINOs. He backed off and gave me a cold shoulder. His only response.... Raise PH and go dark for 3 days. Trust me... I have done every protocol I could find. This is a last ditch effort on my part. If it does not work....I am going fish only.

Oh...yeah I have been in SW since the later 80's and have had corals nonstop since 2004! I have had Softies, LPS, SPS... All with good luck. These DINOs and the things I have done to rid them....have decimated my corals and frankly my motivation.

 

[RMS18]

Day 6 update
Before any treatment

Day 6 of Metro

Some corals and inverts are suffering
Half of these people eaters have been closed since last night

Toadstool lost its pink color and won't fully bloom

Rbt doesn't look good

Purple sea fan not opening and becoming thin and brittle looking

Duncan not fully opening

I am running my reactor in the morning until I treat Metro at night. FYI all corals and inverts were thriving while full blown dinos were in effect with no Metro treatment. They say nems and toadstool are the first indicator to something wrong in the water.

 

[twilliard]

It sucks... DINOs has chased a lot of really great reefers out of the hobby. I have scaled back...and am close to throwing in the towel. This is a blight that we need to find a solution to. You would think some scientist would be working on this.... They could make a fair amount of money! I have seen two LFS close and the owners attribute it to people getting away from corals and SW.

I have spoken to a lot of "experts"....and they have no clue. I remember speaking to a certain guy with initials JS at a local event this winter. He was eager to talk until I said DINOs. He backed off and gave me a cold shoulder. His only response.... Raise PH and go dark for 3 days. Trust me... I have done every protocol I could find. This is a last ditch effort on my part. If it does not work....I am going fish only.

Oh...yeah I have been in SW since the later 80's and have had corals nonstop since 2004! I have had Softies, LPS, SPS... All with good luck. These DINOs and the things I have done to rid them....have decimated my corals and frankly my motivation.

Hang in there I am trying my best to find a solution to this common issue cause that's what I do best!

 

[twilliard]

Day 6 update
Before any treatment

Day 6 of Metro

Some corals and inverts are suffering
Half of these people eaters have been closed since last night

Toadstool lost its pink color and won't fully bloom

Rbt doesn't look good

Purple sea fan not opening and becoming thin and brittle looking

Duncan not fully opening

I am running my reactor in the morning until I treat Metro at night. FYI all corals and inverts were thriving while full blown dinos were in effect with no Metro treatment. They say nems and toadstool are the first indicator to something wrong in the water.

Thank you as I do not have these corals in my tank.

 

[RMS18]

Thank you as I do not have these corals in my tank.

Day 11 I'm doing a massive water change. If the dinos are still there or come back I'll hold off until you find a proven method. I don't want to risk losing corals and inverts.

 

[taricha]

@taricha
What do you think?

I think it's one of the planktonic (swimming) instead of benthic (substrate) types. The shape is bad for clinging to or navigating substrate.
It's also clear as opposed to pigmented meaning it's not photosynthetic or maybe just barely - some of these guys use chloroplasts temporarily from photosynthetic stuff they ate.
These kinds don't form mats and don't bloom in tanks for any length of time. They eat phytoplankton, small dinos and other random single cell swimming things. They disappear when they clear their prey population.
If the tank has a persistent brown mat/string issue then I don't think he's your culprit. I think the brown dot inside him is a prey item he ingested and could be the issue.
If you had a green water problem, they could clear it for you. He might even be clearing the population of brown dots. I'd even go so far as to call him a "good dino"
Do we have a tank shot?
I'll look into what family he could be, but he's not a concern, IMO.

 

[twilliard]

I think it's one of the planktonic (swimming) instead of benthic (substrate) types. The shape is bad for clinging to or navigating substrate.
It's also clear as opposed to pigmented meaning it's not photosynthetic or maybe just barely - some of these guys use chloroplasts temporarily from photosynthetic stuff they ate.
These kinds don't form mats and don't bloom in tanks for any length of time. They eat phytoplankton, small dinos and other random single cell swimming things. They disappear when they clear their prey population.
If the tank has a persistent brown mat/string issue then I don't think he's your culprit. I think the brown dot inside him is a prey item he ingested and could be the issue.
If you had a green water problem, they could clear it for you. He might even be clearing the population of brown dots. I'd even go so far as to call him a "good dino"
Do we have a tank shot?
I'll look into what family he could be, but he's not a concern, IMO.

Thank you!
I was having that same thought too.
His sample is highly active with Mico diversity

 

[taricha]

Thank you!
I was having that same thought too.
His sample is highly active with Mico diversity

If the small brown dots are causing the issue, and he's lucky enough to have a predatory dino (or other predators) that actually eats his problem, then if he just turns off skimmers, socks etc, and lets the bloom run, it ought to fix itself soon like a couple of weeks.

 

[twilliard]

If the small brown dots are causing the issue, and he's lucky enough to have a predatory dino (or other predators) that actually eats his problem, then if he just turns off skimmers, socks etc, and lets the bloom run, it ought to fix itself soon like a couple of weeks.

There were a few I saw that didn't have that spot in the center that's what led me to believe they are eating.
I will post up another shot of these green dots from the sample.
@domination2580 I am working hard on this one!

 

[twilliard]

This is 2500x power non oil

 

[domination2580]

So we are thinking that my strain of dinos are not photosynthetic but eat. So if they eat all my micro bacteria they should go away. What if i dont want them to eat it all?

 

[domination2580]

I think it's one of the planktonic (swimming) instead of benthic (substrate) types. The shape is bad for clinging to or navigating substrate.
It's also clear as opposed to pigmented meaning it's not photosynthetic or maybe just barely - some of these guys use chloroplasts temporarily from photosynthetic stuff they ate.
These kinds don't form mats and don't bloom in tanks for any length of time. They eat phytoplankton, small dinos and other random single cell swimming things. They disappear when they clear their prey population.
If the tank has a persistent brown mat/string issue then I don't think he's your culprit. I think the brown dot inside him is a prey item he ingested and could be the issue.
If you had a green water problem, they could clear it for you. He might even be clearing the population of brown dots. I'd even go so far as to call him a "good dino"
Do we have a tank shot?
I'll look into what family he could be, but he's not a concern, IMO.

 

[twilliard]

Is that what you sent me??

 

[jason2459]

Not true a couple of us have some issues going on with corals and inverts. Myself including, we just don't know if it's due to Metro or fluctuation in nutrients or toxins.

Were those issues starting to happen before metro was dosed? What kind of issues? Total wipe out? What kind of corals and inverts?

 

[taricha]

This is 2500x power non oil

Getting warmer. Those are tiny!
Strangedejavu had some little round golden symbiodinium looking things I think. He can comment if the tank growth form posted looks similar.