Dinoflagellates?

[acer]

I may have figured out why my Acros keep fading slowly and eventually die in the past year. Help to confirm ID, and treatment opinions welcome.

 

[urban coral farmer]

Cant tell from the pic but if it is dino. Hydrogen peroxide should take care of it.

 

[wesman42]

I can't see enough to give a definitive answer. The picture is pretty blurry... I know the challenges of taking them if this is using a phone. See if it's got a "manual" mode and adjust the aperture and ISO yourself to obtain the best picture.

Cant tell from the pic but if it is dino. Hydrogen peroxide should take care of it.

I personally feel as though H2O2 doesn't address the root of the problem; allowing Dinos to thrive. They'll come back and usually with a vengeance.

 

[acer]

So using a turkey baster blowing off the "strings", in 5 minutes they come back only worse.

 

[NS Mike D]

I have been battling dinos for a long time. I did address the root problem, but once they take hold, they are very difficult to rid. I was brushing the rocks regularly and changing filter socks just as often (every 2 - 3 days). I also would storm the tank, scrub like mad and hook up a HOB filter to help remove. but those suckers just reform with hours.

I then H2O2 dosed for a week and man did that make a dent. One of m acros got very mad, but overall it was well worth it. I did have to dose a second time, but I finally feel like I am way ahead now. I still scrub twice a week with a toothbrush taped to the handle of my scraper, but now its just spot cleaning.

there is a thread on dinos I suggest you read

 

[loui]

Acer this is what I did to beat mine @fetta informed me about it

Dinoflagellates Support Group Reef it is a facebook group ran by Cruz Arias.
If you don't have facebook here is his formula.

It took me a few tries before they where all gone. Also during this process I upgraded my skimmer, which i would imagine helped a little bit. To me this is the better route it is a more natural approach.

 

[acer]

Interesting - I cannot scrub area as the muscus trails seem to come from in between Zoa polyps. Finally , after 3-4 tries at using turkey baster, I don't see the trails reforming. I will check out that Facebook support group. The plan as posted seems viable for me, have an air bubbler( sponge setup to move to isolation tank if necessary) already running in sump, so that's easy enough to move.

 

[urban coral farmer]

I had a similar problem a few years back turned out it wasn't dinos but something else ( i forget the name of it now) but blacking the tank out for 3 days cured it. Ulness you can positively id it as being dinos, blacking out may be a good first shot.

 

[sfin52]

What's your po4 and no3 numbers. My guess is that if it's dino than you bottomed out both or one of those. Dino will also release toxins that will kill corals and inverts. They are photosynthesis species. Under the right condition they become predators and release toxins to kill off competition. I strongly suggest to run carbon and you may need to change it often.
dino seems to be fueled by water changes. I would stop water changes if it is dino. To help fight dino I bought 10 micron socks and siphoned water into a bucket through the socks and dumped water back into the tank .

Keep skimmer running. If you don't have a uv get one. Some pecies of dino go into water colum at night and can be killed. Others go into the sand and won't be touched by uv.

Please.conferm you have dino

 

[sfin52]

Please read first post
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/dinoflagellates-–-are-you-tired-of-battling-altogether.293318/

 

[acer]

Yep, yep, and yep. I was doing 20 gallons water change every week, use both carbon and Gfo (changed out every month), and filter socks that were also changed at least once per week. Po4 and N were low for some time but never tested as zero. Shame on me - lazy tester, so they could have gone to zero and I would not have known. I will be taking a sample to soneone who can confirm or deny Dinoflagellates presence.

 

[Jonreefer]

I dont know. doesnt look alot like Dino. The stringy stuff would be normally brown and you would see bubbles forming all over as well.
I am battling them right now as well and probably because my Phos and nitrate where to low for to long.
I have my tank covered for a 100% blackout for 4days. Been dosing h2o2 morning and night since I covered the tank. Also dosing Microbactor7 daily as well to help boost bacteria to help out compete it and starve it and consume it. been trying to skim a littler wetter as well. So tank cover comes off tomorrow. I have tested my water with the blackout to see if my nitrate and phos are staying up without dosing it and not getting a false positive of zero because they were sucking it up fast with photosynthesis. Nitrates have been around 5-7 and phos .02
I hope I beat them. I also have Dr Tim Waste away and Eco balance I am going to dose once a week as well to help keep them off till they die off.
Also dont do any water changes to fight them, it will fuel them and they will form more if it is Dino

 

[sfin52]

I should have also stated stop any phospahte and nitrate removing agents.

 

[sfin52]

Yep, yep, and yep. I was doing 20 gallons water change every week, use both carbon and Gfo (changed out every month), and filter socks that were also changed at least once per week. Po4 and N were low for some time but never tested as zero. Shame on me - lazy tester, so they could have gone to zero and I would not have known. I will be taking a sample to soneone who can confirm or deny Dinoflagellates presence.

We've all been there and done that. Nothing that can't be fixed .

 

[JaimeAdams]

The pictures aren't great. I can't really tell much. Bring me a sample to The Reef Gallery and I will stick it under the microscope and we can find out what it is for sure. That offer goes not just to @acer but to everyone else as well.

 

[Ernie C]

The pic almost looks like the slime vermetid snails release to catch food since they seem whitish.

 

[acer]

Jaime - how do I collect a sample? the "strings" are coming out from between Zoa polyps on a pretty large rock.

 

[Ernie C]

If its a vermetid snail, you should be able to see their little tube at the source of the strings/slime. try to get your zoas to close up and look. Here's a pic. Sometimes the tubes are way smaller.

 

[Jonreefer]

yea it does seem more like vermetid snails.
Just break them off when you see them. Dino will be brownish in color. most likely see air bubbles forming all over as well and wont be really localized to one exact location. you will see them starting in patches

 

[acer]

Yep , I think you guys and Jaime are correct, not Dino's, but Vermitid snails. I finally got my Alk reagent, and results certainly explain my issues with sps = 6.44 DLK. Yikes!! Added 200 ml BRS soda ash liquid (raise tank to 8.0) to my 5 gallon ATO which will slowly add the supplement over the next 2 days.