Recently my tank started to suffer from what I believe to be a dino outbreak, to help with treatment plans I picked up a microscope. After some reading and using the great dino id guide from @taricha I believe I have Ostreopsis but would love the experts to also share on opinion. Sorry about the quality of the photos I can try to take better ones if these are not good enough; this sample was taken from a high flow, high light, top of rockwork area that had some bubbles starting to form in the dino mat. I did have another on the sandbed that was long and stringy in the high flow, low light area but it has not yet returned today! Should it return ill take a sample.
In my last test results I had 0.07 phos and greater then 2 ppm nitrates, typically my phos runs 0.1 - 0.2 and have been using Lanthanum to take it down. Currently I have many speculations on what could have caused it; Amino Acid dosing, Lanthanum overdose that temporarily drove my phos <0ppm, tank being in a fallow period without fish, changed lighting to have more white light... who knows, just random thoughts that stand out as I dont feel my tank has suffered from low nutrients with normal nitrates around 12ppm (in last high range test) and phos greater then 0.03 in all tests (at least once a week).
Right now the actions I have taken are
Test history for anyone curious, using Hanna phosphate checker and Red Sea for nitrate.
In my last test results I had 0.07 phos and greater then 2 ppm nitrates, typically my phos runs 0.1 - 0.2 and have been using Lanthanum to take it down. Currently I have many speculations on what could have caused it; Amino Acid dosing, Lanthanum overdose that temporarily drove my phos <0ppm, tank being in a fallow period without fish, changed lighting to have more white light... who knows, just random thoughts that stand out as I dont feel my tank has suffered from low nutrients with normal nitrates around 12ppm (in last high range test) and phos greater then 0.03 in all tests (at least once a week).
Right now the actions I have taken are
- Turned off plant light in the refugium and removed most of my macro algae, the remaining algae is dying slowly back into the water from no light...
- Stopped all dosing of aminos, coral food, etc
- Stopped any Lanthanum use
- Raised tank temp to 82
- Started Silicate dosing
- Change filter socks every day
- Brush with a toothbrush all affected rockwork once a day in the evening
- Stopped cleaning my glass
Test history for anyone curious, using Hanna phosphate checker and Red Sea for nitrate.
DATE | TEST | RESULT | UNIT | NOTE | ||
2020-10-01 | Test - Phosphate | 0.18 | PPM | AM | ||
2020-10-01 | Lanthanum | 2 | ml | 1:500 LaCl3:h2o | ||
2020-10-03 | Test - Phosphate | 0.23 | PPM | AM | ||
2020-10-03 | Test - Nitrate | 16 | PPM | AM | ||
2020-10-03 | Lanthanum | 4 | ML | 1:300 LaCl3:h2o - Finished Oct 4 | ||
2020-10-05 | Test - Phosphate | 0.25 | PPM | AM | ||
2020-10-05 | Lanthanum | 10 | ML | 1:100 LaCl3:h2o end oct 8 | ||
2020-10-09 | Test - Phosphate | 0.32 | PPM | AM | ||
2020-10-09 | Lanthanum | 8 | ML | 1:100 LaCl3:h2o | ||
2020-10-17 | Test - Phosphate | 0.32 | PPM | AM | ||
2020-10-17 | Test - Nitrate | 24 | ppm | AM | ||
2020-10-17 | Lanthanum | 10 | ml | 1:100 LaCI2:h2o | ||
2020-10-20 | Test - Phosphate | 0.23 | PPM | AM | ||
2020-10-20 | Lanthanum | 5.5 | ml | 1:100 LaCI2:h2o - stopped with 200ml left. Restarted remaining 200ml on 24th | ||
2020-10-24 | Test - Phosphate | 0.16 | PPM | |||
2020-10-31 | Test - Nitrate | 16 | ppm | AM | ||
2020-10-31 | Lanthanum | 8 | ml | 1:6, dosed quickly under 1 hour | ||
2020-11-05 | Test - Phosphate | 0.14 | PPM | AM | ||
2020-11-07 | Test - Nitrate | 12 | PPM | AM | ||
2020-11-14 | Test - Phosphate | 0.2 | ppm | |||
2020-11-14 | Lanthanum | 7 | ml | no dilution. all dosed in under 5 min | ||
2020-11-14 | Test - Nitrate | 8 | ppm | AM | ||
2020-11-21 | Test - Phosphate | 0.25 | ppm | |||
2020-11-21 | Test - Nitrate | 12 | ppm | |||
2020-11-21 | Lanthanum | 8 | ml | |||
2020-11-26 | Test - Phosphate | 0.17 | ppm | |||
2020-11-26 | Test - Nitrate | >2 | ppm | low range test | ||
2020-11-27 | Lanthanum | 3 | ml | into skimmer, no dilution | ||
2020-11-29 | Test - Phosphate | 0.07 | PPM |
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