dinos/Algea problems that I can't solve

[mdd1986]

How silly of me. Yea that was the issue. I'm getting closer to 18000 Lux with LEDs on 50 percent.

Also after looking at some stuff under the scope tonight and the peroxide test I'm starting to think it is dinos. I get clumping and no bubbling.

 

[reeferfoxx]

How silly of me. Yea that was the issue. I'm getting closer to 18000 Lux with LEDs on 50 percent.

Also after looking at some stuff under the scope tonight and the peroxide test I'm starting to think it is dinos. I get clumping and no bubbling.

Are they motile?

 

[mcarroll]

chrysophytes/dino combo, maybe?

Dino's like to co-bloom, but never seen that combo.

Try to get some scope pics with your cellphone....a movie would be even better.
(phone lens right on the scope eyepiece)

 

[Brew12]

chrysophytes/dino combo, maybe?

Interestingly enough, I was reading a paper last week documenting how chrysophytes can consume some smaller forms of oceanic dino's in nutrient deficient environments. I believe that one was from USC.

 

[mdd1986]

Thats the thing I see what looks like specs of dinos but they are not moving. Ill will try to get some a video with my phone.

 

[mcarroll]

Interestingly enough, I was reading a paper last week documenting how chrysophytes can consume some smaller forms of oceanic dino's in nutrient deficient environments. I believe that one was from USC.

It's a plankton-eat-plankton world! ;)

 

[mdd1986]

ok you guys ready for the A+++ video production? Hard to see but if you look in the bottom right of the shot you can see what looks like dino making circles. This was under 1200x zoom on my toy scope. Are they normally that small?

 

[mdd1986]

So what do you guys think I should do now that this is Dinos? The blackout is done but what should I do moving forward? What NO3 and PO4 values should I maintain?

 

[mcarroll]

That looks like 99% hair algae and I'm not sure I see more than one dino swirling around. @taricha do you notice anything interesting?

I think if you keep nutrients stable (no more bottoming out for NO3 or PO4) this will pass on it's own.

Maybe go back to "anti-dino levels" for a while just to be sure:
≥0.10 ppm PO4
≥5-10 ppm NO3.

Keep up with the algae that grows in the mean time – until corals, coraline algae, and your herbivores can take over from you.

Keep adding more herbivores – turbos, astrea, trochus, cerith, margarita, etc – as needed. Focus on snails. Don't be shy.

And don't add detritavores. Unless you have a feeding problem or flow problem that is leaving food/detritus on the bottom of the tank, they aren't really needed...a minor crew of detritavores will do as much as is needed. Most importantly, they won't help with algae. So forget the crabs, nassarius snails, pencil urchins, etc.

 

[mdd1986]

yea there were a few specs of the dinos moving around on the sample I took but not a ton. Keep in mind this was right after the 3 day black out.

I will shoot for those numbers, add some more pods and CUC. Hopefully my kole tang can do some work I just put him in.

Would would you suggest for the fuge? would 6 hour lighting period be enough?

 

[taricha]

@mcarroll nothing interesting! :-)
there was a green filamentous algae, and the single shodowy blob did move in a slow circle suggestive of a dino (or other flagellate).
much more interesting are the pics in post #10, which along with the first post really makes me lean toward chrysophytes as discussed earlier.

 

[mdd1986]

why does the blob look dark and not green or brown like I have seen in various videos on youtube? Also this is under 1200x zoom is that normal? This is the first time I saw anything moving when I used my scope.

 

[mdd1986]

Any of you guys going to be at reefapoolza?

 

[Brew12]

Any of you guys going to be at reefapoolza?

I will not. :(

 

[ncaldwell]

For what its worth, I've been battling dinos for almost 2 years and nothing has worked for me from the dino thread on my tank. Last week I broke down and finally got a bottle of vibrant. Started with a 3 day blackout which always hurts the dinos and dosed vibrant. After 3 doses I have no visible signs. Not saying its for everyone but i was out of options (except bleach dosing which sounds crazy) and out of time. Lowered NO3 and PO4, elevated NO3 and PO4, Cuc, UV sterilizer, H2O2, blackouts nothing worked until this

 

[mdd1986]

For what its worth, I've been battling dinos for almost 2 years and nothing has worked for me from the dino thread on my tank. Last week I broke down and finally got a bottle of vibrant. Started with a 3 day blackout which always hurts the dinos and dosed vibrant. After 3 doses I have no visible signs. Not saying its for everyone but i was out of options (except bleach dosing which sounds crazy) and out of time. Lowered NO3 and PO4, elevated NO3 and PO4, Cuc, UV sterilizer, H2O2, blackouts nothing worked until this

Well I spoke to a number respectable of folks in the hobby at reefapoolza this weekend. I was told something similar from 2 separate sources. It seems NO3/PO4 has little to do with Dinos but rather a low amount of certain Bactria is the cause.

Jeremy at Brightwhell was super helpful and gave me a bottle of microbactor clean to try to fight the dinos. I started dosing yesterday so I will update everyone with out how it is going. So far after the blackout and lower light period it seems to have not come back that quickly.

I was also recommended to use a UV. Anyone else have success with that?

 

[Brew12]

It seems NO3/PO4 has little to do with Dinos but rather a low amount of certain Bactria is the cause.

The role NO3/PO4 plays is to ensure that the nutrients needed are available for those other bacteria. We want them out competing the dino's.

I was also recommended to use a UV. Anyone else have success with that?

UV can be very effective depending on the strain of dino's you are dealing with.

 

[ncaldwell]

Uv slowed its growth. If I cleaned it off the glass it wouldnt grow back as fast but it would eventually. I used it as just one piece of the killing dinos puzzle. I'd use it again

 

[mdd1986]

do you still run it? I think I would get one only to run it to deal with the dinos not 24/7. Any issue using the coral life UVs?

 

[ncaldwell]

My dinos are visually gone but not totally so I'm still gonna keep going a couple months. I have the coralvue one and they're hit or miss. Works good but keep an eye on the metal reflector inside. Som people have them rust easily after a few months. I'll eventually take it offline