Dino's and hair algea ?

[Pippz]

Hi guys. I have an outbreak of dinos abd hair algea. I dont understand why because it happened at the same time. As far as i red it says dinos like low nutrients and algea high. So how is it possible ? I have identified both algea and dinos from pics i saw on the net.

My salinity is 1.026 , ph 8.0-8.2 usually. Phospahtes was at 0.2 for a while. Now its at 0.1-0.0 . Dont have a more accurate test. Alkilinty is at 8. Dont have any othet test kits nor money for it atm. Dosing nopox atm and installed a reactor with phosgaurd and carbon running in them. Tank is bout 130l 40cmx40cmx40cm. Also running a curve 5 skimmer in sump. Any help or advise will be loved

 

[SPR1968]

Hi there, I think we will need some clear pictures to try and help out if you can post some?

And welcome to R2R as well by the way!

 

[Pippz]

Hi there, I think we will need some clear pictures to try and help out if you can post some?

And welcome to R2R as well by the way!

It basickly looks like this https://images.app.goo.gl/BuDF9FvL7im9s6N28
Not at home atm so cant take a pic. Long brown snotty stuff with air bubbles. And then hair algea.

 

[ScottB]

You have a few powerful nutrient reduction tools working at the same time there. I am going to guess you layered those on to address the hair algae which is fine when done gradually and with caution. NoPox and Phosguard can strip nutrient real quick though. And all quick things are bad for a reef tank. Dinos are awesome at outcompeting everything else when the environment gets volatile. Or too clean. Or when you use Chemiclean to kill cyanobacteria (because it kills other bacteria as well).

If you really have dinos, the typical protocol involves raising nutrients (typically dosing NO3 and PO4), running UV, exporting the snotty stuff, stopping all waterchanges, stopping GFO & NoPox. Running your skimmer dry. No amino dosing. This also requires having a Hanna ULR Phosphate checker and a good nitrate test kit.

Or you could just let it ride without more interventions and see where the tank levels out to.

 

[Pippz]

You have a few powerful nutrient reduction tools working at the same time there. I am going to guess you layered those on to address the hair algae which is fine when done gradually and with caution. NoPox and Phosguard can strip nutrient real quick though. And all quick things are bad for a reef tank. Dinos are awesome at outcompeting everything else when the environment gets volatile. Or too clean. Or when you use Chemiclean to kill cyanobacteria (because it kills other bacteria as well).

If you really have dinos, the typical protocol involves raising nutrients (typically dosing NO3 and PO4), running UV, exporting the snotty stuff, stopping all waterchanges, stopping GFO & NoPox. Running your skimmer dry. No amino dosing. This also requires having a Hanna ULR Phosphate checker and a good nitrate test kit.

Or you could just let it ride without more interventions and see where the tank levels out to.

I am removing the dinos every day , then refilling with new salt water , cs i obviously cant use rodi water to do it. But should i get rid of the hair algea first ? Or the dinos , dinos is the less migority in the tank , thats why i went for the hair algea approach first. Not doing any major water changes atm to fight the dinos aswell , only running 2 ml nopox and like 50g of phosgaurd. Do you think a blackout wil help. The 3 day blackout rhing. Also lights are running about 12 hours a day inlcudes 2 hour ramp up. Running ab + on ai prime.

 

[sixty_reefer]

You have a few powerful nutrient reduction tools working at the same time there. I am going to guess you layered those on to address the hair algae which is fine when done gradually and with caution. NoPox and Phosguard can strip nutrient real quick though. And all quick things are bad for a reef tank. Dinos are awesome at outcompeting everything else when the environment gets volatile. Or too clean. Or when you use Chemiclean to kill cyanobacteria (because it kills other bacteria as well).

If you really have dinos, the typical protocol involves raising nutrients (typically dosing NO3 and PO4), running UV, exporting the snotty stuff, stopping all waterchanges, stopping GFO & NoPox. Running your skimmer dry. No amino dosing. This also requires having a Hanna ULR Phosphate checker and a good nitrate test kit.

Or you could just let it ride without more interventions and see where the tank levels out to.

Great advice here ^^^

 

[Pippz]

Two things i forgot to mention. Tank is running two months now , and only have 2 clowns , 2 nesaruis , 2 trocus , two hermits and an urchin.feed one a day , 3 palltes each for clowns and 6 dropped to bottom for nes snails and hermits.

 

[ScottB]

I am removing the dinos every day , then refilling with new salt water , cs i obviously cant use rodi water to do it. But should i get rid of the hair algea first ? Or the dinos , dinos is the less migority in the tank , thats why i went for the hair algea approach first. Not doing any major water changes atm to fight the dinos aswell , only running 2 ml nopox and like 50g of phosgaurd. Do you think a blackout wil help. The 3 day blackout rhing. Also lights are running about 12 hours a day inlcudes 2 hour ramp up. Running ab + on ai prime.

Yeah it is a tough dilemma because you can't do them both at the same time. Depending on the dino species, they can really do a number on corals due to their toxicity -- particularly ostreopsis and procentrum.

If you have no corals or inverts (or can rehome them somewhere for a while) then I would go after the algae first with fluconazole. Keep stripping the water of nutrient, dosing bacteria and get it "cleaned up". The dinos are likely to explode during this process, but maybe not. Then come back to the dinos.

If you have corals and inverts and cannot move them, then you have to go after the dinos first IMO.

 

[ScottB]

Two things i forgot to mention. Tank is running two months now , and only have 2 clowns , 2 nesaruis , 2 trocus , two hermits and an urchin.feed one a day , 3 palltes each for clowns and 6 dropped to bottom for nes snails and hermits.

Ah, helpful info.
3 pellets per fish is fine. The clean up crew should NOT be fed. Their diet should only be fish waste, microfauna, film algae, etc. They are not guests seated at the dining table. They are staff with one job to do: Clean Up!

 

[Brian barranco]

I am removing the dinos every day , then refilling with new salt water , cs i obviously cant use rodi water to do it. But should i get rid of the hair algea first ? Or the dinos , dinos is the less migority in the tank , thats why i went for the hair algea approach first. Not doing any major water changes atm to fight the dinos aswell , only running 2 ml nopox and like 50g of phosgaurd. Do you think a blackout wil help. The 3 day blackout rhing. Also lights are running about 12 hours a day inlcudes 2 hour ramp up. Running ab + on ai prime.

I was fighting the same combo. Feed frozen food. To raise phosphate. Dose nitrates with stump remover . . Did a 2 day black out. I handy remove all hair algae. During the black out. The hair algae is the reason it lowered my nutrients. Remove as much dinos . lowered the ab+ setting hydra 26hd. & lowered my export light for my fuge .

 

[Pippz]

I was fighting the same combo. Feed frozen food. To raise phosphate. Dose nitrates with stump remover . . Did a 2 day black out. I handy remove all hair algae. During the black out. The hair algae is the reason it lowered my nutrients. Remove as much dinos . lowered the ab+ setting hydra 26hd. & lowered my export light for my fuge .

Ok so to clarify , turn of reactor , leave skimmer on , do say like a 3 day balckout. Stop dosing nopox . After that open tank up , run aclimation mode at like 25 reduces intensity and it should be ok ? Should really get a uv steralizer aswell. But bit short of cash.

 

[ScottB]

Ok so to clarify , turn of reactor , leave skimmer on , do say like a 3 day balckout. Stop dosing nopox . After that open tank up , run aclimation mode at like 25 reduces intensity and it should be ok ? Should really get a uv steralizer aswell. But bit short of cash.

I am good that. Anybody else?

 

[Brian barranco]

Ok so to clarify , turn of reactor , leave skimmer on , do say like a 3 day balckout. Stop dosing nopox . After that open tank up , run aclimation mode at like 25 reduces intensity and it should be ok ? Should really get a uv steralizer aswell. But bit short of cash.

I turned off my fuge light during the black out . Left on the skimmer. to export floating Dino cells during the black out . Added filter floss . Change everyday.stop the nopox! It lowers nutrients . Try to bring up nitrates 15ppm and phosphate little higher than normal levels.

 

[Brian barranco]

Ok so to clarify , turn of reactor , leave skimmer on , do say like a 3 day balckout. Stop dosing nopox . After that open tank up , run aclimation mode at like 25 reduces intensity and it should be ok ? Should really get a uv steralizer aswell. But bit short of cash.

i didn’t use a uv steralizer

 

[Brian barranco]

i didn’t use a uv steralizer
[/QUOTE
I took off whites and reds . Reduce the light 50% after that