Dinos!!!!

[seasjr2]

Hello All. I believe i have Dinos in my tank. Could be Ostreopsis. No microscope to tell. Attached is a photo. Currently running a Waterbox Marine X 110. reef mat 500 2 radion xr15s G6 blues. Nyos protien skimmer. Neptune apex pro with trident system. I have a UV sterilizer coming next week. Relatively new tank online for 4 months. I have an assortment of fish and inverts some softies and LPS acros are doing well. my blue hippo has been repeatedly flashing and ive lost a coral beauty. multiple fire fish and two shrimps. putting the fish in a hospital tank tonight.

nitrates and phosphorous were almost nonexistent which is what i believe led to this chaos. Bringing levels back up. As soon as i get the fish out i plan of siphoning out the dinos and going dark in the tank while adding MB7. I ordered the Aqua uv sterilizer 57w which i plan on putting on my return pump to steralize everything from the sump back into the main display. Besides adding copepods. Any advise would be helpful...

 

[Bear22]

Most of the dino "battle field" is anecdotal in terms of the processes. Very first thing I would do is to evaluate your lighting intensity and duration. These things (the dinos) can really take off under overly bright LED lighting.

The livestock issues may be something all together entirely different.

 

[Subsea]

I see this is your first post, welcome to r2r.

Not only does low phosphate promote Dinoflagellets when combined with low inorganic nitrogen, Dinoflagellets become toxic.

I would not add pods, yet. Dinoflagellets may be toxic. Consider dosing silicates to promotes diatoms to outcompete Dinoflagellets.

How long has this tank been set up?

@seasjr2
Personally, I think you have too much mechanical filtration. Consider adding some diver collected live rock to bring in bio diversity that provides competitors and consumers of nuisance algae.

https://gulfliverock.com/premium-deco-live-rock

And

 

[paraletho]

The three things I think helped the most with my battle of 18 months. UV sand sweeper, Tampa Bay live rock and sand, changing filter socks every day instead of 2-3, and maintaining a low but verifiable level of nitrate/phosphates. All of these things have to do with helping the aquarium find it’s natural balance again because in a closed system Dino’s outcompete everything else.

 

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[BryanM]

Sorry to hear. If these are dinos, and they go away / in to the water column at night, a UV sterilizer will be very useful in combatting them.