Fighting Dinos for months with no luck...

[ASIN28]

Hey all,
Starting off with a little background: My 120G tank has been up and running for 7 months now and for about the past month and half, I have been dealing with Dinos. I purchased a microscope to ID and found that I have Ostreopsis. Installed a UV which has been running for 2 weeks at this point.
PO4: .03ish (I’m colorblind and have trouble reading these test kits but I’m sure that it’s not 0)
NO3: 50 (Ik high)
Every day sometimes two times a day I siphon through my filter socks and get it all off the rocks, and change out the filter sock. Next day, it all comes back. I haven’t done a water change in about 3-4 weeks now as I keep getting told not to because it will just feed the dinos. I have also tried dosing MB7 with no luck either. I really don’t know if I could do a blackout period because I got corals and don’t want to cause any unnecessary harm to them...
What is my next step because this has been a long long battle with these dinos and feel like I have had no progress?
Thanks

 

[Kai K]

Maybe it's good to try running your lights on only blues and start adding bacteria, pods and phyto every day.
For adding bacteria from a bottle, I found it's very effective to take some of your sand, rinse it several times very thoroughly with some aquariumwater and let the sand with the bacteria dosage soak for a couple of hours. Then add the sand back to your aquarium.
Maybe some fresh live rock in your sump for example will help as well.
Your tanks (micro) biology needs a boost, I think that's the way to go.

 

[dwest]

How big is the UV? Usually we can knock out ostreopsis pretty well with the right UV plumbed correctly.

 

[PBnJOnWheat]

Hey all,
Starting off with a little background: My 120G tank has been up and running for 7 months now and for about the past month and half, I have been dealing with Dinos. I purchased a microscope to ID and found that I have Ostreopsis. Installed a UV which has been running for 2 weeks at this point.
PO4: .03ish (I’m colorblind and have trouble reading these test kits but I’m sure that it’s not 0)
NO3: 50 (Ik high)
Every day sometimes two times a day I siphon through my filter socks and get it all off the rocks, and change out the filter sock. Next day, it all comes back. I haven’t done a water change in about 3-4 weeks now as I keep getting told not to because it will just feed the dinos. I have also tried dosing MB7 with no luck either. I really don’t know if I could do a blackout period because I got corals and don’t want to cause any unnecessary harm to them...
What is my next step because this has been a long long battle with these dinos and feel like I have had no progress?
Thanks

In my experience I did a blackout plus some of those maintenance things and both my corals and fish were fine. Not sure why people think it’s so detrimental. I went 4 days I think, no feeding or anything and all my fish and corals survived. Didn’t even adjust the lights after which I would recommend reacclimating to the light. I’ve been instructed in my current battle to dose bacteria at day and peroxide at night.

 

[ASIN28]

How big is the UV? Usually we can knock out ostreopsis pretty well with the right UV plumbed correctly.

25watt Aqua UV plumped directly on the return line. It’s rated up to 150G tank

 

[dwest]

25watt Aqua UV plumped directly on the return line. It’s rated up to 150G tank

The problem is that nobody really rates UV for dinos. Reefers that use large UV’s (about 1 watt of UV per every 3 gallons of water or larger) have the most success eradicating dinos. In addition, plumbing the UV directly from and back to the display tank with 1-3 tank volumes per hour of water going through it is important.

If I had your set-up I would add a 55 watt jebao UV with powerhead as a temporary measure (3-6 months or so) plumbed as described above.

 

[ASIN28]

In my experience I did a blackout plus some of those maintenance things and both my corals and fish were fine. Not sure why people think it’s so detrimental. I went 4 days I think, no feeding or anything and all my fish and corals survived. Didn’t even adjust the lights after which I would recommend reacclimating to the light. I’ve been instructed in my current battle to dose bacteria at day and peroxide at night.

I’m currently dosing mb7. What rate of doing do you do for the peroxide and just regular store brand?

 

[saltyhog]

25watt Aqua UV plumped directly on the return line. It’s rated up to 150G tank

There's your answer. The manufacturers size recommendations are for other applications unrelated to dinos. You should have at least a 40 watt (even better would be a 55 watt Jaebo). It should literally make your ostreos better over night.

Do you have a microscope picture/video of your dinos to be certain the ID is correct?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Do this:
First- Check phosphates and nitrates to assure theyre not elevated.
Here is full program:
Prepare by starting with a water change and blow this stuff loose with a turkey baster and siphon up loose particles.
Turn lights off (at least white and run blue at 10-15%) for 5 days and at night dose 1ml of hydrogen peroxide per 10 gallons for all 5 nights. If you dont have light dependent coral- turn all lights off.
During the day dose 1ml of liquid bacteria (such as bacter 7) per 10 gallons.
Clean filters daily and DO NOT FEED CORAL FOODS OR ADD NOPOX as it is food for dinos.
Day 5,, you can start with blue lights - ramping up and work your white lights up slowly

 

[PBnJOnWheat]

Do this:
First- Check phosphates and nitrates to assure theyre not elevated.
Here is full program:
Prepare by starting with a water change and blow this stuff loose with a turkey baster and siphon up loose particles.
Turn lights off (at least white and run blue at 10-15%) for 5 days and at night dose 1ml of hydrogen peroxide per 10 gallons for all 5 nights. If you dont have light dependent coral- turn all lights off.
During the day dose 1ml of liquid bacteria (such as bacter 7) per 10 gallons.
Clean filters daily and DO NOT FEED CORAL FOODS OR ADD NOPOX as it is food for dinos.
Day 5,, you can start with blue lights - ramping up and work your white lights up slowly

For a frag tank would you say 10-15% still? I have my lights about 50% probably more like 45%, but it’s a 50 gal low boy (2x4) with two AI Hydra 32’s and a Hydra 64.

 

[OREGONIC]

Im just finishing my battle with dinos, they took off over night when I bottomed out po4. I never ID’d the specific type under a microscope but I can tell you what I have done to finally get close to completely wiping them out not using a blackout. I started by increasing my tanks temp from 78.5 to 80 over a week period. I added a slightly oversized uv sterilizer. I think I was running water through it a little to slow at first as I saw no benefit when first added. I increased the flow through the sterilizer to about 5x per hour tank volume. I also am running the sterilizer directly in the tank opposed to the sump. Increasing the flow and running in the tank made a noticeable difference within 2 days. I have also been dosing both microbacter 7, microbacter clean, and phyto daily. I have been dosing both nitrates and phosphates targeting keeping no3 between 5 and 10 and po4 .05-.01. O have been stirring sand and blowing off the rock 2 times per day. I also reduced the whites from 25% to 15% on my Kessil AP9X’s.

 

[ASIN28]

There's your answer. The manufacturers size recommendations are for other applications unrelated to dinos. You should have at least a 40 watt (even better would be a 55 watt Jaebo). It should literally make your ostreos better over night.

Do you have a microscope picture/video of your dinos to be certain the ID is correct?

The microscope wasn’t that advanced couldn’t get a picture through the scope lol. Well is it just going to take longer with the 25w uv?

 

[vetteguy53081]

For a frag tank would you say 10-15% still? I have my lights about 50% probably more like 45%, but it’s a 50 gal low boy (2x4) with two AI Hydra 32’s and a Hydra 64.

Yes

 

[dwest]

The microscope wasn’t that advanced couldn’t get a picture through the scope lol. Well is it just going to take longer with the 25w uv?

There are many threads on R2R about dinos, including a mega thread that was started by mcarroll. Myself (and others) scoured these to try to understand what works and what doesn’t. A smaller UV plumbed from the sump won’t do it.

Dinos are really bad. I wish you the best.

 

[LDog74]

I just battled Dino's (Amphidinium) for 3-4 months in my 225 gallon reef. I let P04 & NO3 drop to zero for a few months and boom, all over the sand. I had UV installed since day one on the tank (see build thread).

I tried MB7, Vibrant & siphoning through filter socks. Cleaning the sand twice a day. About an hour after the lights were on in the am they were back, by mid day they were all over the sand.
So I read countless post and came up with a modified treatment that at least for now seams to have worked. No dino's for 3 weeks now with lights on as strong as ever.

FYI- I am still cleaning the sand once/twice a day just in case because I do not want to deal with Dino's again!!! Not to mention I think it's just a habit now, how sad is that, lol...
I will stop cleaning in another week just to make sure however I think I am in the clear now.

Here is what I did.
Bought 1 micron filter socks from Amazon (bought 6 so I always had a clean sock to use). I siphoned the sand in AM & PM before lights out.

Raised PO4 to .03- .10 (Dosed Loudwolf trisodium phosphate) to get or keep levels in that range.
Raised NO3 to 10-20 (Dosed Loudwolf sodium nitrate) Same dosing procedure.

I test both of these every day to make sure I am in range, sometimes twice a day. Even taught my wife how to test . I test before feeding & then usually again in the evening before PM feeding.

I feed Larry's reef fenzy ( I have noticed that it helps raise my PO4 but it will usually drop next am).

Started dosing live phytoplankton every night. 15ml per 50 gallons.

I also dosed Prodibo BioDigest & Biotim per directions & then did a follow up in 15 days. I was concerned cleaning the sand so much, am I going to lower my good bacteria?

Within 1-2 weeks my Dino's started to disappear and now have completely vanished (knock on wood).
It's hard to say what exactly worked but I think it's a combination of all. I do know the 1 micron filter socks did not work by themselves. (tried that 1st)

My SPS are happier than ever. IMO I notice a difference in PE since dosing the phyto. Also keeping my levels in this range my SPS took off with growth, noticing a big difference.

Dino's are horrible! I will gladly by more reagents to test daily if needed...

FYI- I used Hanna low tester for PO4 & Nyos & Salifert for N03.

Hope this works for others!

 

[dwest]

I just battled Dino's (Amphidinium) for 3-4 months in my 225 gallon reef. I let P04 & NO3 drop to zero for a few months and boom, all over the sand. I had UV installed since day one on the tank (see build thread).

I tried MB7, Vibrant & siphoning through filter socks. Cleaning the sand twice a day. About an hour after the lights were on in the am they were back, by mid day they were all over the sand.
So I read countless post and came up with a modified treatment that at least for now seams to have worked. No dino's for 3 weeks now with lights on as strong as ever.

FYI- I am still cleaning the sand once/twice a day just in case because I do not want to deal with Dino's again!!! Not to mention I think it's just a habit now, how sad is that, lol...
I will stop cleaning in another week just to make sure however I think I am in the clear now.

Here is what I did.
Bought 1 micron filter socks from Amazon (bought 6 so I always had a clean sock to use). I siphoned the sand in AM & PM before lights out.

Raised PO4 to .03- .10 (Dosed Loudwolf trisodium phosphate) to get or keep levels in that range.
Raised NO3 to 10-20 (Dosed Loudwolf sodium nitrate) Same dosing procedure.

I test both of these every day to make sure I am in range, sometimes twice a day. Even taught my wife how to test . I test before feeding & then usually again in the evening before PM feeding.

I feed Larry's reef fenzy ( I have noticed that it helps raise my PO4 but it will usually drop next am).

Started dosing live phytoplankton every night. 15ml per 50 gallons.

I also dosed Prodibo BioDigest & Biotim per directions & then did a follow up in 15 days. I was concerned cleaning the sand so much, am I going to lower my good bacteria?

Within 1-2 weeks my Dino's started to disappear and now have completely vanished (knock on wood).
It's hard to say what exactly worked but I think it's a combination of all. I do know the 1 micron filter socks did not work by themselves. (tried that 1st)

My SPS are happier than ever. IMO I notice a difference in PE since dosing the phyto. Also keeping my levels in this range my SPS took off with growth, noticing a big difference.

Dino's are horrible! I will gladly by more reagents to test daily if needed...

FYI- I used Hanna low tester for PO4 & Nyos & Salifert for N03.

Hope this works for others!

Cool! Amphidinium are tough!

 

[PBnJOnWheat]

I just battled Dino's (Amphidinium) for 3-4 months in my 225 gallon reef. I let P04 & NO3 drop to zero for a few months and boom, all over the sand. I had UV installed since day one on the tank (see build thread).

I tried MB7, Vibrant & siphoning through filter socks. Cleaning the sand twice a day. About an hour after the lights were on in the am they were back, by mid day they were all over the sand.
So I read countless post and came up with a modified treatment that at least for now seams to have worked. No dino's for 3 weeks now with lights on as strong as ever.

FYI- I am still cleaning the sand once/twice a day just in case because I do not want to deal with Dino's again!!! Not to mention I think it's just a habit now, how sad is that, lol...
I will stop cleaning in another week just to make sure however I think I am in the clear now.

Here is what I did.
Bought 1 micron filter socks from Amazon (bought 6 so I always had a clean sock to use). I siphoned the sand in AM & PM before lights out.

Raised PO4 to .03- .10 (Dosed Loudwolf trisodium phosphate) to get or keep levels in that range.
Raised NO3 to 10-20 (Dosed Loudwolf sodium nitrate) Same dosing procedure.

I test both of these every day to make sure I am in range, sometimes twice a day. Even taught my wife how to test . I test before feeding & then usually again in the evening before PM feeding.

I feed Larry's reef fenzy ( I have noticed that it helps raise my PO4 but it will usually drop next am).

Started dosing live phytoplankton every night. 15ml per 50 gallons.

I also dosed Prodibo BioDigest & Biotim per directions & then did a follow up in 15 days. I was concerned cleaning the sand so much, am I going to lower my good bacteria?

Within 1-2 weeks my Dino's started to disappear and now have completely vanished (knock on wood).
It's hard to say what exactly worked but I think it's a combination of all. I do know the 1 micron filter socks did not work by themselves. (tried that 1st)

My SPS are happier than ever. IMO I notice a difference in PE since dosing the phyto. Also keeping my levels in this range my SPS took off with growth, noticing a big difference.

Dino's are horrible! I will gladly by more reagents to test daily if needed...

FYI- I used Hanna low tester for PO4 & Nyos & Salifert for N03.

Hope this works for others!

That really helps thanks

 

[Robert DeWolfe]

Hey all,
Starting off with a little background: My 120G tank has been up and running for 7 months now and for about the past month and half, I have been dealing with Dinos. I purchased a microscope to ID and found that I have Ostreopsis. Installed a UV which has been running for 2 weeks at this point.
PO4: .03ish (I’m colorblind and have trouble reading these test kits but I’m sure that it’s not 0)
NO3: 50 (Ik high)
Every day sometimes two times a day I siphon through my filter socks and get it all off the rocks, and change out the filter sock. Next day, it all comes back. I haven’t done a water change in about 3-4 weeks now as I keep getting told not to because it will just feed the dinos. I have also tried dosing MB7 with no luck either. I really don’t know if I could do a blackout period because I got corals and don’t want to cause any unnecessary harm to them...
What is my next step because this has been a long long battle with these dinos and feel like I have had no progress?
Thanks

The guy at my lfs recommended me to turn my lights off for 3 days and to buy 2 conch snails. My tank is a 36 gal so you might need more. I did as he said and they wiped out my diatoms so maybe this would work for you. He also said lights being off for 3 days won’t hurt the coral.

 

[zalick]

You need the UV plumbed directly in the DT, pump and return flow.

The 25w is "just" too small for dinos in your size tank.. You need to be turning over the water at least about 3x WHILE achieving the proper UV exposure. For the 25w aquaUV that is 400gph or less, preferably 200gph for that unit. <Edit>So you need a UV unit that gives you 90,000 exposure at 450gph.

The 25w aquaUV housing and bulb length is the same as the 57w. You can buy a 57w transformer and a 57w bulb from aquaUV and voila, you now have a 57w unit. This is what I did with an old 25w unit.

Then with the 57w unit plumbed straight in your DT, run about 700gph through it and your dinos will be gone in the blink of an eye.


*Also, a couple day lights off will have no real effect on your corals.

 

[saltyhog]

The microscope wasn’t that advanced couldn’t get a picture through the scope lol. Well is it just going to take longer with the 25w uv?

Unfortunately the answer is probably not. You just won't kill them fast enough to do any good. I would also comment that flow through the UV needs to be slow....no more than 3x the display volume per hour. In your case that's no more than 360 gph. I usually aim for slower than that...say 200-250 gph in that size tank.

You should be able to use your phone to get a picture of the same thing you can see with your eye. Start with the phone lined up square with the eye piece and slowly advance while keeping the eyepiece in the middle of the view finder. I use my middle finger against the side of the eyepiece to help stabilize the phone.