Help with dinoflagellates

[TriGa22]

I have a IM Lagoon 25 and I have been battling dinoflagellates for months. I have tried dosing silicates, I have installed a 25watt UV, I keep phosphates between .05 and .1 nitrates around 5ppm, I have added copepods twice, dosed two different kinds of bacteria, and stopped dosing amino acids/coral foods. It’s probably been 6mo. What else can I do? I have viewed them under a microscope but I can’t tell exactly what type I have but I assume it’s not ostreopsis due to them staying overnight on the sand and rock.

I do have a sack of matrix as biomedia and have contemplated removing it.

 

[slingfox]

The key thing with Dino’s is exporting them from the tank. If they are on the rock then you need to agitate them and siphon them out (cna refuel the water if you run through a filter sock). If they are on the sand you need to siphon out the top layer of sand where they sit and rinse the sand. Then you dose silicates and bacteria (Microbe Lift Special Blend worked better for me than other three other brands I tried). Turn on UV 24/7. If you have sand Dino’s then look into the UV sand wand from 3DReefing which is effective as well. You need to do the manual export daily if very bad or every few days if not too bad. The Dino’s will come back but each time less will come back as the other things in the biome compete.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

You are certain they are dinos and not cyano?

 

[TriGa22]

You are certain they are dinos and not cyano?

Yes they are Orange ovals under the microscope

 

[TriGa22]

You are certain they are dinos and not cyano?

 

[TriGa22]

I removed the biomedia and adjusted the flow on the UV. I started with only dry rock in 2024. I may order some live rock and see if that biodiversity helps.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

FWIW, I'm not in the camp that thinks microscopic identification of cyano vs dinos is as straightforward as many think, since there are tons of species of both. I've seen discussions where even reefing "experts" cannot decide what they are seeing. I'll leave the ID'ing to those who have more confidence. .

 

[BryanM]

A combo of manual removal and UV worked for me, and a 3 day blackout period.

 

[Freenow54]

I have a IM Lagoon 25 and I have been battling dinoflagellates for months. I have tried dosing silicates, I have installed a 25watt UV, I keep phosphates between .05 and .1 nitrates around 5ppm, I have added copepods twice, dosed two different kinds of bacteria, and stopped dosing amino acids/coral foods. It’s probably been 6mo. What else can I do? I have viewed them under a microscope but I can’t tell exactly what type I have but I assume it’s not ostreopsis due to them staying overnight on the sand and rock.

I do have a sack of matrix as biomedia and have contemplated removing it.

See handheld UV by 3 D reefing

 

[TriGa22]

I will try the handheld UV as a last resort. A new order of copepods will be here today, live rock next week, and then if it doesn’t progress I’ll resort to the handheld UV. I haven’t done a blackout because I’ve heard time and time again that it just comes back, but I may try that also as I am getting desperate. I’m estimating I’ve been battling this for 6mo.

 

[CHSUB]

I have a IM Lagoon 25

Politely suggesting….come on now it’s a 25 gallon tank. Scrub with a toothbrush, blow, wc, and continue doing it weekly. Forget all the other stuff and just use “elbow grease”..

After you get it reasonably clean, add a bunch of easy corals to take up real estate; as I’m guessing you have available bare rock.

 

[Freenow54]

Politely suggesting….come on now it’s a 25 gallon tank. Scrub with a toothbrush, blow, wc, and continue doing it weekly. Forget all the other stuff and just use “elbow grease”..

After you get it reasonably clean, add a bunch of easy corals to take up real estate; as I’m guessing you have available bare rock.

I did not realize no Coral in the picture . Absolute scrub like you mean it

 

[slingfox]

Politely suggesting….come on now it’s a 25 gallon tank. Scrub with a toothbrush, blow, wc, and continue doing it weekly. Forget all the other stuff and just use “elbow grease”..

After you get it reasonably clean, add a bunch of easy corals to take up real estate; as I’m guessing you have available bare rock.

Agreed. The most important thing with dinos is physical export of the dinos on consistent basis. This could mean daily, every few days, or weekly depending on how bad the outbreak is. Everything else (UV, dosing, etc) should help slow down the Dino’s from coming back but you need to get rid of them first.

 

[CHSUB]

I did not realize no Coral in the picture . Absolute scrub like you mean it

I’m guessing he could use more corals as imo it is an available space, maintenance deficiency, and new aquarium issue only.

 

[TriGa22]

Politely suggesting….come on now it’s a 25 gallon tank. Scrub with a toothbrush, blow, wc, and continue doing it weekly. Forget all the other stuff and just use “elbow grease”..

After you get it reasonably clean, add a bunch of easy corals to take up real estate; as I’m guessing you have available bare rock.

Have you battled Dino’s before? I’ve been in saltwater since 05 and I’ve never battled them this badly. For 7 years I maintained numerous aquariums for a LFS and I’ve never run into them this hard. This is the first tank I have setup without the presence of live rock and Im convinced that’s the root cause - I’m not saying you can’t be successful with dry rock, but I think we have underestimated the benefit of the biodiversity that live rock provides.

I have available rock but the Dino’s are mostly on the sandbed. I’ve gone through phases of siphoning the sand through a sock and keeping the water to return to the tank and also phases of performing water changes as well. I turkey baste everything daily - rocks and sandbed.

 

[slingfox]

Have you battled Dino’s before? I’ve been in saltwater since 05 and I’ve never battled them this badly. For 7 years I maintained numerous aquariums for a LFS and I’ve never run into them this hard. This is the first tank I have setup without the presence of live rock and Im convinced that’s the root cause - I’m not saying you can’t be successful with dry rock, but I think we have underestimated the benefit of the biodiversity that live rock provides.

I have available rock but the Dino’s are mostly on the sandbed. I’ve gone through phases of siphoning the sand through a sock and keeping the water to return to the tank and also phases of performing water changes as well. I turkey baste everything daily - rocks and sandbed.

When I had sand Dino’s, I would siphon out the top layer in sand with the Dino’s. I would then rinse that sand then add in a little bit of fresh saltwater along with silicates and bottled bacteria (specifically Microbe Life Special Blend). I would let that sit for a few hours then add the sand bakc into the tank. Each time the Dino’s came back weaker and weaker and eventually they were gone. More recently I did a tank reset and dealt with sand Dino’s with the UV sweeper from 3DReefing. That worked as well but was in response to much less serious case of the Dino’s.

 

[Freenow54]

Have you battled Dino’s before? I’ve been in saltwater since 05 and I’ve never battled them this badly. For 7 years I maintained numerous aquariums for a LFS and I’ve never run into them this hard. This is the first tank I have setup without the presence of live rock and Im convinced that’s the root cause - I’m not saying you can’t be successful with dry rock, but I think we have underestimated the benefit of the biodiversity that live rock provides.

I have available rock but the Dino’s are mostly on the sandbed. I’ve gone through phases of siphoning the sand through a sock and keeping the water to return to the tank and also phases of performing water changes as well. I turkey baste everything daily - rocks and sandbed.

Like I said handheld UV once rocks are out , and they don't go back until the war is over

 

[CHSUB]

Have you battled Dino’s before?

Always have them in my aquarium and it is never much of a “battle” because I use and believe in vigorous maintenance/removal.
From my aquarium:

I’ve been in saltwater since 05

05? Well you’re a baby…haha! I started in summer 1980 and was a LFS employee at Pet City Seabrook, Nh in the early 1980’s; been in the hobby nearly full time since. Here are 3 of my tanks from 1998 to now.

underestimated the benefit of the biodiversity that live rock provides

I started my most recent tank with dry rock…good husbandry solves all issues.

I turkey baste everything daily - rocks and sandbed

That is good, however just blowing it around without removal doesn’t solve the problem. Imo, you must vacuum the nuisance stuff out. I sometimes use a canister filter to vacuum nuisance organisms out. Others just filter with a sock and continually return the water.




GL.

 

[slingfox]

Always have them in my aquarium and it is never much of a “battle” because I use and believe in vigorous maintenance/removal.
From my aquarium:




05? Well you’re a baby…haha! I started in summer 1980 and was a LFS employee at Pet City Seabrook, Nh in the early 1980’s; been in the hobby nearly full time since. Here are 3 of my tanks from 1998 to now.







I started my most recent tank with dry rock…good husbandry solves all issues.



That is good, however just blowing it around without removal doesn’t solve the problem. Imo, you must vacuum the nuisance stuff out. I sometimes use a canister filter to vacuum nuisance organisms out. Others just filter with a sock and continually return the water.




GL.

An alternative to a canister filter is the Marineland Magnum Polishing filter. It is very good as removing things floating in the water column including Dino’s you put into the water column.

 

[Unit731]

If you're willing to attempt the microbial route again, then I would recommend using the Remedy Ale made by Home Brew Live Feeds. I used it to treat a dinoflagellate bloom in one of our coral farm tanks. The beneficial bacteria actually killed and removed the dinos well within the week. Easiest solution I've found thus far.

I hope this helps. Good luck.