How to raise nitrate and phosphate to eliminate dinoflagellates?

[Kimberely]

I got a tiny bit of gha on my zoas, in an effort to eliminate it, I added chaeto and started dosing MB-7 and now dinos are taking over. My corals are angry and I lost a green chromis. I read that raising nitrate and phosphate would help and the article I read suggested planted aquarium fertilizer. I have Thrive in a pump bottle. One pump per 10 gallons adds 2ppm NO3, 1.3ppm PO4, 5ppm K, and 0.25ppm Fe. I realize that's too much PO4 but would cutting the dosage in half be safe? If not can someone suggest a product to increase the NO3 and PO4 safely? Currently testing at 0ppm for both. I'm ready to give up.

 

[sfin52]

There is a sticky post in the the algea forum about Dino read the first page and go from there.

 

[Kimberely]

There is a sticky post in the the algea forum about Dino read the first page and go from there.

Thanks. I'll take a look.

 

[ncaldwell]

You have aloooooot of reading to do but it's is a great wealth of knowledge. Read and ask plenty of questions. It is beatable

 

[sfin52]

Yep beat it back in nov I think maybe oct. mcarrol is a wealth of knowledge.

 

[sfin52]

Extremely important info is book marked. Ask questions and we’ll get them answered

 

[Kimberely]

Extremely important info is book marked. Ask questions and we’ll get them answered

It's definitely dinos. I don't have a microscope for a positive ID on the type though. So I need to quit doing weekly 10 gallon changes on my 40 gallon tank, reduce the lights to 4 hours daily. Quit dosing MB-7. I have a friend who sells liquid aquarium fertilizer who has agreed to mix me up a bottle of NO3 and PO4 but he has to add a little potassium to keep it stable. The dosage will be 5ppm NO3, 0.03ppm PO4 and 2.5ppm K in 2ml per 10 gallons of tank volume. I will monitor these levels and only dose when the levels drop. I will likely see an increase in diatoms until healthy algae can take hold. One thing I'm not certain of is whether or not I should remove the chaeto from my refugium? It takes up a lot of nutrients, but will it outcompete the dinos? That's where I'm getting confused. If I need to increase the nutrients, wouldn't the chaeto be counterproductive?

 

[sfin52]

I would remove it and start over it’s relatively cheap. id will help with treatment option. Uv can help diatoms filter can help with species. Blowing off rocks daily will help. No water changes keep water stable. Dose mag, calcium and idiode. Trace elements can fuel a bloom. If you need to do a water change use a 10 micron sock and filter water into a bucket and pour water back into the tank.

 

[landlubber]

It's definitely dinos. I don't have a microscope for a positive ID on the type though. So I need to quit doing weekly 10 gallon changes on my 40 gallon tank, reduce the lights to 4 hours daily. Quit dosing MB-7. I have a friend who sells liquid aquarium fertilizer who has agreed to mix me up a bottle of NO3 and PO4 but he has to add a little potassium to keep it stable. The dosage will be 5ppm NO3, 0.03ppm PO4 and 2.5ppm K in 2ml per 10 gallons of tank volume. I will monitor these levels and only dose when the levels drop. I will likely see an increase in diatoms until healthy algae can take hold. One thing I'm not certain of is whether or not I should remove the chaeto from my refugium? It takes up a lot of nutrients, but will it outcompete the dinos? That's where I'm getting confused. If I need to increase the nutrients, wouldn't the chaeto be counterproductive?

i don't think you have to necessarily remove your macroalgae but depending on what strain of dinos you're dealing with could have to out-compete it by dosing more to get the no3 to 10ppm and po4 to .10ppm.

 

[Kimberely]

i don't think you have to necessarily remove your macroalgae but depending on what strain of dinos you're dealing with could have to out-compete it by dosing more to get the no3 to 10ppm and po4 to .10ppm.

Thanks. I removed most of it, but left a handful. I've also started dosing 4ml of 3% peroxide nightly. From what I'm reading, a multiprong attack is my best bet. Since I started the peroxide it's improved a lot! My corals are looking happier too. Thanks for all the help guys! I appreciate it more than I can say.