I BEAT DINOS.

loweryphil · Jul 22, 2020

I have been battling dinos since mid February. Numerous black outs, hydrogen peroxide, dosing bacteria, dirty method, you name it.

So I would like to share my method what worked for me. First of all I didn't identify with a microscope but used the dino ID page on the thread dinoflagellates are you tired of battling all together.

I was pretty convinced that I had prorocentrum, as it was reluctant to dissappear at night.

This in mind I decided to go for a 4 day black out and hooked a UV sterilizer up to my return pump, and set the flow rate at about 800lph. So my full tank volume went through this once an hour.

On the 4th day of the blackout at night ( so going into day 5) I turned the UV off and dosed microbacter 7.

A black out will bring the numbers down and help correct the issues.

So how did I beat them? Well I'm not sure but my theory is the uv and black out got them down to so little numbers that once the bacteria was added, they had no chance at competing.

I have ran my blues at 50% for a week with no return and continued to dose microbacter 7 each morning before turning the UV back on at night.

I really hope this can help someone battling dinos because I know how frustrating it can be. But stick with it and you'll get there. Once you know which specific strain of dino you have it makes it a lot easier.

Ron Reefman · Jul 22, 2020

Congratulations! Thanks for sharing.

Backreefing · Jul 22, 2020

Good for you

Cory · Jul 29, 2020

Which bacteria did you add?

Scottmac · Jul 30, 2020

I will try this thank you as its been driving me crazy.

But it seems to me that this a short term fix, once they are gone and you have your lights back on, wouldn't they just reappear? Or do you intend on keeping up with daily dosing?

I am planning on getting sponges for my tank which is experiencing diatom issues, as I have seen a few vids which say they will outcompete the diatoms for silica and also other nutrients that other algae grows on. (Plus they are filter feeders so beneficial for the tank anyway.)

Does anyone know if this is an effective long term control and what would be the best type of sponges to do this role?

Scott

90G Mark · Aug 1, 2020

Thanks, this info will be helpful on my tour through the battle of Dinos

loweryphil · Aug 2, 2020

Cory said:
Which bacteria did you add?

Microbacter 7

loweryphil · Aug 2, 2020

Scottmac said:
I will try this thank you as its been driving me crazy.

But it seems to me that this a short term fix, once they are gone and you have your lights back on, wouldn't they just reappear? Or do you intend on keeping up with daily dosing?

I am planning on getting sponges for my tank which is experiencing diatom issues, as I have seen a few vids which say they will outcompete the diatoms for silica and also other nutrients that other algae grows on. (Plus they are filter feeders so beneficial for the tank anyway.)

Does anyone know if this is an effective long term control and what would be the best type of sponges to do this role?

Scott

Once the dino population is so low, the daily dose of bacteria for a week allows your good bacteria population to establish again.

Ever noticed the absence of nitrogen bubbles in the sand when an outbreak happens? Once you see these bubbles again you know the bacteria has a foothold and you're on the mend. Just my observation.

fishboy1 · Aug 1, 2022

Will have to try this.

brandon429 · Aug 1, 2022

good job getting ahead of the top scourge in reefing, good job not easy to do.

KonradTO · Aug 1, 2022

I used a similar approach for Amphidinium. After months of dosing nutrients, feeding a lot, siphoning sand out in a 5nm sock, high temp treatment etc, I started dosing silicates (1-2 ppm/day). After a couple of weeks it started to grow much slower on the sand. Then I decided to clear all the dinos I could see from the sand and the rocks, and proceeded with a 3days blackout.
After 2 weeks the sand is still clear, no dinos for now. I am still dosing silicates but only 0.2 ppm/day, and I will keep dosing that unless I have issues.
I think what worked was creating competition for dinos and then with the blackout you basically "reset the game", giving to other organisms (diatoms and pods) an advantage.