I think I have the dreaded Dinos

[bvanfish]

I’m not sure if they are Dinos or not but today I was looking closer at pictures of Dino’s and I think they are. I have a 25 gallon about 2.5-3 months old. It seems like it is a brown like algae in the sand which I thought was diatoms part 2. But these completely disappear at night and slowly come back with the lights. Now today I saw what I thought was gas bubbles in the sand but I see that can be a sign of Dinos.

they aren’t on the rock only the sand and my snails / conch are helping a ton suck them up.

I will upload pics tomorrow but I am feeling over whelmed with Dino info. I am thinking of trying to manually suck them off the sand, up my phosphate, and maybe add another powerhead to help flow?

where can I bring them to see what type I may have

 

[Kmst80]

Get a cheap microscope and make sure you know what you got in your tank. You can fin pictures of different types of dinos on google, same as cyano or diatoms.
Read this too and if you find you got dinos follow it where ever you can.

Dinoflagellates – Are You Tired Of Battling Altogether?

I don't know what percentage of folks had luck battling dinos with any of the methods in the old Dino thread but it's obviously a very low percentage, so I'd like refresh folks on the natural alternatives and lay out three areas of info: some of the factors that contribute to a dino outbreak...

www.reef2reef.com

I am fighting dinos for the last 4 weeks and i am slowly winning, only after i found out what i had with the help of a microscope i got onto the right path.

 

[bvanfish]

Ok sweet. Thank you. Does dosing microbacter7 and adding more pods / phyto help?

I think my phosphate being 0 is the killer. I am getting some more fish which will help bump it up.

 

[Kmst80]

Ok sweet. Thank you. Does dosing microbacter7 and adding more pods / phyto help?

I think my phosphate being 0 is the killer. I am getting some more fish which will help bump it up.

Find out first if you got dinos and which dinos you got( see link above).
If you got dinos you always want to have detectable nitrates and phosphates, i would not add more fish since dinos can kill inverts/fish.
Look into dosing Nitrates/Phosphates.
Phyto/Pods and Microbacter help.
All mentioned in thread above.

 

[Reefahholic]

After you ID…this may be helpful.

 

[bvanfish]

Any help with the specific type?? It looks like both diatoms and Dino’s

 

[bvanfish]

Since they are in the sand I’d assume Amphidinium or coolia. Any confirmation?

 

[BetterJake]

Since they are in the sand I’d assume Amphidinium or coolia. Any confirmation?

It they were Amphidinium they would not disappear at night, those stay put no matter what.

 

[bvanfish]

I went to my LFS and they said just diatoms. I’m going to bring up phos and nitrate slightly and see

 

[bvanfish]

@reefaholic @Kmst80 Any other input? I want to form a plan if the consensus is dinos

 

[bvanfish]

#reefsquad any help here!

 

[Kmst80]

The elongated cells look like diatoms. Not sure what the dark oval looking spots underneath are, they are to blurry to make out.

 

[bvanfish]

The elongated cells look like diatoms. Not sure what the dark oval looking spots underneath are, they are to blurry to make out.

@Kmst80 do they look dino ish? that was the highest magnification I could get at the LFS. I am debating if I do my normal water change today. (if it is dinos I wont change the water)

I got nitrate and phosphate to dose and get them to 10 nitrate and .1 phos
Then I was thinking of doing pods and phyto next

 

[Koh23]

If i may, having same problem.....

I know why "know your enemy" is important, but, why is important to identify which dino one have?

I mean, it all comes down to same rules, or is it there some strain who will remain immune to increasing nutrients, phyto dosing, uv, no wc.....

 

[bvanfish]

I am new to this as well. The more I’m reading the more I am seeing certain strains react to certain things more than others.

I am also trying to determine if this is strictly diatoms or dinoflagellates. Or both

 

[Koh23]

Id like to know also, but, like i said, most information that i found is generic "rules" to beat them, not strain specific

 

[Mark Goode]

Heh... bubbles on stalks? I think I have the bloody things also. I was doing so well too. Dry rock and dry sand ripping all the phosphates out of my system perhaps?

 

[Shirak]

Picture of the tank with white light on would be helpful.

 

[Kmst80]

Just read your op again, your tank is only 3 month old, new sandbed I assume. Very likely only a diatom bloom due to high silica. I would get your phosphates of 0 anyways. Don't rush into changing to many things, stability is the key.

 

[Kmst80]

In My Tank nothing touches the dinos, since your snails eat it thats a good sign too