Insane and unstable over 1 year.

[ChrisfromBrick]

is a skimmer necessary in a 30 gallon? I know some people said it wasn’t. I’m not using one on the 10. I was scared to not skim with the corals in the 30 LPS ones

necessary? No. You’re pulling out your dissolved organics by skimming. Shut it off for a week. Your corals if anything are starving with no detectable nutrients. Skimming is for folks that have the opposite problem that you are.

 

[Lavey29]

Oh! I didn’t even know that was a thing. I’m coming from freshwater. What brand of light has UV spectrum in it? What is the benefit? Would that not affect the nitrifying bacteria in the aquarium?

I’m using the nicrew reef light on the 30. And goose neck bulbs in the 10.

Light is one of the factors that can contribute to algae growth. Your light may or may not have the ability to adjust its spectrum. If it does then cut out the white. If not, then reduce light to 6 hours for a few weeks while you work on correcting your nutrients levels. I had to double dose neophos and neonitro for multiple months before I got measurable numbers.

 

[alexanderthefishlover]

necessary? No. You’re pulling out your dissolved organics by skimming. Shut it off for a week. Your corals if anything are starving with no detectable nutrients. Skimming is for folks that have the opposite problem that you are.

Omg……. How did I not know this. I thought it kept the water clear

 

[alexanderthefishlover]

Light is one of the factors that can contribute to algae growth. Your light may or may not have the ability to adjust its spectrum. If it does then cut out the white. If not, then reduce light to 6 hours for a few weeks while you work on correcting your nutrients levels. I had to double dose neophos and neonitro for multiple months before I got measurable numbers.

I can reduce the white. So should the light be like a dark blue or a reddish blue?

 

[alexanderthefishlover]

Light is one of the factors that can contribute to algae growth. Your light may or may not have the ability to adjust its spectrum. If it does then cut out the white. If not, then reduce light to 6 hours for a few weeks while you work on correcting your nutrients levels. I had to double dose neophos and neonitro for multiple months before I got measurable numbers.

Yes I had to triple dose!

 

[ChrisfromBrick]

Omg……. How did I not know this. I thought it kept the water clear

if you want clearer water, running carbon will do that, but don’t even think about doing that and focus on this for a few months.

 

[alexanderthefishlover]

if you want clearer water, running carbon will do that, but don’t even think about doing that and focus on this for a few months.

Oh lord I did add active carbon right before dosing Dino x and it didn’t help I’m sure that made it worse…. Yikes what a mess.

Ok I will turn off the skimmer and no active carbon. Moving forward for now.

 

[ChrisfromBrick]

I mean, carbon may be fine to run with almost no effect on trace elements, but my point is to take a deep breath, focus on nutrients, and work on that. In other words, carbon shouldn’t have any effect on what your no3 and po4 are reading. My understanding with carbon is that it WILL remove toxins, a couple trace elements, and make your tank water clearer.

Yes- turn off the skimmer until you are consistently seeing nutrients

 

[gbroadbridge]

So I set up a 30 gallon a year ago have have had nothing but issues with stability in the water. I mean, nitrate and phosphates. They constantly run at 0. When I raise them slowly, I get hair algae and other nasty outbreaks.

Basically I had Dino totally under control eradicated with Dino x and was great until I added some macro that must have been contaminated with Dino.

I don’t understand why my tank never has nitrate or phos and why it keeps having issues.

I started a 10 gallon over a month ago now and it’s PERFECT so perfect I want to cry. It’s beautiful, gorgeous macro algae and soft corals. I began dosing nitrate and phos so that the macro could grow well. Iron added iodide, Chaeto grow had some diatom and then now, it’s perfect and super stable parameters are stable and everything is great.

I was told, nanos are unstable and hard to care for. Yet, I’ve had no issues. I’m having issues in the larger of the two. I’m so overwhelmed. I’m dosing Dino x again, and I also had some hairy cyano (can’t remember the name) I on my rocks was a clear bubble hairy slime for a while until I dossed nitrates up and phos from 0 and began getting brown hairy crap growing.

I’m cultivating caulpera pro and I know Dino x says it can kill macro but the cultivating aquarium has Dino even at (20ppm nitrate 1ppm phos) and if I treat the tank and then add it back from that cultivating aquarium it will grow again in he DT, so I’ve left a handful in the aquarium to see how it takes the Dino x treatment. Ugh.

Needed to rant a bit about this because it’s frustrating me. I cannot for the life of me understand where all the nitrate and phosphates go to. I dosed the nitrate in DT to 10ppm (no macro added) and the next morning, nitrate was 4ppm…. That’s fast too fast don’t you all think? I use the Hanna high range and it’s really accurate on these readings in my experience thus far.

The more nitrate and phosphate I add the faster the Dino grows. It’s stupid! I thought it was cyano on the sand but treated with slime out and it did jack. So over Dino like what the heck.

Who would have thought the 10 gallon would be easier and more stable. My LSF tried to convince
me not to start it glad I didn’t listen.

Any advice, please give me it I just need to know what’s going on. And, do I need to worry is the Dino x kills the caulpera? Will it add toxins to the water? Anyone know about this!

Thanks in advance!

In your other thread, myself and many others warned you about using Dino X and other chemical treatments in your tank.

Short term gain means long term pain.

So I'll say it again, stop putting chemicals into your tank and let the tank settle biologically. Effectively you have to start from scratch every time you use an algaecide or antibiotic in the tank.

 

[Lavey29]

In your other thread, myself and many others warned you about using Dino X and other chemical treatments in your tank.

Short term gain means long term pain.

So I'll say it again, stop putting chemicals into your tank and let the tank settle biologically. Effectively you have to start from scratch every time you use an algaecide or antibiotic in the tank.

Yep

 

[alexanderthefishlover]

In your other thread, myself and many others warned you about using Dino X and other chemical treatments in your tank.

Short term gain means long term pain.

So I'll say it again, stop putting chemicals into your tank and let the tank settle biologically. Effectively you have to start from scratch every time you use an algaecide or antibiotic in the tank.

I can’t agree because I had stability short term until adding a new fish. I had corraline alage growing for the first time and nitrate and phos stability after treatment. I had beautiful green alage and copepods flourishing.

I can’t agree.

I’m going forward with the Dino X treatment again. I’m doing this because I’m stubborn and believe it benefitted the aquarium last time until I stupidly introduced new things.

I understand the risk vs benefit short term. I do not think longterm there is drastic issues that come from the use of these chemicals. I actually had green alage growing during Dino x treatment course. So, I do not believe it kills everything it kills what it’s meant to target.

There is a risk vs benefit in all instances of life. Does the risk of side effects outweigh the benefit here? I don’t believe so. That’s why I’m moving forward. Dino will kill the tank if it continues via toxins it releases too.

could the issue return with new introductions once again? I’m sure it could, that’s where I need to say, no new adds for a while until the aquarium is stable after treatment.

Thanks for the info and the warning, I hear you I understand you but I must do what I believe will be a bigger benefit in spite of the potential risk here.

Maybe you’re right maybe I’m right maybe we are both right to a degree. Sadly life is about trial and errors.

 

[Lavey29]

I can’t agree because I had stability short term until adding a new fish. I had corraline alage growing for the first time and nitrate and phos stability after treatment. I had beautiful green alage and copepods flourishing.

I can’t agree.

I’m going forward with the Dino X treatment again. I’m doing this because I’m stubborn and believe it benefitted the aquarium last time until I stupidly introduced new things.

I understand the risk vs benefit short term. I do not think longterm there is drastic issues that come from the use of these chemicals. I actually had green alage growing during Dino x treatment course. So, I do not believe it kills everything it kills what it’s meant to target.

There is a risk vs benefit in all instances of life. Does the risk of side effects outweigh the benefit here? I don’t believe so. That’s why I’m moving forward. Dino will kill the tank if it continues via toxins it releases too.

could the issue return with new introductions once again? I’m sure it could, that’s where I need to say, no new adds for a while until the aquarium is stable after treatment.

Thanks for the info and the warning, I hear you I understand you but I must do what I believe will be a bigger benefit in spite of the potential risk here.

Maybe you’re right maybe I’m right maybe we are both right to a degree. Sadly life is about trial and errors.

That's cool, do what you feel is best and wishing you much success but you better believe old experienced reefers with decades of successful experience can help you get to where you wanna be. Keep us posted.

 

[alexanderthefishlover]

That's cool, do what you feel is best and wishing you much success but you better believe old experienced reefers with decades of successful experience can help you get to where you wanna be. Keep us posted.

I 100% will keep everyone posted about my experiences moving forward. I trust your experiences and knowledge and I acknowledge what you’re saying. I just feel for me right now this is the option that’s best. (I wish it wasn’t) I don’t have the time to manually handle this I have a child, a career and responsibilities outside of aquarium keeping.

 

[Lavey29]

I 100% will keep everyone posted about my experiences moving forward. I trust your experiences and knowledge and I acknowledge what you’re saying. I just feel for me right now this is the option that’s best. (I wish it wasn’t) I don’t have the time to manually handle this I have a child, a career and responsibilities outside of aquarium keeping.

If you don't swing the bat you will never get a hit so good luck

One thing, have you ID dinos with a cheap microscope?

 

[gbroadbridge]

I 100% will keep everyone posted about my experiences moving forward. I trust your experiences and knowledge and I acknowledge what you’re saying. I just feel for me right now this is the option that’s best. (I wish it wasn’t) I don’t have the time to manually handle this I have a child, a career and responsibilities outside of aquarium keeping.

That's what you said last time and that worked out, right?

Good luck doing it your own way.

 

[CHSUB]

The more nitrate and phosphate I add the faster the Dino grows.

Simple biology. You are trying to fight biology with chemistry, based on flawed hobby test kits and the myth that glass box hobbyist have believing 0 nutrients causes dinoflagellates. You have a 30 gallon tank with multiple fish that you feed large amounts of food. Regardless of your test kit readings, you have an excess nutrient problem, adding Dino X might kill something but that will release more nutrients in an already polluted aquarium. Clean the rock, crud, and detritus; stop adding stuff and get back to the basics.

 

[Shirak]

I’m going forward with the Dino X treatment again. I’m doing this because I’m stubborn and believe it benefitted the aquarium last time until I stupidly introduced new things.

The Dino X didn't eradicate them totally and you didn't add them back with new things. They are always in your system. They pop up and get out of control when things are out of whack with your tank as they are much more effective at living on very minimal nutrients while other things which keep them in check are not.

 

[00W]

I can’t agree because I had stability short term until adding a new fish. I had corraline alage growing for the first time and nitrate and phos stability after treatment. I had beautiful green alage and copepods flourishing.

I can’t agree.

I’m going forward with the Dino X treatment again. I’m doing this because I’m stubborn and believe it benefitted the aquarium last time until I stupidly introduced new things.

I understand the risk vs benefit short term. I do not think longterm there is drastic issues that come from the use of these chemicals. I actually had green alage growing during Dino x treatment course. So, I do not believe it kills everything it kills what it’s meant to target.

There is a risk vs benefit in all instances of life. Does the risk of side effects outweigh the benefit here? I don’t believe so. That’s why I’m moving forward. Dino will kill the tank if it continues via toxins it releases too.

could the issue return with new introductions once again? I’m sure it could, that’s where I need to say, no new adds for a while until the aquarium is stable after treatment.

Thanks for the info and the warning, I hear you I understand you but I must do what I believe will be a bigger benefit in spite of the potential risk here.

Maybe you’re right maybe I’m right maybe we are both right to a degree. Sadly life is about trial and errors.

Adding these chemicals is not the way to go.
I've never added chemicals in over 35 years.
Ever of any kind.
Really wish you wouldn't but sounds like you're gonna.
Us old people just don't want to say "I told you so" so hopefully you prove us wrong and definitely keep us updated.
If you continually restart your tank you're always going to have the same results and we'll end up seeing you on another thread again with the same issues.
Best of luck.
Joel

 

[alexanderthefishlover]

If you don't swing the bat you will never get a hit so good luck

One thing, have you ID dinos with a cheap microscope?

Large cell

 

[alexanderthefishlover]

That's what you said last time and that worked out, right?

Good luck doing it your own way.

It did work last time I added something new and it brought Dino back in. Are you a marine biologist? Chemist? If not your guesses are as good as mine