LPS dying need advice.

[RevMH]

Update: .11 phos and 0 on nitrate.
Microscope will be here tomorrow.
When I got home from work everything was covered again. Turned up flow on uv and blew everything off. Flow is 20% of what ever a vectra M1 can do.
Going to see what will raise nitrate only, if that is an option.

You can DYI Sodium Nitrate, which can be purchased on Amazon for relatively cheap.

Randy Holmes-Farley posted a link to a calculator here.

Thread 'Sodium nitrate recipe' https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/sodium-nitrate-recipe.919266/


In my experience, keeping your Nitrates above zero is essential with dinos. Whether UV is impactful depends on the species. If they don't they don't free swim at night, UV isn't super helpful.

Dinos are absolutely beatable, but it'll take some time. You've got this!

 

[Kershaw]

You can DYI Sodium Nitrate, which can be purchased on Amazon for relatively cheap.

Randy Holmes-Farley posted a link to a calculator here.

Thread 'Sodium nitrate recipe' https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/sodium-nitrate-recipe.919266/


In my experience, keeping your Nitrates above zero is essential with dinos. Whether UV is impactful depends on the species. If they don't they don't free swim at night, UV isn't super helpful.

Dinos are absolutely beatable, but it'll take some time. You've got this!

Working on it, was looking at sodium nitrate vs some of the over the counter.
Frustrating, never had a low nutrient issue.
The sting of loosing several hundreds in coral sucks. Hopefully will get the video from microscope posted tomorrow after work. And going to order something for nitrates tonight to be here tomorrow.

 

[RevMH]

Working on it, was looking at sodium nitrate vs some of the over the counter.
Frustrating, never had a low nutrient issue.
The sting of loosing several hundreds in coral sucks. Hopefully will get the video from microscope posted tomorrow after work. And going to order something for nitrates tonight to be here tomorrow.

Yeah, it's a hard pill to swallow. I've had dinos in two tanks, both started when nitrates dropped to zero. The first were Amphidinium and the second were Ostreopsis. Different treatments for both, but it's doable by anyone.

We have a great community here and most people genuinely want to help, even if we can't always agree on what that looks like.

@mcarroll and @taricha, along with many other people, were a huge help with mine.

 

[Dburr1014]

I have a feeling you have large cell dinos.
Here is a guide but do microscope them. Large cell coarse for depleteing is dosing silicates.

https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/a-dinoflagellate-treatment-guide.841/

In my experience, keeping your Nitrates above zero is essential with dinos. Whether UV is impactful depends on the species. If they don't they don't free swim at night, UV isn't super helpful.

Dinos are absolutely beatable, but it'll take some time. You've got this!

Funny, that my nitrates have been zero for about 2 years. I have plenty of fish that dose ammonium to the coral which is what they actually want over nitrates.
I'm not saying not to dose nitrates, that is your insurance that the coral have enough.

I'm just not convinced no3, having or not having, have anything to do with dinos.
I have not seen any evidence at all.

 

[stE26wy14]

is it just me, or are nitrates insanely low?

 

[RevMH]

I have a feeling you have large cell dinos.
Here is a guide but do microscope them. Large cell coarse for depleteing is dosing silicates.

https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/a-dinoflagellate-treatment-guide.841/


Funny, that my nitrates have been zero for about 2 years. I have plenty of fish that dose ammonium to the coral which is what they actually want over nitrates.
I'm not saying not to dose nitrates, that is your insurance that the coral have enough.

I'm just not convinced no3, having or not having, have anything to do with dinos.
I have not seen any evidence at all.

I agree that saying "nitrates" oversimplifies the whole process. It doesn't take into account organic vs inorganic, fish load, feeding, etc., but I didn't want my post to get too stuck in the weeds (irony = this post); should the poster want additional information, it's already out there.

There certainly is a difference between zero and "zero" in our tests. As you stated, the nitrate reading is really only insurance to ensure there's "enough", if other, possibly more accepted forms of nutrients (e.g., ammonium), aren't available. I guess where we differ is the outcome of "not enough". Based on my research/experience, zero nitrates/phosphates have an impact on something in the overall system which can potentially lead to dinos as a symptom - I understand it's more nuanced than zero nutrients = dino, but the aforementioned weeds :).

It's largely accepted that elevated (above zero, not necessarily "high") nutrients (nitrates/phosphates) is a starting point for fighting dinos. Is there hard evidence of this? Honestly, I don't know. I relied on the experience of smarter people, including the article you linked, which all advised to dose nitrates if they drop to zero.

In my case, raising nitrates (phosphates were already solid) and dosing Sodium Silicate beat Amphidinium. Raising nitrates (phosphates were already solid), blacking out the tank, and running UV beat Ostreopsis.

It is purely anecdotal to say, "zero nitrates in each of these tanks eventually lead to dinos." Anecdotal still to claim raising nitrates assisted in beating the dinos. I did not, for example, test what happens to the Ostreopsis if I leave my nitrates at zero while blacking out the system and running UV. I have never had dinos take over a system while maintaining some level of nitrates/phosphates, but that's anecdotal at best. None of these experiences were controlled studies and I did not follow any scientific method to obtain my outcomes. So, in the end, it absolutely may be a coincidence. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

@Kershaw, let us know when you scope the dinos, very curious to see what you have (it's like a really bad birthday present). The article @Dburr1014 posted has some really good information on trying to identify dinos without a scope -- thank you for posting the link!

 

[Dburr1014]

I agree that saying "nitrates" oversimplifies the whole process. It doesn't take into account organic vs inorganic, fish load, feeding, etc., but I didn't want my post to get too stuck in the weeds (irony = this post); should the poster want additional information, it's already out there.

There certainly is a difference between zero and "zero" in our tests. As you stated, the nitrate reading is really only insurance to ensure there's "enough", if other, possibly more accepted forms of nutrients (e.g., ammonium), aren't available. I guess where we differ is the outcome of "not enough". Based on my research/experience, zero nitrates/phosphates have an impact on something in the overall system which can potentially lead to dinos as a symptom - I understand it's more nuanced than zero nutrients = dino, but the aforementioned weeds :).

It's largely accepted that elevated (above zero, not necessarily "high") nutrients (nitrates/phosphates) is a starting point for fighting dinos. Is there hard evidence of this? Honestly, I don't know. I relied on the experience of smarter people, including the article you linked, which all advised to dose nitrates if they drop to zero.

In my case, raising nitrates (phosphates were already solid) and dosing Sodium Silicate beat Amphidinium. Raising nitrates (phosphates were already solid), blacking out the tank, and running UV beat Ostreopsis.

It is purely anecdotal to say, "zero nitrates in each of these tanks eventually lead to dinos." Anecdotal still to claim raising nitrates assisted in beating the dinos. I did not, for example, test what happens to the Ostreopsis if I leave my nitrates at zero while blacking out the system and running UV. I have never had dinos take over a system while maintaining some level of nitrates/phosphates, but that's anecdotal at best. None of these experiences were controlled studies and I did not follow any scientific method to obtain my outcomes. So, in the end, it absolutely may be a coincidence. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

@Kershaw, let us know when you scope the dinos, very curious to see what you have (it's like a really bad birthday present). The article @Dburr1014 posted has some really good information on trying to identify dinos without a scope -- thank you for posting the link!

Thank you for that post!

 

[Patx]

The coffee filter test:
a) Syphon out a good sample of the gunk along with some tank water.
b) Place in a container with a lid and shake very hard for 30 seconds or so. The gunk should be dissolved now.
c) Pour the solution through a coffee filter into a clear glass. The water should be largely clear now.
d) Place the jar under a light source for roughly an hour.
e) If the gunk coagulates back into a glob, well, welcome to the club nobody really wants to be in.

Nice quick first test !

 

[RevMH]

Thank you for that post!

I hope it didn't sound too aggressive or snooty.
Tone is tough to convey via test.

 

[Dburr1014]

I hope it didn't sound too aggressive or snooty.
Tone is tough to convey via test.

Actually, I thought it was insightful and hope the OP thought the same.
The more we learn, the more questions come to mind.

I also had dinos, they didn't go away until I bought a UV. They went into the column at night and to the rock I the day. I ran the UV only at night and dosed H2O2. I also made sure nutrients were off zero.
Since, PO4 @0.1~0.2 and NO3 is usually zero, sometimes <1, not very often at all.
Anywhere I have coral battling you may see dinos. It's in every tank anyway, no way around it. Zooxanthellae is a dinoflagellates.
I heavy feed my 13ish fish, AWC is <1% daily(almost 1%), socks when I'm cleaning, oversize skimmer. If I'm feeling crazy I'll drop in some GAC.
Nothing else really. I guess I'm running a dirtier tank and still come up with no NO3.

 

[Kershaw]

Yeah, it's a hard pill to swallow. I've had dinos in two tanks, both started when nitrates dropped to zero. The first were Amphidinium and the second were Ostreopsis. Different treatments for both, but it's doable by anyone.

We have a great community here and most people genuinely want to help, even if we can't always agree on what that looks like.

@mcarroll and @taricha, along with many other people, were a huge help with mine.

yeah, I appreciate all the help from Everyone.

 

[Kershaw]

Actually, I thought it was insightful and hope the OP thought the same.
The more we learn, the more questions come to mind.

I also had dinos, they didn't go away until I bought a UV. They went into the column at night and to the rock I the day. I ran the UV only at night and dosed H2O2. I also made sure nutrients were off zero.
Since, PO4 @0.1~0.2 and NO3 is usually zero, sometimes <1, not very often at all.
Anywhere I have coral battling you may see dinos. It's in every tank anyway, no way around it. Zooxanthellae is a dinoflagellates.
I heavy feed my 13ish fish, AWC is <1% daily(almost 1%), socks when I'm cleaning, oversize skimmer. If I'm feeling crazy I'll drop in some GAC.
Nothing else really. I guess I'm running a dirtier tank and still come up with no NO3.

I have a 57w UV with inlet and outlet in display with a vectra M1 pushing water through it. So u have been turkey basting the Dino’s off the rock hopping they will get sent through UV or be taking out with my filter media.

 

[Kershaw]

is it just me, or are nitrates insanely low?

Yeah in the my first post I stated my Nitrates were zero, they used to stay around 2.0.

 

[Kershaw]

I ordered some neonitro and spongeexcel. Will be here tomorrow. I’m concerned if I keep feeding really heavy that my phosphate will be way higher than nitrate. Amazon said microscope arrived so as soon as I am off work I will post my findings. When getting a sample I assume I want a good sized sample of the brown stuff all over my rocks or sand?

 

[RevMH]

Actually, I thought it was insightful and hope the OP thought the same.
The more we learn, the more questions come to mind.

I also had dinos, they didn't go away until I bought a UV. They went into the column at night and to the rock I the day. I ran the UV only at night and dosed H2O2. I also made sure nutrients were off zero.
Since, PO4 @0.1~0.2 and NO3 is usually zero, sometimes <1, not very often at all.
Anywhere I have coral battling you may see dinos. It's in every tank anyway, no way around it. Zooxanthellae is a dinoflagellates.
I heavy feed my 13ish fish, AWC is <1% daily(almost 1%), socks when I'm cleaning, oversize skimmer. If I'm feeling crazy I'll drop in some GAC.
Nothing else really. I guess I'm running a dirtier tank and still come up with no NO3.

I haven't attempted H202 yet, but I've read good things. My goal now is to avoid dinos to the best of my ability and not have to worry about it!

Sounds like you've found a great balance with your set up. Heavy feeding is a win in my head. Barring algae problems, heavy feeding is a win for everyone.

 

[RevMH]

I ordered some neonitro and spongeexcel. Will be here tomorrow. I’m concerned if I keep feeding really heavy that my phosphate will be way higher than nitrate. Amazon said microscope arrived so as soon as I am off work I will post my findings. When getting a sample I assume I want a good sized sample of the brown stuff all over my rocks or sand?

Excellent! You shouldn't need to big of a sample size. Grab a small chunk and zoom in. Once they've clumped together, you'll see a lot in a small sample.

 

[Kershaw]

The videos are in

 

[Dburr1014]

I have a 57w UV with inlet and outlet in display with a vectra M1 pushing water through it. So u have been turkey basting the Dino’s off the rock hopping they will get sent through UV or be taking out with my filter media.

I ran uv at night. Dosed hydrogen peroxide at lights out. They went to the water column at night so both help kill them.

 

[Dburr1014]

The videos are in

I'm not good at I.d.'ing, but I am pretty sure you have two types. Smaller spinning ones are different than the large ones.
I think you have ostio and amphi.

@taricha is really good identifying. Those videos are good.

 

[Kershaw]

I'm not good at I.d.'ing, but I am pretty sure you have two types. Smaller spinning ones are different than the large ones.
I think you have ostio and amphi.

@taricha is really good identifying. Those videos are good.

Sounds like you’re trying to give me anxiety to deal with two types… lol. No offense but I hope you’re wrong lol.