Nitrite always present?

[alexanderthefishlover]

It depends on the tank and a huge number of variables associated with it - it can last weeks or even months (some people have reported combatting dinos for over a year). Whenever the tank's microbiome matures and stabilizes, it should die down.

Any photos of this or more in depth description of it? It's not really relevant to the topic at hand, I'm just curious.

This may be largely true depending on the tank, but it isn't necessarily always true, and it isn't necessarily always fast.

Basically looks like diatom in the dark, then it disappears in the light and then the Dino grows elsewhere. It’s really crazy….. I’ll try and take photos in the morning.

Ugh you’re giving me hope I Just can’t wait for that day.

I have nothing against hair algae and it’s not hard to clean or maintain. It’s the Dino that I HATE and it’s literally driving me nuts.

The bloody purigen I added made it worse again as my nitrates dropped again. I added it for the clarity aspect told over and over it’s better than carbon and it would help with the nitrite. It didn’t, and only dropped nitrates and let the Dino grow back a lot again. Luckily dosing the nitrate helped to slow it down.


It grows wayyyyy faster at higher water temp also, and grows slower at lower temp……

 

[TehBrainz]

Tbh, once my tank was cycled I never tested nitrite again. Only PO4 and NO3.

If you're trying to control PO4 and not having success with water changes and mechanical filtration I'd look into GFO over phosgaurd (personal preference).

Also, FWIW, I had a longer battle with turf algae than dinos. This too shall pass

 

[alexanderthefishlover]

Tbh, once my tank was cycled I never tested nitrite again. Only PO4 and NO3.

If you're trying to control PO4 and not having success with water changes and mechanical filtration I'd look into GFO over phosgaurd (personal preference).

Also, FWIW, I had a longer battle with turf algae than dinos. This too shall pass

Ferric oxide? Is it better than seachem phosguard?

 

[TehBrainz]

Ferric oxide? Is it better than seachem phosguard?

For me. Yes. I've used both and once I used GFO I never went back to phosguard.

GFO removes phosphate extremely quickly. So quickly that you need to be careful not to use too much and bottom out your levels. It does require tumbling in a reactor, so if you're using media bags alone then continue with phosguard.

 

[TehBrainz]

For my tank I run GFO with my carbon reactor. This way I don't need to worry about tumbling the media.

If you don't tumble or have it separated by carbon it will be a sludge mess

 

[alexanderthefishlover]

For me. Yes. I've used both and once I used GFO I never went back to phosguard.

GFO removes phosphate extremely quickly. So quickly that you need to be careful not to use too much and bottom out your levels. It does require tumbling in a reactor, so if you're using media bags alone then continue with phosguard.

Yes media bag alone

 

[Kmst80]

Omg! 2.5 years??!!!!! Holy! That’s insane…. I’m not that patient I have a job that requires a lot of focus and I Just can’t imagine taking this much time to maintain this for that long until this balances.

I may end up converting to a freshwater, maybe shell dwellers at this point if it doesn’t stop soon.


Side note, I’d be thrilled with diatom as it’s not producing toxins. That’s why I’m so overly done with the Dino. Hair algae doesn’t even bother me that much.

The large cell amphedinium that multiples like cray on the sand and glass that’s what’s getting to me. I hear it’s less toxic but if left untreated will kill my corlas.

So I wish I could leave it if it was diatom i would.


I will probably do this for a few more months as I love this aquarium, but I can’t and don’t have the time for this stuff. I do bi-weekly water changes in freshwater and that takes 10 min with my python siphon and that’s all I need to do it’s pretty self sufficient with plants and pothos.

Actually by dosing silica you will bring on diatoms which in turn will combat with dinos. I did that towards the end of my dino battle. Just make sure you don't overdose or you end up with a huge bloom and brown water, I lost two corals by overdosing. But it helped ending my dino battle.

 

[alexanderthefishlover]

Actually by dosing silica you will bring on diatoms which in turn will combat with dinos. I did that towards the end of my dino battle. Just make sure you don't overdose or you end up with a huge bloom and brown water, I lost two corals by overdosing. But it helped ending my dino battle.

I heard about this and have been considering it but really scared to try LOL. Maybe I’ll have to try this.