Ready for 72h black out to beat dinos. Few questions before I start

[marcosnano]

Hello reefers,

I'm dealing with a worsening dino issue, despite various attempts like increasing no4 and po4, manual blasting, and UV.

A year ago, a 5-day blackout in a QT tank helped. Now, I'm unsure whether to temporarily move corals to a QT tank with lights, heater, and air stone or leave them in the blacked-out tank?

Concerned about reintroducing dinos to the DT if corals are brought back from QT. Any advice?

Is a hydrogen peroxide dip necessary, and is it harmful to fish and inverts?

Thank you!

 

[randomfishdude]

You don't have to move anything. You can uncover the tank to feed the fish but that's all. After the blackout you just slowly ramp up ur lights over 30 days.
Also how dinos work is in the low nutrient enviorment they are able to take over the regular good stuff. So after you beat the dinos you still technically have them but they can't get a foothold again so no need to worry about re introducing.

 

[marcosnano]

You don't have to move anything. You can uncover the tank to feed the fish but that's all. After the blackout you just slowly ramp up ur lights over 30 days.
Also how dinos work is in the low nutrient enviorment they are able to take over the regular good stuff. So after you beat the dinos you still technically have them but they can't get a foothold again so no need to worry about re introducing.

Thanks, yeah it would be much easier not to move corals but I have some expensive ones and I'm afraid to risk them and leave them in dark.

So if I return corals from QT to DT, will dinos attached on corals repopulate in DT again?

 

[randomfishdude]

Thanks, yeah it would be much easier not to move corals but I have some expensive ones and I'm afraid to risk them and leave them in dark.

So if I return corals from QT to DT, will dinos attached on corals repopulate in DT again?

Nope... like I said before as soon as the good algae gets a good foothold you will be good.

That's kinda how I beat my dinos. I just started feeding a ton and slowly the rock started to turn back to green. Then in 2 weeks it was all gone. That was also after I did a 2 day blackout.

What caused mine was phos being at 0 so good stuff couldn't grow and the dinos took over.

Depending on how you got your dinos you could just put extra food in and solve it that way. As long as you don't mind looking at green algae and spending more on cuc.

 

[marcosnano]

I see.

But how come "good algae" will grow in darkness? And when shold I start cleaning those algae?

Nope... like I said before as soon as the good algae gets a good foothold you will be good.

That's kinda how I beat my dinos. I just started feeding a ton and slowly the rock started to turn back to green. Then in 2 weeks it was all gone. That was also after I did a 2 day blackout.

What caused mine was phos being at 0 so good stuff couldn't grow and the dinos took over.

Depending on how you got your dinos you could just put extra food in and solve it that way. As long as you don't mind looking at green algae and spending more on cuc.

 

[legionofdoon]

Turn your skimmer off and dose microbe lift special blend or PNS, they are similar products. I dose half a bottle wait a couple days dump the second half then followed by basically the supplied instructions for another bottle (the big ones) Keep your lights on. It's the only thing that's worked for me I've done it twice now with great results. It's photosynthetic and motile it will out compete the dinos pretty quickly. It will give you a high nitrate reading for awhile not sure why but I suspect it's nitrite interference and it smells horrible but it works.

 

[marcosnano]

Turn your skimmer off and dose microbe lift special blend or PNS, they are similar products. I dose half a bottle wait a couple days dump the second half then followed by basically the supplied instructions for another bottle (the big ones) Keep your lights on. It's the only thing that's worked for me I've done it twice now with great results. It's photosynthetic and motile it will out compete the dinos pretty quickly. It will give you a high nitrate reading for awhile not sure why but I suspect it's nitrite interference and it smells horrible but it works.

So no black outs, just add this product and it will beat dinos?

MICROBE-LIFT Xtreme for Salt and Fresh Water Home Aquariums, 8-Ounce,XTA08 https://a.co/d/grvfuY6

Isn't this anti-ammonia and anti-chlorine product, how come its beating dinos? I read tons of pages about beating dinos, never seen this method before.

 

[willieboy240]

Go to fb. Look up Mack’s reef dinoflagellates. There’s lots of information there.

 

[randomfishdude]

Do you know how you got dinos? Or what level is out of wack?

 

[a.t.t.r]

Try some iron to help the good algae. Helped big time with mine after trying EVERYTHJNF else. Also raise temp to 81-83

 

[marcosnano]

Try some iron to help the good algae. Helped big time with mine after trying EVERYTHJNF else. Also raise temp to 81-83

Tried with 82F and they slowed down for few days but they came back again.

As I said I tried 5 days blackout on my nano a year ago, after that I didn't see any algae problems for a least 9 months.

Now I just worry about corals. Should I move them to QT or not.

 

[a.t.t.r]

Tried with 82F and they slowed down for few days but they came back again.

As I said I tried 5 days blackout on my nano a year ago, after that I didn't see any algae problems for a least 9 months.

Now I just worry about corals. Should I move them to QT or not.

They will be ticked off but fine if they are healthy.

 

[AquaLogic]

Maybe add some waste away as well?

Waste-Away Time Release Gel - Large

Automatically and Continuously Released Waste-Away Bacteria! Dr. Tim's Waste Away Gel is specially designed to break down fish waste in the hard to reach areas of your reef tank. Waste-Away is a 100% natural bacterial additive that helps dissolve sludge and hidden wastes. Using Waste-Away will...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

 

[marcosnano]

Maybe add some waste away as well?

Waste-Away Time Release Gel - Large

Automatically and Continuously Released Waste-Away Bacteria! Dr. Tim's Waste Away Gel is specially designed to break down fish waste in the hard to reach areas of your reef tank. Waste-Away is a 100% natural bacterial additive that helps dissolve sludge and hidden wastes. Using Waste-Away will...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

Waste away lowers nitrates and phosphates but at the same time I have to increase those to beat dinos.

I don't get it?

 

[a.t.t.r]

Waste away lowers nitrates and phosphates but at the same time I have to increase those to beat dinos.

I don't get it?

It’s more about competition. That is the only reason you up the numbers is so you can grow things that will consume it INSTEAD of the Dino’s. Also waste away won’t remove it from the system unless you do it by mechanical means (skimmer/ very fine fingers) otherwise the bacteria will die and release it back into the tank.

 

[Budman93]

Hello reefers,

I'm dealing with a worsening dino issue, despite various attempts like increasing no4 and po4, manual blasting, and UV.

A year ago, a 5-day blackout in a QT tank helped. Now, I'm unsure whether to temporarily move corals to a QT tank with lights, heater, and air stone or leave them in the blacked-out tank?

Concerned about reintroducing dinos to the DT if corals are brought back from QT. Any advice?

Is a hydrogen peroxide dip necessary, and is it harmful to fish and inverts?

Thank you!

Also try bacteria dosing and increasing flow i dealt with them months back and have completely recovered.

 

[marcosnano]

It’s more about competition. That is the only reason you up the numbers is so you can grow things that will consume it INSTEAD of the Dino’s. Also waste away won’t remove it from the system unless you do it by mechanical means (skimmer/ very fine fingers) otherwise the bacteria will die and release it back into the tank.

Got it.

I already add MicroBacter 7 daily.

What about UV during dosing of Waste Away? It should be off per instructions but I need UV to kill those dinos.

 

[marcosnano]

It’s more about competition. That is the only reason you up the numbers is so you can grow things that will consume it INSTEAD of the Dino’s. Also waste away won’t remove it from the system unless you do it by mechanical means (skimmer/ very fine fingers) otherwise the bacteria will die and release it back into the tank.

Sorry, still confused. Why do I lower nutrients with waste away when I have to increase nutrients so I can grow competition.

 

[Miami Reef]

Can we back up for a second?

What species of dinos are you dealing with? Microscope pictures would help immensely.

 

[AquaLogic]

Sorry, still confused. Why do I lower nutrients with waste away when I have to increase nutrients so I can grow competition.

I think the idea is the “good” bacteria outcompeting the Dino’s for whatever nutrients are there. I don’t know if that will work or not, it was just an idea. I’m not an expert on bacteria by any stretch. I can’t, however, see that it could hurt. But once again, not an expert.