Water change with Dinos

[CoralClasher]

Ok I've been fighting Dinos for a long time now. I haven't done a water change in three weeks and I want to do a large WC this weekend I'm wondering if mixing new saltwater and adding phosphate, nitrogen and bacteria is a good idea? Or what actually makes the Dinos bloom after WC? I've been keeping up with water testing and adding phosphate and nitrogen as needed.

 

[saltyhog]

I certainly don't think it would hurt to dose PO4 and NO3 in your new water. I never saw water changes have an appreciable affect on my dino problem It would make the tank look better for about 2 hours and then it would come back just like before.

Have you got an ID on which species you have?

 

[CoralClasher]

I certainly don't think it would hurt to dose PO4 and NO3 in your new water. I never saw water changes have an appreciable affect on my dino problem It would make the tank look better for about 2 hours and then it would come back just like before.

Have you got an ID on which species you have?

I haven't got a positive ID from anyone. I'm pretty sure ostreopsis. They only grow on the glass. I started a deep sand bed refugium a month ago and sand still looks very clean.

 

[dwest]

I haven't got a positive ID from anyone. I'm pretty sure ostreopsis. They only grow on the glass. I started a deep sand bed refugium a month ago and sand still looks very clean.

Yes, ostreopsis. Have you tried an UV?

 

[CoralClasher]

I tried a cheep UV from Petco didn't seem to help as much as the magnum polisher with diotom powder.

 

[CoralClasher]

I've gotten good at cleaning up the Dinos but the just come back

 

[CoralClasher]

I thought I was Dino free before starting the refugium but I was wrong. I'm sure the refugium made them bloom and now they are starting to go away again.

 

[dwest]

I tried a cheep UV from Petco didn't seem to help as much as the magnum polisher with diotom powder.

We have learned that if you use at least 1 watt of uv per every 3 gallons of tank water, plumber from DT back to DT, with about 1-3 tank volumes per hour running through it, ostreopsis gets eradicated.

 

[MrObscura]

In just guessing byt I think the problem with dinos and waterchanges is that it reduces no3 and po4 which you don't want to do.

There's no point in doing a waterchange just to dose what you're taking out, just skip the WC.

I beat dinos by feeding the hell out of my tank and not cleaning a dang thing. Couldn't even see through the glass by the end.

 

[CoralClasher]

Yeah I might need to go with a better UV. So for a 120 gallon and 55 sump a 50 watt UV should be good? Any brand UV better than others? What about buying another cheep UV from Petco and run both? The directions for the UV I have says only run for 8 hours at a time.

 

[CoralClasher]

In just guessing byt I think the problem with dinos and waterchanges is that it reduces no3 and po4 which you don't want to do.

There's no point in doing a waterchange just to dose what you're taking out, just skip the WC.

I beat dinos by feeding the hell out of my tank and not cleaning a dang thing. Couldn't even see through the glass by the end.

I don't have a good reason for the WC I'm adding phosphate and nitrogen daily and I have the fattest fish I have ever seen. I'm seeing some color loss in the plate corals and thought maybe the Dinos are consuming some trace elements and starving the corals?

 

[dwest]

Yeah I might need to go with a better UV. So for a 120 gallon and 55 sump a 50 watt UV should be good? Any brand UV better than others? What about buying another cheep UV from Petco and run both? The directions for the UV I have says only run for 8 hours at a time.

A 50 watt uv would be the minimum. Unfortunately UV systems are like lots of other things, as in you get you pay for. Myself and others have used jebao units. They are big and clunky, but effective. There have also been reports of them degrading their housing after some time. I did find black pieces inside my housing after 6 months of use, but it still operated fine. You can get a 55 watt version for less than $100 on amazon.

Since I believe I will use UV for the long haul, I am now using an aqua uv 57 watt version. More in the $400-500 range.

Unless the total of the Petco versions are more than 50 watts, I wouldn’t bother. If I were you I would try jebao.

Keep in mind, that this will kill the ostreopsis, but you still need to keep nutrients measurable to encourage growth of competitors.

 

[dwest]

I don't have a good reason for the WC I'm adding phosphate and nitrogen daily and I have the fattest fish I have ever seen. I'm seeing some color loss in the plate corals and thought maybe the Dinos are consuming some trace elements and starving the corals?

Your color loss could also be due to dino toxins. I would make sure to run a GAC and replace it weekly until you wipe out the dinos.

IME, water changes didn’t matter. However, many have reported otherwise.

If it were my tank, I would run GAC, add the appropriate UV, keep nitrates and phosphates measurable, and add biodiversity (small liverock pieces if I could get some). I’d also do my normal wc schedule. Good luck.

 

[dwest]

Yeah I might need to go with a better UV. So for a 120 gallon and 55 sump a 50 watt UV should be good? Any brand UV better than others? What about buying another cheep UV from Petco and run both? The directions for the UV I have says only run for 8 hours at a time.

run UV 24/7. Typical UV instructions aren’t very helpful with dinos.

 

[CoralClasher]

Three days ago I couldn't hardly see through the glass now only 20% of the Dinos I see have color to them. So I'm thinking I have something in the tank that is eating them. Haven't ran the cheep UV in three weeks.

 

[dwest]

Three days ago I couldn't hardly see through the glass now only 20% of the Dinos I see have color to them. So I'm thinking I have something in the tank that is eating them. Haven't ran the cheep UV in three weeks.

Looks good Jon. Maybe you should keep on doing what you are doing then. You can have the bigger UV as a plan B. Certainly a natural cure is best! I would still run some GAC to remove toxins however. Report back.

 

[CoralClasher]

Yes I change the small bag of carbon weekly. Haven't ran the skimmer since the refugium install and no GFO or carbon dosing!!!

 

[CoralClasher]

I've been to this point of Dinos starting to go away before then I go nuts cleaning the glass and blowing the rocks. Should I wait longer before cleaning the glass?

 

[ReefWithCare]

10-12 GPH per watt for max effective. Go with a Vecton V2 for UV.

I had the same Dinos. UV keep them from going nuts, but it was added biodiversity that wiped them out. I used Indo Pacific Sea Farms live sand activator and it wipe them out. Next time I’ll just cure live rock.

I do the same thing - I dose after a water change because my levels get too low. I have overkill filtration and not enough fish. I WC for trace elements etc.

 

[CoralClasher]

One more question kinda off topic. Do I need to add pods monthly if I'm seeing lots of them and don't have any fish that eats them?