Do you calculate total volume system or just Display when trying to configure 3 gallons per watt with the UV?
Dinoflagellates – Are You Tired Of Battling Altogether?
- Thread starter mcarroll
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I'm waiting on my microscope to come in to test this algae.
One thing i noticed is, it lifts off of the sand in a matte when i scrape it with my net. I'm starting to lean towards diatoms due to the fact i've read dinos stick to surface?
One thing i noticed is, it lifts off of the sand in a matte when i scrape it with my net. I'm starting to lean towards diatoms due to the fact i've read dinos stick to surface?
Having a "mat" sounds more like cyano to me.
Here are the stinks I'm struggling with.
I installed the uv lamp directly into the display tank. It's 18w on 90gallons. Not enough but better then nothing.
I raised nutrients no3 5-10 po4 0.07
Every night I vacuum them through a clariesea filter and blow the rest with a stream pump.
I dose zeobak every day like 3 drops. Since dinos outbreak start.
What else can I do to get rid of this temptation faster.
Thanks for your help
I installed the uv lamp directly into the display tank. It's 18w on 90gallons. Not enough but better then nothing.
I raised nutrients no3 5-10 po4 0.07
Every night I vacuum them through a clariesea filter and blow the rest with a stream pump.
I dose zeobak every day like 3 drops. Since dinos outbreak start.
What else can I do to get rid of this temptation faster.
Thanks for your help
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That UV is better than nothing for sure, but to answer your question about "getting rid of faster" it is really all about UV for this species (ostreopsis).
If that is not feasible, you can hang some filter floss sheets in areas of the tank with high light and high flow. Ostreopsis will cling to the sheets. Rinse with fresh water each evening before lights go down.
It is also advised to run some granular activated carbon to help remove toxins; this species is particularly toxic. Plus, they smell bad.
kinetic
Valuable Member
My UV has always been plumbed to my sump (I wasn't using it for Dinos) so I just turned it on when I confirmed I had ostreopsis with a microscope.
It worked great even though it wasn't a direct closed loop with the DT.
My tank is small though, a reefer 170 with less than 40g total water volume I'm guessing.
It worked great even though it wasn't a direct closed loop with the DT.
My tank is small though, a reefer 170 with less than 40g total water volume I'm guessing.
Just turned my whites off on my lights for 2 days and also dosed nitrate. Dinos appear to be almost gone
BostonReefer300
Valuable Member
Well, folks, I'm back with a new Dino problem. My previous prorocentrum infestation has mostly subsided. After doing the dirty tank method, I got a huge algae and cyano outbreak while only somewhat attenuating the dinos. I did numerous big water changes and started GFO again a few weeks ago, then have been doing ~12% WCs twice weekly since then plus regular dosing of Vibrant and Microbacter7, keeping my carbon/GFO fresh, and running UV on low flow. The algae and cyano has been receding as have the dinos. PO4 has been steady around 0.05 ppm and NO3 around 2-4 ppm. So, all trending in the right direction as of two days ago.
Then yesterday I looked in my tank and everything is covered in stringy brown goop. Pic attached showing a couple frags covered with it.
Microscope picture is below and it appears now to be primarily Ostreopsis with some Prorocentrum thrown in. (Sorry it's a fuzzy picture---the little buggers were moving fast)
My corals are suffering badly and I'm so mad that I'm almost ready to tear down my tank and sell everything. After 10 years of reefing and never having to deal with dinos, I have now spent almost 5 months battling the things unsuccessfully. I guess I'll go back to the dirty tank method again and try to plumb the UV in a closed loop directly in the DT somehow. I just know that this is going to result in a huge algae and cyano outbreak again---which also hurts my corals, but probably less so than the dinos. Honestly, I'm just so frustrated and this just seems hopeless.
Then yesterday I looked in my tank and everything is covered in stringy brown goop. Pic attached showing a couple frags covered with it.
Microscope picture is below and it appears now to be primarily Ostreopsis with some Prorocentrum thrown in. (Sorry it's a fuzzy picture---the little buggers were moving fast)
My corals are suffering badly and I'm so mad that I'm almost ready to tear down my tank and sell everything. After 10 years of reefing and never having to deal with dinos, I have now spent almost 5 months battling the things unsuccessfully. I guess I'll go back to the dirty tank method again and try to plumb the UV in a closed loop directly in the DT somehow. I just know that this is going to result in a huge algae and cyano outbreak again---which also hurts my corals, but probably less so than the dinos. Honestly, I'm just so frustrated and this just seems hopeless.
Have you tried raising nitrates Method
Well, folks, I'm back with a new Dino problem. My previous prorocentrum infestation has mostly subsided. After doing the dirty tank method, I got a huge algae and cyano outbreak while only somewhat attenuating the dinos. I did numerous big water changes and started GFO again a few weeks ago, then have been doing ~12% WCs twice weekly since then plus regular dosing of Vibrant and Microbacter7, keeping my carbon/GFO fresh, and running UV on low flow. The algae and cyano has been receding as have the dinos. PO4 has been steady around 0.05 ppm and NO3 around 2-4 ppm. So, all trending in the right direction as of two days ago.
Then yesterday I looked in my tank and everything is covered in stringy brown goop. Pic attached showing a couple frags covered with it.
Microscope picture is below and it appears now to be primarily Ostreopsis with some Prorocentrum thrown in. (Sorry it's a fuzzy picture---the little buggers were moving fast)
My corals are suffering badly and I'm so mad that I'm almost ready to tear down my tank and sell everything. After 10 years of reefing and never having to deal with dinos, I have now spent almost 5 months battling the things unsuccessfully. I guess I'll go back to the dirty tank method again and try to plumb the UV in a closed loop directly in the DT somehow. I just know that this is going to result in a huge algae and cyano outbreak again---which also hurts my corals, but probably less so than the dinos. Honestly, I'm just so frustrated and this just seems hopeless.
BostonReefer300
Valuable Member
Thanks yes---that's the dirty tank method I was referring to unless you mean something else
Totally your call on where to go from here.Well, folks, I'm back with a new Dino problem. My previous prorocentrum infestation has mostly subsided. After doing the dirty tank method, I got a huge algae and cyano outbreak while only somewhat attenuating the dinos. I did numerous big water changes and started GFO again a few weeks ago, then have been doing ~12% WCs twice weekly since then plus regular dosing of Vibrant and Microbacter7, keeping my carbon/GFO fresh, and running UV on low flow. The algae and cyano has been receding as have the dinos. PO4 has been steady around 0.05 ppm and NO3 around 2-4 ppm. So, all trending in the right direction as of two days ago.
Then yesterday I looked in my tank and everything is covered in stringy brown goop. Pic attached showing a couple frags covered with it.
Microscope picture is below and it appears now to be primarily Ostreopsis with some Prorocentrum thrown in. (Sorry it's a fuzzy picture---the little buggers were moving fast)
My corals are suffering badly and I'm so mad that I'm almost ready to tear down my tank and sell everything. After 10 years of reefing and never having to deal with dinos, I have now spent almost 5 months battling the things unsuccessfully. I guess I'll go back to the dirty tank method again and try to plumb the UV in a closed loop directly in the DT somehow. I just know that this is going to result in a huge algae and cyano outbreak again---which also hurts my corals, but probably less so than the dinos. Honestly, I'm just so frustrated and this just seems hopeless.
I will just suggest that "dirty tank method" isn't synonymous with the low nutrients you report, nor GFO usage, nor "numerous big water changes", nor "12% twice weekly WCs".
A safe transition from "dirty" to "clean" takes many many months. Otherwise you just end up with dinos. The same will hold true next time. I would not bail out; instead just slow down. Your call.
BostonReefer300
Valuable Member
Thanks sorry I should have been clearer...I transitioned away from the dirty tank method because of the algae/cyano problems. That's when I started with the intensive WCs, GFO, etc because the algae/cyano got so bad so quickly and my corals were suffering from that too. I guess I'll go back to dirty tank again for a month---but maybe not so dirty this time so the algae/cyano doesn't explode---and see what happens. I'll also do a temporary plumbing change to do the UV directly in the DT. It'll look terrible, but right now everything in the tank looks terrible anyway. I'm probably going to lose most of my coral during this and I'm sick about that. It looks like a few pieces are already on their last legs. Ugh. Ostreopsis really is toxic I guess.
I think the GFO was the main contributor, having been through the proprocentrium battle myself. I will never use a medium again. I’m now 2 years out from my battle, run a hight nutrient (.1 po4, 10 nitrate) stable system and am growing all corals like crazy.Well, folks, I'm back with a new Dino problem. My previous prorocentrum infestation has mostly subsided. After doing the dirty tank method, I got a huge algae and cyano outbreak while only somewhat attenuating the dinos. I did numerous big water changes and started GFO again a few weeks ago, then have been doing ~12% WCs twice weekly since then plus regular dosing of Vibrant and Microbacter7, keeping my carbon/GFO fresh, and running UV on low flow. The algae and cyano has been receding as have the dinos. PO4 has been steady around 0.05 ppm and NO3 around 2-4 ppm. So, all trending in the right direction as of two days ago.
Then yesterday I looked in my tank and everything is covered in stringy brown goop. Pic attached showing a couple frags covered with it.
Microscope picture is below and it appears now to be primarily Ostreopsis with some Prorocentrum thrown in. (Sorry it's a fuzzy picture---the little buggers were moving fast)
My corals are suffering badly and I'm so mad that I'm almost ready to tear down my tank and sell everything. After 10 years of reefing and never having to deal with dinos, I have now spent almost 5 months battling the things unsuccessfully. I guess I'll go back to the dirty tank method again and try to plumb the UV in a closed loop directly in the DT somehow. I just know that this is going to result in a huge algae and cyano outbreak again---which also hurts my corals, but probably less so than the dinos. Honestly, I'm just so frustrated and this just seems hopeless.
BostonReefer300
Valuable Member
Thank you. I agree that the GFO and the aggressive water changes used to battle the algae/cyano led to the new dino outbreak. Unlike others, I can't seem to find the conditions where the tank is "dirty" enough to allow enough competition against Dinos but not so dirty that the algae/cyano gets out of control and becomes its own problem. Some would say that your 10ppm NO3 and 0.1ppm PO4 is even too low, but those measured levels in my tank would quickly turn everything hairy, red, and green in a major way. I'll try inching my way up on nutrient levels carefully and slowly I guess and try to find my tank's sweet spot that way. BTW, do you dose NO3 and PO4 or do you just rely on feeding? Many Thanks
Every biome is a bit different and the factors are numerous and warrant a doctoral dissertation or two. Cyano and GHA are ugly but... better.
Inching your way is the call. Try to balance nutrient with your CUC and herbivore fish consumption. Easier in bigger tanks as proper tang selection can make all the difference in the world. Zebrasoma tangs rule. One spot foxface equal. Sadly they grow huge; mine are moving but I will replace them with juveniles.
BostonReefer300
Valuable Member
Thanks I am giving it a go. And my big CUC and my 5 herbivorous fish should all be pretty fat in a month! Just installed the temporary UV setup in my DT on low flow (~250 gph). Fingers crossed
Sounds like a promising strategy. Expect it to take some time to get all the little microbiome critters back into balance. Akin to the uglies phase.
Forgot to answer your question about dosing versus feeding. In the short run, dosing. In the long run, fish poo. Avoid amino acids for a LONG time. They cause my dinos to explode. Phyto is fine after maybe a short break. Some even use phyto as part of the treatment plan particularly for LC amphidinium.
Gup
Active Member
I mentioned this product several times on different words about dinos and how to put a quick end to that. I started my 55 gallon high in January, I had the inevitable dinos months later. I purchased a bottle of DinoX as a last resort since no one on reef2reef ever mentioned it. Admittedly, I was nervous. I don't know anyone that's ever used it, but it was worth a shot. Believe me, turn your lights out, use DinoX as directed. The brownies will disappear in a couple short weeks.
It's disingenuous to say that no one on reef2reef ever mentioned it. It's all over this thread, and all over the forum. Just use the search function and you will see.
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