Dinoflagellates – Are You Tired Of Battling Altogether?

[Derek Clifford]

Update.
Microscope id is suspected to be prorocentrum. video posted here previously.

A little over 2 weeks using the UV. 24W on 350litre system ruuning triton.
Dinos are still growing on the sand bed. Its difficult to say if the rate growth has slowed. Growth has not reduced.
Phosphates are now detectable, barely but detectable. Nitrates are coming down, and it is expected due to the increase in phosphate.
I am removing my sandbed because the dinos are growing there and it kills some snails. If i limit the dinos growing I can keep the snail population up and help control the onset of other algae.
Noticing localised areas of green algae on rock and sand.

 

[mcarroll]

ULN....not for me.

Look at this thread (he says as you're looking at this thread ) – ULN is not for a lot of folks!!!

And even those kinda blurry smudges are enough to ID as ostreopsis

...with one eye behind his back! Er..

Thats what conclusion I am coming to.
Thank you!
I'm re-reading this thread....again... to figure out best route from here.

(I know you're already reading...)

Don't skip the link at the top to @taricha's "what's the end game" summary.

 

[mcarroll]

Update.
Microscope id is suspected to be prorocentrum. video posted here previously.

A little over 2 weeks using the UV. 24W on 350litre system ruuning triton.
Dinos are still growing on the sand bed. Its difficult to say if the rate growth has slowed. Growth has not reduced.
Phosphates are now detectable, barely but detectable. Nitrates are coming down, and it is expected due to the increase in phosphate.
I am removing my sandbed because the dinos are growing there and it kills some snails. If i limit the dinos growing I can keep the snail population up and help control the onset of other algae.
Noticing localised areas of green algae on rock and sand.

I take it you're dosing something for NO3 and maybe PO4. You really want to nail ≥ 0.10 ppm for PO4 and ≥ 5-10 ppm for NO3 to get the effect you're looking for.

You can test and dose more than once a day if you're finding values returning to zero like that. When only testing and dosing once per day, I've told folks to add +1.0 mL to your dose every time until you get a non-zero test result. It's better to get there sooner than later.

Once you've increased your dose enough for tests stop coming back zero, revert to performing calculated doses to maintain those levels above.

 

[sfin52]

Great posts everyone.

Finally got my best $9 investment for this battle I think, still working on photo skills.
Looks like rice to me.
Anyway, since I have no fish currently, I've been able to raise and keep nutrients pretty evenly stable with seachem for past week.
I have been siphoning all these nasties out, but still going.
Poor Turbos are covered in both cyano but seem pretty resilient.

No3 @ 6
Po4 @ .02

That looked like my snails

 

[sfin52]

No trace of Dino for 2-3 weeks it's all a blurr 6,200 in bed bug sales. A 39,000 sq ft building treated for fleas. 3 kids and some were along the way I saw a mountain lion as I drove home at 0200. Oh and I was waging war against the Dino plague. ;Hurting;Hurting

When is it advisable to start to do water changes again.

 

[ImpossibleKid]

No trace of Dino for 2-3 weeks it's all a blurr 6,200 in bed bug sales. A 39,000 sq ft building treated for fleas. 3 kids and some were along the way I saw a mountain lion as I drove home at 0200. Oh and I was waging war against the Dino plague. ;Hurting;Hurting

When is it advisable to start to do water changes again.

I did a water change about a week into my UV treatment and it didn't seem to help the dinos at all, but I too would like to know whether it is advisable or not.

 

[Derek Clifford]

I take it you're dosing something for NO3 and maybe PO4. You really want to nail ≥ 0.10 ppm for PO4 and ≥ 5-10 ppm for NO3 to get the effect you're looking for.

I haven't dosed anything yet. I have been overfeeding to try to increase phosphates. At this point it is taking longer than I would like, so dosing phosphate is something I am going to have to try.
Nitrates are above 16ppm as per red sea pro test. They have come down from approx 30ppm over maybe 3 months.

The phosphate source I can find easily in Ireland is JBL proscape P macroelements.
"supplementary phosphorus fertiliser for aquascaping aquariumsUse for high power light aquarium: 2 ml/100 l, for weakly lighted aquariums: 1 ml/100 lThriving plant growth, prevents phosphorus deficiency: contains additional plant-available potassium".
Is that something I can use and how would I calculate a dosage.

 

[Cscultho]

Fingers crossed i believe i have the upper hand on ostreopsis. Its been several weeks now and no visible signs of the stringy slime. I get the occasional bubbles popping up here and there but no out breaks. Not completely sure what the turning point was but elevated N&P along removing 99% of my SB may have been the turning point. But i also changed brands of salt and lowered my salinity from 1.026 down to 1.022 may have helped as well. Im now starting to introduce sand back into my system and ive notice the sand is turning green. Its a much better look than the slimy strings. Now i need to figure out how to get rid of the green from the SB. Ive attached before and after pics. The team on this site has helped me out so much with this frustrating battle. thanks guys and gals!!!!!!!!!

 

[Cscultho]

Also forgot to mention....I also added my own little algae factory in the back of the DT. I have one LR covered in algae sitting in the back corner and the algae is growing like crazy!

 

[Reefer1978]

And even those kinda blurry smudges are enough to ID as ostreopsis

Good eye!!!

 

[mcarroll]

When is it advisable to start to do water changes again.

Should be fine anytime you are comfortable. Provoking the bloom of the water change should be pretty rare. And the good you can do with a vigorous sand and rock blasting plus gravel vacuuming should outweigh any bad.

I did a water change about a week into my UV treatment and it didn't seem to help the dinos at all, but I too would like to know whether it is advisable or not.

Ditto.

Is that something I can use and how would I calculate a dosage.

Sounds perfect. There's a nitrate dosing calculator linked on the main page that you should look at.

With the phosphate additive, you have to follow the directions it comes with. If they are not clear, post here and we'll see if we can figure it out.

Now i need to figure out how to get rid of the green from the SB

Consider expanding your cleanup crew. Do you have Cerith nails?

Good eye!!!

Practice!

 

[sfin52]

@ImpossibleKid how is your battle going.
@mcarroll verry little sand left. Is advisable to increase the depth of sandbed.

 

[sfin52]

@Cscultho The end game, I think it's on page one , It talks about after Dino we have to increase cuc to clean up the algea production. I believe it also talks about that our tanks will continue to produce algea.

I remember reading old timers tanks used to be thought healthy if there was algea in the tank.

 

[taricha]

Without you, we might be up a creek ;Hilarious

heh thanks. Yall are kind.

Looks like rice to me.

Nah, ostreopsis is sesame seeds.
rice would be pennate diatoms.
Coolia is chickpeas.
cyano is spaghetti noodles
prorocentrum... ok I really need to stop now.

 

[mcarroll]

Nah, ostreopsis is sesame seeds.

Depends on the rice! Think short-grain sticky rice!

 

[tenurepro]

Ok - this will sound like I am ready to give up the battle all together, but I am committed to battle for a few weeks. But also curious about the ‘reset’ option. While fighting the good fight is noble, one must keep the fallacy of sunk cost in mind.

So here are some questions that I am hoping some would chime in on:
1) what are the prospects of moving sps and fish into a new temp tank without bringing in Dino for the ride?
Perhaps if I cut out my sps colonies (without getting life rock), rinse them really well several times (ie simulating a serial dilution)?
2) what would be the best way to disinfect display tank. If I get rid of rock and sand? Would bleach kill the cysts? Strong solution of hydrogen peroxide? Vinegar? Judo chop? Roundhouse kick to their prorocentrum?

 

[sfin52]

No water changes for me going on two months. Something in the salt made them grow like crazy. Filter water in 10 micron sock and put it back in the tank.

 

[reeferfoxx]

No water changes for me going on two months. Something in the salt made them grow like crazy. Filter water in 10 micron sock and put it back in the tank.

Trace elements can encourage growth.

 

[chefjpaul]

Ok - this will sound like I am ready to give up the battle all together, but I am committed to battle for a few weeks. But also curious about the ‘reset’ option. While fighting the good fight is noble, one must keep the fallacy of sunk cost in mind.

So here are some questions that I am hoping some would chime in on:
1) what are the prospects of moving sps and fish into a new temp tank without bringing in Dino for the ride?
Perhaps if I cut out my sps colonies (without getting life rock), rinse them really well several times (ie simulating a serial dilution)?
2) what would be the best way to disinfect display tank. If I get rid of rock and sand? Would bleach kill the cysts? Strong solution of hydrogen peroxide? Vinegar? Judo chop? Roundhouse kick to their prorocentrum?

Bust out the Katana.

Don't give the reset option thought yet, we need to stick together and win this battle.

 

[sfin52]

Only thing I've been dosing is mag, iodine and cal.