Dinoflagellates – Are You Tired Of Battling Altogether?

[mcarroll]

@Denisk @angusii @Sebae @Derek Clifford

Keeping PO4 and NO3 levels (i.e. dissolved nutrients) elevated into the 0.10 ppm and 10 ppm (respectively) range is important under these circumstances for lots of reasons.

In many (most? all?) cases, either one being unavailable is a direct trigger for dino's to turn toxic and heterotrophic, so that's usually at the top of the list of reasons.

But dissolved nutrients are also used by a host of other critters, including corals, good algae and phytoplankton and many other microbes.

They will all need this resource to stage a recovery.

That includes that dino's themselves.

Arguably their recovery has to come first. That is how future dino generations are disinclined toward their malevolent toxic-heterotrophic selves and instead are inclined toward their benign autotrophic selves where they just exist invisibly in relative peace.

Lastly, but not "leastly" is the dino bloom's after-effect on the tank. Every armored cell take A LOT of nitrate and phosphate to break down under normal bacterial action. So it shouldn't be any suprise that a tank can consume A LOT of N and P when you're dosing. It may primarily be bacteria using it to go to work on all that dino-armor that is leftover after every bloom.

Check back to the main page as there are several good links and other info there to help you get started!

 

[Sebae]

I believe mine paled out, but from a drastic drop in nutrients. I have a ton of gha right now and sps are just barely starting to color up, but they are, the montis didnt get phased at all

This sounds similar to my situation. Pale acros, most of the montis are fine and growing just slowly, and my stylos are fully colored but not growing at all. I’ve been keeping my phosphate at .03-.1 with dosing but now that I’m just feeding like mad it’s above the range of my checker (so it’s at least 0.6 mg/l!). I’m starting to see a little green and cyano so hopefully I’ll see a turn soon for both algae and SPS.

 

[sfin52]

Which bacterial blend did you add?

Dr. Tims waste away is what's I added.

 

[tdg0910]

Can I play? I would appreciate help identifying what I think are dinoflagellates (tho hoped for diatoms)

These are my microscope videos- Low mag shows some stationary organisms, some that move like bumper cars and a few that seem to spin on their axis.
The high mag is a cluster of organisms that I happened to find.

@taricha , @mcarroll and others- what do you think I am dealing with here? I'd like to start a course of treatment as soon.

Thx in advance!

Those are good videos. What’s the microscope you’re using?

 

[alyee5]

Nothing fancy (compared to the optical and electron emission microscopes I used in grad school)...

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006FCI0G8/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It does an ok job...I probably would have preferred a mechanical stage if I had to do it over.

 

[Derek Clifford]

Which bacterial blend did you add?

Fauna Marin Bacto reef blend and Ultra Bak

 

[mcarroll]

@alyee5 Those are amazing pics for a fairly basic scope (says the guy with a $10 toy scope ). Wow!!

Thank you for posting those!!

(This is the scope...just a little over $100:

40X-1000X Biology Science Metal Glass Student Microscope with USB Digital Camera, Among the Awarded Top 10 Microscopes 2016
SKU: M158C-E)

 

[Sebae]

This video with Mike Paletta hits the nail on the head (posted Friday). Exact issues I've had not sure how to link a video but the link is below. He also had dinos.

(The Paletta ELOS SPS Dominated Show Tank - 12 Months of Hell - Growing SPS Coral)

 

[Hamm Corals]

I've had dinos for over 6 months now, and I plan on doing a black out for 3 days. During those three days should I turn off my ca and alk dosing?

 

[Sebae]

I've had dinos for over 6 months now, and I plan on doing a black out for 3 days. During those three days should I turn off my ca and alk dosing?

During my blackouts I turned off dosing and didn't really notice alk decrease significantly. I would turn the dosing pumps off but test during the blackout to be safe.

 

[sfin52]

Black outs tend not to work. The first thing is to take off line any gfo. Also stop carbon dosing if any is being done. Phytoplankton can be consumed by Dino's. Identifying these beasts is a must.

 

[sebastiaan1985]

Seems like a lot of people are battling dino's at the moment, or I am just more aware, since I am now one of them...

Here are a few pics of my enemy :

The camera that is mounted on the microscope in our lab is not showing colour, but using the optics clearly showed they are green, also the 'tail' seems to be moving and propelling the cell forward..
Does anybody know which type of Dino these are and how to battle them? Already started dosing Nitrate and Phosphate, since they have been undetectable. Took GFO, Carbon and NoPoX offline.

 

[Beardo]

Seems like a lot of people are battling dino's at the moment, or I am just more aware, since I am now one of them...

Here are a few pics of my enemy :

The camera that is mounted on the microscope in our lab is not showing colour, but using the optics clearly showed they are green, also the 'tail' seems to be moving and propelling the cell forward..
Does anybody know which type of Dino these are and how to battle them? Already started dosing Nitrate and Phosphate, since they have been undetectable. Took GFO, Carbon and NoPoX offline.

I would say they are Prorocentrum

 

[sfin52]

I think a lot of people are dealing with Dino's. In part I think it has to do with controlling and limiting nutireients in the water.

 

[sebastiaan1985]

I would say they are Prorocentrum

Thanks for the ID, any specific treatment for these?

 

[sfin52]

Are you running any nitrates and phosphates reducers or carbon dosing. If you are take off line.

 

[sfin52]

@taricha @mcarroll what strain of Dino are uv able to help treat?

I would not perform water changes just top off. If you want to do a water change use a 10micron sock and run water through that into a bucket and put the water back . Salt will add trace elements into the tank were Dino's will use them.

 

[Beardo]

Thanks for the ID, any specific treatment for these?

For myself, an appropriately sized UV (around 2 gal/watt) with slow flow in conjunction with blasting the rocks with a powerhead after lights out took care of the Prorocentrum (as well as Ostreopsis and Coolia). I also maintained phosphates and nitrates at the levels recommended in this thread

 

[sfin52]

Agreed blowing off the rocks is a great way to help deal with Dino

 

[tenurepro]

I would say they are Prorocentrum

I second that ID; I am battling with these beasties right now... i was skeptical and considering a reset last week, but it’s been looking very promising over the past few days. I added a uv, start started dosing flourish phosphorus (my nitrates ever moderate but had zero phosphates), reduced photoperiod by two hours, and did water changes, siphoning parts of my sand bed each time.
While it hasn’t been eliminated, the Dino buildup is getting noticeably smaller and smaller