Dinos got me feeling defeated

[Reeferbo619]

Ongoing battle for 6 months now. It leaves at night comes back during photo period. It lives on back glass and some rocks. Feel like I've tried every method in the book. Phosguard, Vibrant, dr tim waste away/re-fresh, 3 day blackout, UV strilizer, Daily manual removal, less light intensity, shortened light period, San sifting goby, microscoped it and had 2 different types. I tried leaving sand bed alone and allowing nutrients to build and it gotten worse, changed filter socks daily, filter pad inside display. I was recommended just now by a friend to take out entire sand bed and let flow for a week before introducing a new sand bed. Thoughts? concerns? advice? anything would be appreciated.

 

[Billldg]

I took drastic measures to get rid on my dino's. I pulled out all of my fish, drained 100 percent of the water. Replaced 100 percent of the sand, and then put in new saltwater and had the fish back within a week. The lesson I learned was to A: to not take N03 and P04 lightly, and B: I will use, partially, live rock on my upgrade as dino's was not as common when using live rock. I did the change in a day.

DO NOT LET IT GET YOU DOWN!!!

It can be defeated, and you have to understand that very thing. It can be defeated and you WILL defeat it. I went thru the same thing you are going thru, so I do understand. I do know that when I did defeat it, I felt like a million bucks afterward as corals just took off.

 

[Spare time]

Do NOT take out the sand bed. That will make it worse. Dinos are typically caused by a disturbance to the biofilter or from 0 nitrate/phosphate. If those are 0 for you, dose some neonitro or neophos to help.

 

[Reeferbo619]

I feel you brother, I feel like that might be the move for me. I let my nitrates and phosphates bottom out. After picking them back up by dosing neophos and neonitro the problem continued. I started with dry rock, would it be smart to pick up some new live rock and add it to the tank?

 

[Reeferbo619]

Do NOT take out the sand bed. That will make it worse. Dinos are typically caused by a disturbance to the biofilter or from 0 nitrate/phosphate. If those are 0 for you, dose some neonitro or neophos to help.

I dosed picked them both up and although the dinos have took a step back. it seems like nothing I do eliminates them

 

[sixty_reefer]

I dosed picked them both up and although the dinos have took a step back. it seems like nothing I do eliminates them

Have you tested your ro for silica yet?

 

[Reeferbo619]

Have you tested your ro for silica yet?

No I havent how do I do so

 

[sixty_reefer]

By icp or salifer test kit, some dinoflagellates do feed and thrive on silica.

 

[Meatball_reef]

Try dosing silica. Thats the only thing that did it for me. I used brightwell's spongexcel. Took a few months.

I've never heard of dinos that thrive on silica. You may be thinking of diatoms sixty reefer. Look through this thread.

Amphidinium Dinoflagellate Treatment Methods

This thread is a spin-off from the @mcarroll very successful Dino thread The purpose is to discuss methods for removal and fighting against a particular strain of dinoflagellate - Large Cell Amphidinium. It seems to make up about a third of the cases of dinos. The reason this strain gets its...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Mastiffsrule]

I took drastic measures to get rid on my dino's. I pulled out all of my fish, drained 100 percent of the water. Replaced 100 percent of the sand, and then put in new saltwater and had the fish back within a week. The lesson I learned was to A: to not take N03 and P04 lightly, and B: I will use, partially, live rock on my upgrade as dino's was not as common when using live rock. I did the change in a day.

DO NOT LET IT GET YOU DOWN!!!

It can be defeated, and you have to understand that very thing. It can be defeated and you WILL defeat it. I went thru the same thing you are going thru, so I do understand. I do know that when I did defeat it, I felt like a million bucks afterward as corals just took off.

hi,

It is not the end all, and can be beat like bill said. When you beat it you will feel great.

What size is your tank. You may be able to do a full rip clean like he is mentioning with not much intrusion Into daily operation.

 

[Reeferbo619]

my tank is 100gallon with a 60 gallon sump

 

[Scdell]

How old is the tank???? Quit throwing everything but the kitchen sink at your tank. Things take time to settle down. Patience. And quit dosing Vibrant. It works but it's not the cure all. Vibrant will stay for months in your tank after you stop dosing it.

 

[robertifly]

Ongoing battle for 6 months now. It leaves at night comes back during photo period. It lives on back glass and some rocks. Feel like I've tried every method in the book. Phosguard, Vibrant, dr tim waste away/re-fresh, 3 day blackout, UV strilizer, Daily manual removal, less light intensity, shortened light period, San sifting goby, microscoped it and had 2 different types. I tried leaving sand bed alone and allowing nutrients to build and it gotten worse, changed filter socks daily, filter pad inside display. I was recommended just now by a friend to take out entire sand bed and let flow for a week before introducing a new sand bed. Thoughts? concerns? advice? anything would be appreciated.

I fought that battle for about 9-12 months in the end I believe Vibrant was my salvation if recommended dosage isn't doing the job increase what you dose I didn't see any downside to that, change filter socks daily, good luck!

 

[Marvollo]

Hang in there, I am having a battle as well. It's tough but I am using vibrant as well with some luck. I did end up losing some large snails which caused a nitrate spike.

 

[Reeferbo619]

How old is the tank???? Quit throwing everything but the kitchen sink at your tank. Things take time to settle down. Patience. And quit dosing Vibrant. It works but it's not the cure all. Vibrant will stay for months in your tank after you stop dosing it.

I've been at this battle for 6 months now the tank is 2+ years old. whats your best advice

 

[Reeferbo619]

i've lost a fox face, flame angel, leapord wrasse, bangaii.. pretty much my entire live stock was wiped out

 

[Randomwhiteguy89]

I’ve been there before man it’s a hard battle I to went off the deep end trying everything with no luck what ended up fixing it for me was I added 25 lbs of established live rock raised my nitrate levels and started dosing vibrant I know some people might not like it but it’s what worked for me I started slow with the recommended dose then stepped it up to 3/4 doses twice a week instead of a full dose once a week and 6 weeks later it was gone it’s not going to disappear instantly I didn’t see a real change till about the 3 week mark

 

[amazongb]

Try dosing silica. Thats the only thing that did it for me. I used brightwell's spongexcel. Took a few months.

I've never heard of dinos that thrive on silica. You may be thinking of diatoms sixty reefer. Look through this thread.

Amphidinium Dinoflagellate Treatment Methods

This thread is a spin-off from the @mcarroll very successful Dino thread The purpose is to discuss methods for removal and fighting against a particular strain of dinoflagellate - Large Cell Amphidinium. It seems to make up about a third of the cases of dinos. The reason this strain gets its...

www.reef2reef.com

I think OP might be talking about chrysophytes, which are close in appearance (brown slime), but not dinos.. Under a microscope, chrysophytes lack the flagellate and are stationary. I had chrysophytes due to silicates in my RO water, and it's an ugly beast. Took about six mos to rid my tank of them..

 

[sixty_reefer]

Try dosing silica. Thats the only thing that did it for me. I used brightwell's spongexcel. Took a few months.

I've never heard of dinos that thrive on silica. You may be thinking of diatoms sixty reefer. Look through this thread.

Amphidinium Dinoflagellate Treatment Methods

This thread is a spin-off from the @mcarroll very successful Dino thread The purpose is to discuss methods for removal and fighting against a particular strain of dinoflagellate - Large Cell Amphidinium. It seems to make up about a third of the cases of dinos. The reason this strain gets its...

www.reef2reef.com

Yes, lol diatoms can be confused with dinoflagellates as they can look similar visually. Not sure if the op looked at them under a microscope yet. But if silica is not present then yeah dosing silica can eradicate some species of dinoflagellates.

Silica In Reef Aquariums

Why would I recommend dosing silica? Largely because creatures in our tanks use it, the concentrations in our tanks (at least in mine) are below natural levels, and the sponges, mollusks, and diatoms may not be getting enough to thrive.

reefs.com

 

[Viking_Reefing]

Did you start with dead rock and how old is the tank?
got a complete breakdown of your parameters? Like a ICP test or something?
Also, a couple of picture of your setup always helps.