Reefing since the 90s……Now first time DINOS!

[Glenner’sreef]

What to do??? I never had to read up on the topic because I never encountered it. Now I’m crash-coursing it so I don’t lose corals,fish or inverts.
As you all know there’s a lot of well meaning reef folks giving advice. I’m one of them. But I want this issue diagnosed once. I should have posted this 4 days ago when it all started. But hopefully “better late than never”. My first research on the subject was Reef2reef posts. And I’ve somewhat have my head around the topic now.
1. Tomorrow, a friend is bringing me a microscope to figure out what type of Dinos.
2. I’ve turned off my white lights and am running blues for 6 hours daily. Thanks @vetteguy53081 (I believe)
3. Added new carbon, against toxicity.
4. Added Microbacter7.
5. Added Reef Actif to feed good bacteria.
6. Not cleaning my glass so film algae will compete against dinos.

Numbers 2-6 seemed harmless even before discovering the type of dinos I have.

Nitrates. 3 Usually 40
Phosphates. 30 Usually .80

Beautiful tank, good growth. Go figure?

I do have a UV with a new bulb running.
Sorry about below photos being blue. My whites are off.
What am I missing??? Thanks!

 

[Lavey29]

You won't really be able to know until you use the microscope. Need better pics to assess also. First steps you are taking are fine.

 

[vetteguy53081]

What to do??? I never had to read up on the topic because I never encountered it. Now I’m crash-coursing it so I don’t lose corals,fish or inverts.
As you all know there’s a lot of well meaning reef folks giving advice. I’m one of them. But I want this issue diagnosed once. I should have posted this 4 days ago when it all started. But hopefully “better late than never”. My first research on the subject was Reef2reef posts. And I’ve somewhat have my head around the topic now.
1. Tomorrow, a friend is bringing me a microscope to figure out what type of Dinos.
2. I’ve turned off my white lights and am running blues for 6 hours daily. Thanks @vetteguy53081 (I believe)
3. Added new carbon, against toxicity.
4. Added Microbacter7.
5. Added Reef Actif to feed good bacteria.
6. Not cleaning my glass so film algae will compete against dinos.

Numbers 2-6 seemed harmless even before discovering the type of dinos I have.

Nitrates. 3 Usually 40
Phosphates. 30 Usually .80

Beautiful tank, good growth. Go figure?

I do have a UV with a new bulb running.
Sorry about below photos being blue. My whites are off.
What am I missing??? Thanks!

Its biological deficiencies that are causing the dino structure and Its important though to identify the type of dino for most effective battle. When we see zero readings, automatically we assume this is the cause but by the time you see zero numbers, its because the dino has consumed the po4 and no3 and are multiplying and in turn many dose no3 and po4 to bring numbers up not realizing they are feeding these flagellates even more.
No light is first key followed by the addition of bacteria to overcome the bad bacteria allowing them to thrive
Prepare by starting by blowing this stuff loose with a turkey baster and siphon up loose particles. Turn lights off (at least white and run blue at 10% IF you have light dependant corals such as SPS) for 5 days and at night dose 1ml of 3% hydrogen peroxide per 10 gallons for all 5 nights which works as an oxidizer. If you dont have light dependent coral- turn all lights off. During the day dose 1ml of liquid bacteria (such as micro bacter 7 or XLM) per 10 gallons. Clean filters daily and DO NOT FEED AMINO OR ADD NOPOX which is food for dinos, however you can feed coral, food which will help no3 and po4 to increase. If increasing nutrients, try to keep no3 to about 5 until you are done battling these cells.
Doing a daily siphoning will help greatly But . . . . . Siphoning will reduce nutrients , so siphon the water into/through a filter sock and save the water and return it back to tank. Obviously clean the filter sock each time.
You can feed fish as normal and if doing blackout, ambient light in room will work for them

 

[Glenner’sreef]

Its biological deficiencies that are causing the dino structure and Its important though to identify the type of dino for most effective battle. When we see zero readings, automatically we assume this is the cause but by the time you see zero numbers, its because the dino has consumed the po4 and no3 and are multiplying and in turn many dose no3 and po4 to bring numbers up not realizing they are feeding these flagellates even more.
No light is first key followed by the addition of bacteria to overcome the bad bacteria allowing them to thrive
Prepare by starting by blowing this stuff loose with a turkey baster and siphon up loose particles. Turn lights off (at least white and run blue at 10% IF you have light dependant corals such as SPS) for 5 days and at night dose 1ml of 3% hydrogen peroxide per 10 gallons for all 5 nights which works as an oxidizer. If you dont have light dependent coral- turn all lights off. During the day dose 1ml of liquid bacteria (such as micro bacter 7 or XLM) per 10 gallons. Clean filters daily and DO NOT FEED AMINO OR ADD NOPOX which is food for dinos, however you can feed coral, food which will help no3 and po4 to increase. If increasing nutrients, try to keep no3 to about 5 until you are done battling these cells.
Doing a daily siphoning will help greatly But . . . . . Siphoning will reduce nutrients , so siphon the water into/through a filter sock and save the water and return it back to tank. Obviously clean the filter sock each time.
You can feed fish as normal and if doing blackout, ambient light in room will work for them

Thanks for this. So not using NOPOX or Amino. Do have many SPS. Already using a turkey baster. Should I syphon the sandbed?

 

[Glenner’sreef]

You won't really be able to know until you use the microscope. Need better pics to assess also. First steps you are taking are fine.

Zoom in on photos, you should be able to make out the algae.

 

[dwest]

Sorry. I’d get that microscope ASAP and keep running carbon. If you can replumb your UV to run directly from and back directly to the tank that might be worthwhile. You’ll get lots of opinions, but I would do nothing else until you ID them. Good luck.

 

[billyocean]

If they are free floating, a piece if filter floss on a nori clip helps. Place along a high flow area and rinse under tap in the morning. You can wring it out and throw it back in for the day then do the same that evening...then repeat. The floss is like a moth to a flame for ostreopsis

This is in addition to what others have advised.

 

[Glenner’sreef]

Got the microscope last week. Ostreopsis is the culprit. So far:
1. Microbacter 7 to compete with dinos.
2. Reef Actif to feed the Mb7.
3 Turkey basting corals daily. Most corals actually looking good.
4. Added pods.
Netting out strings of dinos.
5. Carbon.
6. Turned lights way down as directed, lost one Monticap. At which point I bumped lights back up. Sandbed doesn’t look very bad any more. Will start vacuuming sandbed soon.

Continuing to read more and more on the subject. As it doesn’t seem to be getting worse.

 

[billyocean]

Got the microscope last week. Ostreopsis is the culprit. So far:
1. Microbacter 7 to compete with dinos.
2. Reef Actif to feed the Mb7.
3 Turkey basting corals daily. Most corals actually looking good.
4. Added pods.
Netting out strings of dinos.
5. Carbon.
6. Turned lights way down as directed, lost one Monticap. At which point I bumped lights back up. Sandbed doesn’t look very bad any more. Will start vacuuming sandbed soon.

Continuing to read more and more on the subject. As it doesn’t seem to be getting worse.

Put a piece of filter floss in the tank in a nori clip and wash it out in the morning. Put it back in for the day and wash it out before evening. Keep repeating...it's like a moth to a flame for ostreopsis. It helps gather them in bunches in addition to what you're already doing

 

[Glenner’sreef]

Put a piece of filter floss in the tank in a nori clip and wash it out in the morning. Put it back in for the day and wash it out before evening. Keep repeating...it's like a moth to a flame for ostreopsis. It helps gather them in bunches in addition to what you're already doing

I can easily do this, thanks!