Dino's!

[cowboy572]

Alighty, I have been fighting with dino's and diatoms the last few months now. Everything I was doing was counter-productive, (ie water changes). So I am finally did some research online and talked to some other members. Well I've come to the conclusion and last hope that hopefully no light of any kind for three days will kill it off. I want to try this but there's a part of me that's scared to. How does a tank go this long without any light? Do my wrasses and other fish go into a hiberative state for those days? Do I still need to feed? So if anyone else would like to share in their experience's doing this it will greatly be appreciated. I just a little scared in turning out the lights and covering my tank for three days.

[CoryDude]

I did 3 days off and then 2-3 days with the lights full blast on a sps tank. Tried the cycle for 2 weeks. The good news...no coral or fish losses. The bad news...the Dino's came back.

Another member and I have been tossing around the idea of using live phytoplankton to battle dinoflagellates.

[cowboy572]

Cory, I got a bottle of that Continuum Bacter Clean-m and so far with the lights on is slowed it some but it's still present. But I wonder if dosing while the lights are out if I can get a upper hand with it?

Care to share your idea with phyto? Thats the first I've heard of doing this?

[CoryDude]

The phyto thing came about the other night when Troy V and I were bouncing ideas off each other. We've both wanted to start "green water" reactors and dose phyto on a regular basis to our tanks.

We both had Dino outbreaks after dosing interceptor for red bugs(myself in 2010 and Troy just a few months ago). It was right after this that we started having issues with dino's. So we're thinking that maybe the sudden die off of pods or maybe the sudden interruption in the food chain may have contributed to the Dino bloom. We just thought it was a weird coincidence that we should look into.

Our thought is that dosing phyto will build the food chain in our tanks up from the ground level and strengthen the tanks ability to fend off dinoflagellates. Some research has shown that copepods eat Dino's and that even some phytoplankton can consume Dino's. So if phytoplankton can increase your pod population, it could have a indirect and direct effect on that nasty brown snot.

[ramsey]

If you haven't already done so, look into H2O2 dosing. It's cheap and I've seen a lot of reports of it being effective on dinos.

[Dean]

If you haven't already done so, look into H2O2 dosing. It's cheap and I've seen a lot of reports of it being effective on dinos.

That's what I was also going to suggest. I am 2 days into it myself.

[cowboy572]

Is there a thread on RC for a formula to follow and what strength peroxide to get?

[Dean]

This is the thread I read.
http://www.reef2reef.com/forums/reef-aquarium-discussion/52084-dinoflagellates-my-experience-h2o2-reefing-tool.html

I am currently dosing 1ml per 10 gallons once per day.

[cowboy572]

How long have you been dosing and what results have you seen so far?



This is the thread I read.
http://www.reef2reef.com/forums/reef-aquarium-discussion/52084-dinoflagellates-my-experience-h2o2-reefing-tool.html

I am currently dosing 1ml per 10 gallons once per day.

[Dean]

Only started yesterday morning. This morning was my second dose and have been gone all day so I won't know until tonight if it has made any difference. From what I have read though it takes several doses to start seeing results.

[Sherita]

I've used the h202 method more than once. It has always worked for me on getting rid of dino's. Dose 1ml/10g of tank water. Normally it took about a week to see truly impressive changes, within 10 days the dino's were gone.

I tried dosing phyto to get rid of dino's and cyano with no luck. I actually tried more than once when I had my phyto reactors running. All I really succeeded in doing was turning one of my tanks murky green (phyto started growing in the tank), and losing most of the coral. I did like dosing phyto for the health of the tank, but it never helped me get rid of any nasties.

[cowboy572]

Okay, I am at day 14 of H202 dosing and still not seeing any major results. Do I keep dosing or do I go to plan B and shut the lights off for 3 days? Or do I need to kill the halides for a couple of days as I dose H202 and just run my T-5's?

[Flyride95]

I would cut the lights and dose h2o2

[cowboy572]

Okay, update time. Still can not get rid of my dino's? Done the H202 dosing and replaced all my bulbs, halides and t-5 fear since they where old and color shifted. Since they come back. The only thing left I want to try is run a media reactor. From what I have read, diatoms feed on silicates. So what can I run in my reactor to reduce silicates?

[Big_Pun]

here's what I found out from my 105, if you can't remove the source of what your battling it's not going away, and sometimes dosing stuff to kill one thing will lead to other issues. so where would the silicates cone from?

[jcnkt_ellis]

Silicates would either come from non-reef sand and/or excess feeding. However, they are usually readily absorbed by pineapple sponges and certain other hitchhikers before Dino's can make a large use of them...

[kkiel02]

Gfo will reduce phosphates and silicates. I would also replace your ro/di filters if you haven't already. That's probably where you are getting them. Louis had a gfo at his store that marketed up taking silicates but I think all of them do. If you can find the source of your silicates that will stop the Dino's.

[jcnkt_ellis]

Gfo will reduce phosphates and silicates. I would also replace your ro/di filters if you haven't already. That's probably where you are getting them. Louis had a gfo at his store that marketed up taking silicates but I think all of them do. If you can find the source of your silicates that will stop the Dino's.

+1 forgot about the water supply

[Dean]

What fish and or coral food do you feed with cowboy?

[cowboy572]

RO/DI filters where replaced about 4.months ago

[cowboy572]

Well I am still fighting the dino's. It is getting old, I am running out of patience, and it has driven to me give up on the hobby altogether. Did some talking with some members this weekend after the meeting, I had two "ah ha" moments where I think the dino's might be coming from.

Idea one - Old tank syndrome. Every piece of rock and just about every grain of sand has been with me from the start. I got into this hobby in 2006 - 2007 with a 55 gallon. As time went on and I went to bigger tanks, I just added more rock and just rinsed the sand and added more to get the desired sand bed depth. So some of my rock and sand have some time on them. I am still doing some research on old tank syndrome and a little confused on what it is. So if any members might know of any good reads or share there thoughts on it would be helpful.

Idea two - Silicate leaching from the sand. As everyone knows diatoms feed off of silicates. All sand I have put in my tank has been the CaribSea brand Fiji pink sand. The only exception to that was when I had to take down my 110 and move into a 90 gallon. I bought the tank from Gabe a little after he closed shop. It was Marcus's, the high school kid who helped him, tank and it came with some sand of an unknown origin. Does anyone know any history on that tank? What kind of sand did Gabe/Marcus use? If my memory serves me right, I didn't get diatoms till I got the 90 gallon tank. If I need to replace my sand what kind of undertaking am I looking at.