I don't have any special insight as to what is best to limit dino growth in aquaria, but the scientific literature shows many studies where different species of dinos are limited by low levels of N, P, iron, copper, zinc, and manganese.
Randy- the purpose of sharing how dinos get started is to show that they thrive even where other N, P users cannot. With hair algae and chaeto starving, the dinos start to bloom.
I think your point is that there are other limiting elements in the water that could break the dinos without hurting normal algae. For example-" removing all trace of zinc stops them from feeding or replicating. "
That would be changing the trace composition of the salt itself as well as limiting introduction through food, etc... That sounds difficult but it may be relatively easy to test in a controlled environment with small dino cultures at removed traces.
My doubt is that if dino-onset usually comes with ULNS and heavy over-export, that further limiting of elements is only pushing further into an unbalanced artificial state?
The success in the "dirty method" doesn't come from adding waste. It's giving a leg up to algae as the normal and manageable pest. Few other reef keepers actively struggle to get hair algae to grow, and that shows the extraordinary desperation of the dino patients. Those that have bridged back into normal reef chemistry are glad to work through those minor hassles - at least algae can be nutrient import and export managed.
It's literally like trying to get the flu because it's better than cancer. And it has worked.
I went the clean method with UV and skimming, but I have no doubt that my thick ATS export and chaeto removal indicate that my feeding would yield a massive GHA explosion in the DT if I stop my exports. And that is excellent and normal.
