Dinoflagellates.

Did you try dino x before starting over?

No. I have read that dino x only sets that back a little and they end up coming back. And I rather buy Dr time one and only nitrifying bacteria for $17 and cope pods for $15 to start my new tank rather than another $30 for a hit or miss on the dinos.
 
I am battling dinos right now in my 125g tank/30g sump that is 9 months old. I just had diatoms at first, then one day a jebao wp-40 went out while I was out of town and my tank was covered in brown snotty looking algae when I returned. After this happened, I bought a new RODI unit to switch from tap water (should have did this from the beginning). I started aggressively making water changes to get rid of the tap, even though my nitrates were <5, and phosphates were 0. Well that really set the algae off and at this time I realized it was dinos after searching for an answer... I have every symptom and photos are an exact match.

So far I have:
-Started dosing peroxide at 1ml/10 gallons, around 14ml total split into morning/night. I'm on day 5 of this.
-Did a complete blackout for 2 days. I lost two fish during this time, and almost a third so I had enough.
-Vaccumed sand bed and live rock using a small diameter tube rigged to the handle of my glass scrubbing tool, and a coral feeder (like a turkey baster) to blow the dino off the rocks then suck them up. I ran them through a filter sock with floss inside, then returned the water. I couldn't get them all but it made a dent it seems.
-Cut my skimmer off and stopped water changes, hoping to raise my nitrates.

So far the peroxide is helping, but not wiping them out yet. I'm running my lights for around 3-4 hours a day and some do reappear on the rocks during this time.

I've been reading about adding copepods, phytoplankton, and microalgae to help add diversity to the tank. My question is will the peroxide dosing kill the copepods if I add them soon, or should I wait until I'm finished (at least 2-5 more days).
 
I might as well own one of these at this point. Geesh
491197741_640.jpg
 
I don't think I will be able to continue to battle these dinoflagellates. I will be starting my tank over. I have given up. It's a losing battle and my wallet grows more and more thin as I try and try to fight them.

Any ideas how to start over? I'd like to keep the same rocks if possible. How do I clean them? Hydrogen peroxide dip? Vinegar dip? Both? Any help would be great.

Thank you

I'm sorry to hear that. :( I'm self employed and I hear you on the cost of things being a major factor. I'm waiting to borrow a microscope from someone, and if I find I do have Ostreopsis I may throw in the towel as well.

I would not reuse the rocks. Seriously. Dip corals, sure. (I used Coral RX on every frag that went into my tank..would suggest trying something stronger.)

Dinos really suck
Ivy
 
So far the peroxide is helping, but not wiping them out yet. I'm running my lights for around 3-4 hours a day and some do reappear on the rocks during this time.

I've been reading about adding copepods, phytoplankton, and microalgae to help add diversity to the tank. My question is will the peroxide dosing kill the copepods if I add them soon, or should I wait until I'm finished (at least 2-5 more days).

Welcome to the club, sorry you have to be here.

Peroxide at 1mL/10g killed off many/most of the pelagic copepods in my tank. It had no apparent effect on benthic pods. Most commercial pod kits seem to be tigger/tisbe spp. which are pelagic, so I'd wait til you stop dosing to add them. Macroalgae will contain all kinds of microcritters that are good for biodiversity.

hth
ivy
 
Ok. I brought this up a while ago but since I'm not plagued, I don't need to try it out...

Since dinos settle down under light, why not run a dark system with a brightly lit section (big tub or container) with a lot of surface area for them to settle down on. Let it run for a while until the container is plagued with them. Maybe even put lots of eggcrate so they have lots of space to settle down...

Then! Abruptly disconnect the container from the main tank and "export" the dino crop into the drain. Harvest them and throw them away.

Some will remain, but maybe it's enough to give the other inhabitants a step up?
 
I'll post again same time Tom. This sux.

Whoah, hey, you're supposed to dose Dino X at night.

It's super-powered-radioactive stuff, you did read the instructions, right?

Remove all chemical filtration and stop all additives. Run skimmer wet. Dose by actual water volume, ie tank size minus rock/sand/gear displacement, NOT how big your tank is.

There's a thread when DX just came out, and someone from FM was answering questions. He basically said 'Yeah, dino X and GFO can nuke your tank'.

Ivy
 
I guess I'll pull up a chair and join the club now.

Noticed the Dino's about 2 weeks ago. Currently in a state of blackout (24 hours so far), carbon running, daily filter sock change, increased ph to 8.6...

I read the first 17 pages of this, and the last 4. Seriously helpful stuff.

But it smells to hell right now. Like rotting fish.
 
I didn't add anything new. Been upping the ph over 7 days, carbon started 5 days ago. Only thing new is darkness.

As much as I hope it's the smell of Dino death, I'm not going to hold my breath... Not after reading what so many have gone through.

Currently going with a clean approach (which I now understand isn't very successful). When this fails me, I'll be getting dirty with these suckers.
 
I went dirty. But I think I was too far in. 6 hours in to Dino x and my gonipora that has been closed for two weeks is starting to show signs of life. Even my frog spawns are fully open. Very strange.
 
Thanks ivy. All those instructions have been followed. Cross fingers lol

Sorry for freaking out at you. Fingers crossed :) Do have a peek to make sure you haven't had something die. Dinos are stinky but they don't small at all rotten to me.
 
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I didn't add anything new. Been upping the ph over 7 days, carbon started 5 days ago. Only thing new is darkness.

As much as I hope it's the smell of Dino death, I'm not going to hold my breath... Not after reading what so many have gone through.

Currently going with a clean approach (which I now understand isn't very successful). When this fails me, I'll be getting dirty with these suckers.

Smell is kind of underrated in reefkeeping.

It doesn't get mentioned anywhere, but dinos *do* smell weird. I can smell them when I have the top off my aquarium.

Macroalgae smells weird too. And when the LFS is fragging softies it reeks.

Clean method has worked for a couple of people! They go for removing sandbeds, adding UV, ozone. Don't jinx yourself, you may not have to.

hth
Ivy
 
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