Dinoflagellates.

[PorkchopExpress]

and by the way i've tried all the recommended treatments:

- 5 day blackout - dinos gone for 2 weeks then came back, did another 3 day blackout and they came back in 2 days, stronger and all over the place moreso than originally, browned out a lot of my SPS

- high pH (8.6) - did nothing

- high alk (16dkH!) - did nothing but RTN a few of my SPS

- H2O2 (30ml morning and evening) - did nothing

- H2O2 (60ml morning and evening) - did nothing

- H2O2 (spot targetted problem areas with enough H2O2 to nuke the tank while i was drunk and on the verge of giving up) - did nothing but RTN and brown out ALL my corals for weeks...dinos that died were replaced the very next day...killed 3 of my fish and a beautiful hawaiian harlequin shrimp that i had just purchased a week prior

- Fauna Marin Ultra Algae X and DinoXal - did nothing

- Cuprisorb, replacing carbon, skimming super wet, adding bacteria, reducing photoperiod (4 hour blues, 2 hour white), praying to my deity, Chemi-Clean, cussing at my tank, running RowaPhos in a reactor, adding tons of snails - did nothing

 

[karimwassef]

So low flow UV did it.

 

[joeyvu]

WOW, montireef. Good news for us. I have to get more live rocks from my local store...I have not seen any dinos in my tank for three weeks now using all the approach that every one is talking. I added two small rocks that I got from the local fish store a week ago. Maybe I need to get more. .

 

[PorkchopExpress]

So low flow UV did it.

for me yes, SO FAR...i'm still very skeptical after doing the 5 day lights out and seeing them disappear after 2 weeks only to seem them come right back so i am not 100% convince they are gone yet...theoretically, however, whatever dinos are in the water column and enter my UV bazooka should be killed so at the very least they are not able to reproduce as quickly as before and i'm fine with them no longer blooming

that is good news if just by adding new rock and more biological diversity/ bacteria from the rock further inhibits their blooms

 

[joeyvu]

PorkchopExpress. For me, adding H2O2 in addition to UV kill the dinos even faster.

 

[Montireef]

WOW, montireef. Good news for us. I have to get more live rocks from my local store...I have not seen any dinos in my tank for three weeks now using all the approach that every one is talking. I added two small rocks that I got from the local fish store a week ago. Maybe I need to get more. .

I can give you some of these microorganisms if you come to pick them up. We have also found a chytrid that kills most of the dinoflagellates and doesn`t harm the system.

 

[Montireef]

PorkchopExpress. For me, adding H2O2 in addition to UV kill the dinos even faster.

Not at all in my case. I overdosed H2O2, used intensive UV germicide, did 3 days blackout and dosed Algae-X/Dinoxal with no success at all.

My tanks got infected with ostreopsis, it would have done the trick with prorocentrum, amphidinium and many others, but not with ostreopsis.

Every kind of dinoflagellate needs it's own remedy, though there are some rules we can use in general.

Did you id your dinoflagellates, mates? That's the first thing to do. Go get the microscope, it's not that hard.

 

[DNA]

Montireef.

A way to go and a video to back it up. (What magnification did you use)?

Last year when I added 20Kg of partly cured live rock I had very good results.
First I thought it was the raised nitrates, but later I speculated it to be something else.
Please measure nitrates so we can understand better what is going on.

I have 4kg live rock sitting in a thriving reef tank. Can't wait to see what it does in two weeks.
I'll give liter of skimmate to my 400gallon system a chance tomorrow. - Did you keep your skimmer going?


This is exciting!

 

[karimwassef]

Why add skimmate? Just stop skimming?

 

[joeyvu]

Montireef, I wish I am closed to you so I can get some of your microbes. I don't have access to a microscope, maybe buying one on the net. Have to look for one now....I have struggled with this dinos for almost 9 months now. It kills 99% of my corals, snails (the turbo kinds). not fish. So far, it seems to disappear. Keep my fingers crossed.

 

[PorkchopExpress]

PorkchopExpress. For me, adding H2O2 in addition to UV kill the dinos even faster.

thanks but the H2O2 really didn't do a lot for me when i used it...the only time it actually killed dinos was when i overdosed on it but it also killed a ton of other life as well - at regular to double dosage it did nothing at all...plus i'm satisfied currently with the results from just the UV light...my birdsnest that was constantly being attacked is finally growing its tissue back now and i'm not seeing my snails dying anymore

 

[joeyvu]

thanks but the H2O2 really didn't do a lot for me when i used it...the only time it actually killed dinos was when i overdosed on it but it also killed a ton of other life as well - at regular to double dosage it did nothing at all...plus i'm satisfied currently with the results from just the UV light...my birdsnest that was constantly being attacked is finally growing its tissue back now and i'm not seeing my snails dying anymore

good news for you..For me, H2O2 alone do some damage but not completely or UV alone.

 

[PorkchopExpress]

good news for you..For me, H2O2 alone do some damage but not completely or UV alone.

what size UV did you go with? mine is so strong and the water flows through it so slowly that it's raised my tank temperature by 6 degrees...i've had to bust out a fan to blow air over the water and i'm having to top off water twice as much due to the evaporation

 

[Montireef]

Montireef.

A way to go and a video to back it up. (What magnification did you use)?

Last year when I added 20Kg of partly cured live rock I had very good results.
First I thought it was the raised nitrates, but later I speculated it to be something else.
Please measure nitrates so we can understand better what is going on.

I have 4kg live rock sitting in a thriving reef tank. Can't wait to see what it does in two weeks.
I'll give liter of skimmate to my 400gallon system a chance tomorrow. - Did you keep your skimmer going?


This is exciting!

Magnification is about x200 if I remember well.

Nitrates are undetectable with RedSea test but noticed they have risen a bit since I get a greenish small film on some places. phosphates are also close to zero.

 

[Montireef]

Why add skimmate? Just stop skimming?

It wouldn't be the same.

The skimmate holds many different microorganisms that won't be present in the tank or at least in amount enough to thrive. You have to let it sit in the collection cup for more than a week, warm and dark. You will see many new microorganisms growing and competing.

 

[joeyvu]

what size UV did you go with? mine is so strong and the water flows through it so slowly that it's raised my tank temperature by 6 degrees...i've had to bust out a fan to blow air over the water and i'm having to top off water twice as much due to the evaporation

I go with a small hang-on back UV, I think it is about 25watts with the 1200 maxijet pump in the sump. Yours is huge.

 

[karimwassef]

So you're cultivating bacteria in your skimmate for a week and then adding it back in?

That's the first I've ever read or heard of this. Anyone else?

 

[cal_stir]

I've checked my skimmate under the microscope, seen some microbes and some dinos but never microbes attacking dinos, but I never let it culture for a week.
I will let it culture and take another look.

 

[karimwassef]

Nice site. Thought I'd share
http://www.mnh.si.edu/highlight/sem/dinoflagellates.html

 

[Montireef]

So you're cultivating bacteria in your skimmate for a week and then adding it back in?

That's the first I've ever read or heard of this. Anyone else?

Not only bacteria but many other microorganisms like nematodes and ciliates. Skimmate is mainly water plus a Ca and Mg insoluble carbonates. It has no nitrate and little phosphate but can have SH2.

Snails keep pooping black crap for almost a week, that's the main drawback. Lol