Dinoflagellates.

Hello All. I've been struggling trying to eradicate a nasty slimy brown type of growth that keeps coming back. This stuff starts as small almost translucent, very slimy little whisps which are strink like. They attach to sand rock tank, everything except the fish. They eventually grow and smother the rock work and completely cover the back of the tank.

existing thread with pics of before and after (recent tank reset):
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?p=24931606#post24931606

I've already done several complete tank tear-downs, washed the everything, set it back up with new substrate rock etc. and eventually it returned as seen in the photo (below).

I'm just completely frustrated, but I found this thread and I think Dino's might be my problem.

I just did another tank reset and everything is scrubbed and cleaned. I'm thinking about trying VIBRANT as a proactive measure and hoping that will battle the Dino's (if that's what was taking over my tank) before they can get a foot hold on my tank.

Has anyone had success using this product?
 
92 reefer.

It's time to bring out the microscope.
My bet is calothrix and perhaps dinos as well.

The pictures are not the best so that's my guess for now.
 
Thanks Bertoni and DNA!

I don't have a microscope and didn't want to spend close to $100 on one.

I did find this older pic of the stuff before yet another tank reset. Does this pic help ID it?

I think I'll try the Vibrant first as it was only $25 and see what happens. If that fails I guess I have to pony up and spring for the microscope!
 

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Since this is a problem solved I see no need in further discussions here, but if you like to keep going be my guest.
I have no doubt that my results can be repeated by anyone with Ostreopsis dinoflagellates and probably most other types as well.

I'd like to thank everyone that participated and took active part in tests and discussions.
It's been a long journey and with persistence and stubbornness we have won a number of small victories and a the ultimate result eventually.

From day one in 2013 I set out to document, share and eliminate every imaginable method that I and others could come up with and towards the end I had a hard time coming up with new ones and almost lost all hope. I have to say there was no luck involved in finally getting rid of the dinos. I've spent ridiculous time on dinoflagellates so it was a well informed decision that nailed it. I really like to lead other reefers out of the dark and having showed the way, they can come out when they like.

The joy in finding a reason and a solution for such as a difficult problem as dinoflagellates is like nothing else.

Now I'm moving on.
 
Hey guys. How's it going?
I accidentally got rid of my dinos over the summer, stayed gone since. Accidentally in that I'm not sure what I did precisely. Got some theories though, but need dinos to test, so I've been going lax on the maintenance to give them chance to come back. Started getting cyano a few weeks ago, and figured the dino gateway has been opened.

Sure enough, as of today, got a couple of patches of amphidinium dinos in the tank now.

DNA, thanks for thread and all your contributions to it. I need to re-read your success story.
For the last third of this thread, I believed that when everyone else in the world had their dinos solved, DNA would still have his mutant immortal super-ostreopsis.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk
 
Been dealing with it for 15 months and running dirty for 6 or more then tried Vibrant, dino are at least in remission. I've done a gravel clean and 20% wc still looking good. I like my tank again, YA! I did cut back on feeding and cut lighting to 80% maybe just the right combo.
 
Just wanted to report back that I tried Vibrant Aquarium cleaner (states gets rid of algae etc) in my tank just after the most recent tank reset.

So far the residual grayish light brownish crap that was on the backwall of my tank and has been growing for almost 2 years is on the retreat. After the initial dose about a week ago I'd say that it has receded by almost 75% and is very close to being totally gone. I just applied the 2nd dose today and I'm very optimistic that this product will finally be just what I was looking for as a solution.

Not saying this is the fix-all for anyone and HATS OFF to DNA and everyone else's work on this thread/problem. Just reporting my experience: Also keep in mind I just did a tank reset and removed all old sand (replaced with new Tahitian Moon Sand = non aragonite based substrate) thus removing about 90% of the "crap" whatever it was out of the tank: so that back up what DNA and everyone else is saying about clean, clean clean. There was some residual "crap" still left on the backwall that I didn't get off. In previous tank resets this stuff would just grow and grow until about 6 months later, it would cover everything in the tank including backwall, sand and rocks. This time the residual crap has receded about 75%.

Very excited about the thoughts of a perpetually clean tank: so will post back in another week or so....
 
I just shot my first dose of Vibrant in my 200 gallon bare bottom tank. Have Dinos like crazy. I have spent weeks blowing off my rocks (like DNA suggested), and running high flow to get the crap to the sump and through my UV light. UV doesn't seem to kill it fast enough. All my tank parameter numbers are perect.

Crazy thing is I'll start blowing offf the crap and dino bubbles from the rock at one end of the tank and by the time I get to the far end of the tank the bubbles are back where I first started. Seems like the more you agitate them with a turkey baster, the faster they come back. Going to try vibrant for awhile, if that doesn't work I think it will be time to take up another hobby.
 
God knows why this thread is still going..I think by the time you've read the 1st three pages you get the gist of the conclusion... Dino flagelates will be the last thing to exist on earth when all other organisms are dead..

The best advice I can give to you is flush your water down the drain, clean all rock and equipment.. and start again.. your wasting time and money and risking your health dealing with these things..

I tried allsorts like the things mentioned in here trying to resurrect the wellbeing of my tank..
I boiled my water which cleared them, but although I was free of them and none existed in my system after that I've never had anything live in my water other than fish and critters.

Corals would die within a few week.. ive since decommissioned that old tank and started a new one.. I can only advise the same to you to revert the wasting of time I suffered..

Good luck..
 
DNA said:
Since this is a problem solved I see no need in further discussions here, but if you like to keep going be my guest.
I have no doubt that my results can be repeated by anyone with Ostreopsis dinoflagellates and probably most other types as well.

I'd like to thank everyone that participated and took active part in tests and discussions.
It's been a long journey and with persistence and stubbornness we have won a number of small victories and a the ultimate result eventually.

From day one in 2013 I set out to document, share and eliminate every imaginable method that I and others could come up with and towards the end I had a hard time coming up with new ones and almost lost all hope. I have to say there was no luck involved in finally getting rid of the dinos. I've spent ridiculous time on dinoflagellates so it was a well informed decision that nailed it. I really like to lead other reefers out of the dark and having showed the way, they can come out when they like.

The joy in finding a reason and a solution for such as a difficult problem as dinoflagellates is like nothing else.

Now I'm moving on.
Click to expand...

Will be trying this method starting on the weekend, So far I have taken all my fish out and in to a holding tank, removed all my sps from the live rock and chucked the rock. The SPS now sit on egg crate racking. The tank will be spotless after I clean out the sump on the weekend. I will also run a 1 micron sock and hose out daily to ensure there is no marine snow. I will report back when I have results. My dino is osti and I have tried every method including Vibrant and even bleach as going on in another forum.
 
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