dinos, any tips?

[Jandree22]

Past 2-3 weeks I've had an outbreak of dinos. (Insanely fast growing sheets/strands of brown snot) After AlgaeFix Marine did squat, I just realized they were dinos and not algae like a day or two ago, so I have totally revised my attack method.

I'm going with...

-- Lights out 72 hours
-- 3x day kalk slurry to keep pH up around 8.4-8.5
-- Stop water changes*
-- Skim wet
-- Start running carbon

Fish are all happy, SPS poyps are extended but seems as if growth has slowed down/stopped during the outbreak. Also the happy zoanthids I added to the tank are still openning somewhat here and there, but they're usually closed and look P/O'ed... hoping carbon will help here.

*While I thought it was algae, I upped my water changes to weekly 15% for 3 weeks, only to find the snot kept coming back in full force after each WC. So after reading that something in WC's fuels dinos I'm going to stop them for a while.

I guess I'm just wondering if anyone has any success/failure with dinos or anything in my plan of attack above... thanks :mixed:

 

[trippkid]

Joel, yeah Patrick is going through the same thing, I advised him to stop with the WC's and raise the Alk to above 14DKH, Darin said that also raising Mag up to 1600 or more will also help, just make sure you don't do WC's during this period, as you already found out, it just adds fuel to the fire, so to speak. Have a good weekend.
Matt

 

[Jandree22]

10-4, thanks bud!

 

[stephenrsaiz]

For what it's worth, in addition to Matt's and Darrin's suggestions, you may want to consider wrappig the tank in dark plastic or paper for three to four days. The total blackout efffect is supposed to help with dinos.

-Steve

 

[stephenrsaiz]

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1619925

 

[Jandree22]

Blah, I was thinking about that but it's a PITA. But I suppose I could sacrafice a lawn trash bag to the cause. Although northfacing, the tank is directly facing a bay window.

 

[Jandree22]

thanks for the link too Steve... tons of good, current, info going on in there.

 

[trippkid]

He can be good for some things other than his sarcastic wit, for what, I'm still not quite sure. Have a good one Steve and Joel.
Matt

 

[Jandree22]

You too, thanks again.

 

[2turtles]

Hey Joel

Can you post a pic so we can see what you are dealing with?

 

[stephenrsaiz]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15149737#post15149737 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by 2turtles
Hey Joel

Can you post a pic so we can see what you are dealing with?

Think stringy, brown, snotty crap.

 

[trippkid]

Joe, Steve is right about that, kind of looks like Cyano at times. There may be some pics in the thread he posted, IDK, I haven't clicked on that link.
Matt

 

[lpkenneys]

Let me see if I can find one of mine?

 

[lpkenneys]

 

[Jandree22]

lol, I'd love to indulge with pics, but at this point I'm hoping to NEVER see it again

It grows as thin brownish/marroonish sheets covering the rock, loosely attached so it flaps around in the flow. A rock can be covered in a day. Also, particularly from the glass, it grows in thread-like strands that can grow 6"+ in a day. The truly worrysome thing is unlike most algae, this stuff overgrows corals.

 

[Jandree22]

Yep, that'd be it. On the sand it grows like shown where it's a sheet but the air bubbles make tiny strands stick up.

 

[lpkenneys]

Tasty Huh? It's much more under control now. Raising the Alk and Ph with Kalk, Kalk and more Kalk, also no water changes and I vacuumed the stuff into a filter sock daily and cut lights down or out if you can. Good luck,and let me know if I can help in any way...Patrick

 

[volcom69]

Is your tank established or is this a new tank. If its a mature tank what brought this one did you buy something that had dinos on it already. Not much else you can do but let it run its course, so good luck and hope it ends for you soon.

 

[NCNBilly]

Joel, if you want some butcher paper to cover the tank let me know - I think I still have a huge roll of it somewhere.

 

[stephenrsaiz]

I have a big roll, of brown, non-transparent, painter paper. About 3 feet wide. You're welcome to stop b and get it. Just bring the leftover to one of the meetings. Oh yeah, I know where my paper is, unlike Billy.