Dino's......Help before I give up.....

[JG1]

I don't know what to do. I stopped doing water changes, and have dose H2O2 for a couple weeks. Dino's are in full bloom everywhere and I'm disgusted. So much so that I don't even want to look at my tank anymore and thoughts of breaking it down are crossing my mind. I have thousands and thousands of dollars invested in this system and this has me close to saying f$$$ it and leaving the hobby.

I'm so aggravated by this. It's not right that a plague such as this can destroy something you've spent so much money on and invested so much of your time.

 

[oscarslr]

Did you try raising the PH like I mentioned? only thing that I found that worked after fighting these things for 6 months.... beat them twice

 

[oscarslr]

Step 1: get one of these http://www.hannainst.com/usa/prods2.cfm?id=002003&ProdCode=HI 99104 (about $30)

Step 2: mix this into a cup of RODI to make a slurry. http://www.backyardstyle.com/shop/index.php?page=shop-flypage-22771

Step 3: Dose slurry every 2-3 hours to keep PH around 8.5-8.6 over 3 days

Step 4- Dinos turn grey and you win your tank back.

 

[oscarslr]

Completely cover your tank (tape covers to the sides) and no light over the 3 days to increase your success rate

 

[JG1]

No I haven't but I guess I should give this a try.

The dino's don't come back after stopping the pH dosing and restarting the lighting?

 

[oscarslr]

Nope- once they all turn grey you reverse the bacteria battle and the good bacteria takes over as in a well balanced tank... key is you have to make sure that they all turn grey no brown what so ever or keep dosing.

As mentioned in your other post, SPS will brown out and you will lose some colonies.... I lost 4 out of around 30. So frag and keep a piece of each at a buddies tank

 

[JG1]

The brown out is from the pH shift or the lack of lighting?

 

[oscarslr]

I think a combo but more of an AlK swing. The pickling lime increases Calcium and Alk at the right ratio but when you try to keep PH around 8.5 ALK spikes as a result. I think that is why I lost the colonies the ALK swing shocked them and caused them to RTN.

 

[oscarslr]

It sounds like a drastic method, but considering the alternatives... why not... at least that was my mindset as I too remember being disgusted when looking at my tank with all of that snot on everything.

 

[JG1]

The Alk swing scares me. But, I'm stuck and really don't have any other options.

Only thing I was considering was the fauna marin ultra algae x but I don't know if that will wipe them out completely.

 

[oscarslr]

I tried everything in the book... trust me..... It sucks these things are relentless. The reason PH works and wipes all of them out is that they have a hard time holding (bonding) themselves together at that High PH. Therefore you kill one this way..... they all go down

 

[JG1]

Alright, I'm gonna do it. Where can I get the pickling lime locally?

 

[oscarslr]

Grocery store ... canning section

 

[oscarslr]

Mix around 1TBSP per 16oz

 

[JG1]

what kind of alk swing can I expect and how high is too high for the tanks pH?

 

[oscarslr]

what are your readings now? I saw maybe 3-4 points (dkh). I say 8.6 highest i ever got to. I say aim to keep at 8.5. You will see a dip overnight so the morning slurries might need to be a bit more dense.

 

[JG1]

Around 9dkh.

I haven't checked it for 2 weeks now because I've been so disgusted with the tank.

 

[oscarslr]

so plan 13. I would frag one of each before you start

 

[JG1]

so plan 13. I would frag one of each before you start

I can't frag....all I have is frags

 

[oscarslr]

see if anyone can hold your coral... even a LFS if you have that option.