Keys to beating dinoflagellates
- Thread starter TCU Reefer
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Homeytwist
New member
Cool, another thread on the snot plague.... I had them bad, for about 8 months. Didn't try the elevated PH but what did work for me was complete black out for 10 days. Yes, 10. Tank was spotless, dino's gone, for about 6 months that is. Since then it's been a slowly increasing amount of nuiscance algae, cyano, diatoms, and most recently dinos. It may be a coincidence but I was dosing Lugol's both times that things took a turn for the worse.
Since then I've also started dosing Kalk in the makeup water so that in itself should be increasing my PH which doesn't seem to have much effect. Like someone else in this thread mentioned the dinos are growing right over top of other algae including my Chaeto so nutrient export via algae is not an option for me. I think it's gonna be lights out for me again. Then when the tank's clear and there's no algae in site it'll be a full barage of tests again to figure out where the hell the pests are getting their nutrients as I'm checking all the boxes in preventing nuiscane algaes etc. My only thought is that something in the system is leaching the nutrients that these things need. I'm using primarily BRS reefsaver rock in my system, wondering if something's leaching from those...
Since then I've also started dosing Kalk in the makeup water so that in itself should be increasing my PH which doesn't seem to have much effect. Like someone else in this thread mentioned the dinos are growing right over top of other algae including my Chaeto so nutrient export via algae is not an option for me. I think it's gonna be lights out for me again. Then when the tank's clear and there's no algae in site it'll be a full barage of tests again to figure out where the hell the pests are getting their nutrients as I'm checking all the boxes in preventing nuiscane algaes etc. My only thought is that something in the system is leaching the nutrients that these things need. I'm using primarily BRS reefsaver rock in my system, wondering if something's leaching from those...
Allmost
New member
I have an emperor angel that eats this stuff !! lol
recently battled it myself, what I did was lights out for 1 day, then the second day I did a large water change siophoning the sand, renew GAC.
every night after, at night before the lights go out, I would siphon out the dino, then run filter sock and move sand around. all dino gets caught in the sock.
took a week, and they havent came back yet. treatment was done 2 weeks ago.
recently battled it myself, what I did was lights out for 1 day, then the second day I did a large water change siophoning the sand, renew GAC.
every night after, at night before the lights go out, I would siphon out the dino, then run filter sock and move sand around. all dino gets caught in the sock.
took a week, and they havent came back yet. treatment was done 2 weeks ago.
reefgeezer
Active member
I battled a minor dino outbreak for quite a while. I finally got rid of it by taking several steps.
1. Removed/Rearranged rock to produce an open aquascape to reduce detritus build-up. The tank was already bare bottom, but had the old school wall o' rock aquascape. I had 75 lbs in the tank originally. I now have only about 45 lbs.. It was amazing how much gunk was buried in those rocks. Interestingly, I didn't see a nitrite rise.
2. Replaced old bulbs w/ LED's
3. Added flow in the tank, but reduced flow through sump to about 5X. I am hoping a flow rate through the sump that is lower than the skimmer flow rate will result in more efficient skimming.
4, Made a 50% water change after removing rocks and increased weekly changes to 15%.
5. Did a 3 day black-out immediately after the big water change.
6. Added vinegar and 50% more kalk to ATO.
7. Added GFO on 24/7 basis.
1. Removed/Rearranged rock to produce an open aquascape to reduce detritus build-up. The tank was already bare bottom, but had the old school wall o' rock aquascape. I had 75 lbs in the tank originally. I now have only about 45 lbs.. It was amazing how much gunk was buried in those rocks. Interestingly, I didn't see a nitrite rise.
2. Replaced old bulbs w/ LED's
3. Added flow in the tank, but reduced flow through sump to about 5X. I am hoping a flow rate through the sump that is lower than the skimmer flow rate will result in more efficient skimming.
4, Made a 50% water change after removing rocks and increased weekly changes to 15%.
5. Did a 3 day black-out immediately after the big water change.
6. Added vinegar and 50% more kalk to ATO.
7. Added GFO on 24/7 basis.
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