New Hobbiest! Dinoflagellates, help please.

[EverestsFish]

Our tank is approximately 7-8 months old and I am 99.9% sure we have dinoflagellates. We have already battled diatoms and cyanobacteria, so I know this is different! It is a new brown growth with bubbles in the extensions.

Below is the protocol we are considering, but I am afraid to be too aggressive and kill good bacteria or damage our livestock. Would love your feedback before we begin!

Set-Up & Inhabitants:
- 29 Gallon NanoCube.
- Filtration - Filter Floss, Chemipure Elite, Purigen.
- Inhabitants - Cleaner Shrimp, Damsel Fish, Clown Fish, Dwarf Red Starfish, Snail, Crabs.
- Corals - Hard and Soft.

Potential Regimen:
1. Add a UV sterilizer.
2. H2O2 Treatment - 1 ml of 3% (store bought) hydrogen peroxide per 10 gal of water. Twice per day, once in the morning and once in the evening. Should we pour this into the pump area for even distribution within the tank or should we do targeted treatments?
3. 3-4 Day Blackout - Our tank gets some natural light in the afternoon. We are considering covering it with a blanket.
4. No water changes.

I look forward to other suggestions and critiques to the plan we are considering. We are desperately trying to find a solution because this growth is continually blanketing our flowerpot when it is retracted and killing the coral.

Note: These photos represent less than a day's worth of growth. If we let the tank sit for a full day unattended the long hairs with bubbles will reach halfway up the tank. It is light sensitive, there seems to be less growth overnight with the lights off.

 

[lowtek]

Im new to the hobby but I would:
Check phosphates silicates nitrates
Add more purigen/or carbon
Maybe increase flow
Dont keep sponge type filters in too long
Get some snails and copepods and amphipods to help clean up
Siphon substate (if you dont want to change water then siphon it through some kind of filter into a bucket then replace. You really should change water on a newer tank though. It helps keep phosphates in check.)
Do you have a protein skimmer?
Wait it out.
H202 only works for cyano I believe.

Thats all I can think of. Like I said Im new but I know what this kind thing feels like. Its damn near heart breaking because you put so much effort into it then things like this happens. People helped me so I feel I need to help someone else. Im just getting over bryopsis myself. Good luck 🖒[emoji109]

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[homer1475]

Increase flow, blow off your rocks with a turkey baster, keep nutrients in check.



It will burn out on its own if you follow those three.



I get it every once in a while. I blow off my rocks and turn up my pumps a bit and it goes away.

 

[Kmiller035]

I had the same thing about 6 months into my new tank. I cut nutrients down and did the siphoning thing with little to no lasting results. Finally covered the tank with a bed sheet for 3 days (fed the fish the 2nd) and all gone when I took the sheet off. Haven't had any issues for 2 years since.


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[tomte25]

You didn't mention what your parameters were. Are your NO3 & PO4 levels zero? I tried quite a few things when I had my outbreak including blackouts, dosing Vibrant bacteria in a bottle, and hydrogen peroxide. What I think helped get rid of them for me is bringing nutrients above zero. If you're interested, do a search on Spectracide Stump Remover for a detailed explanation. Although you might use a purer form for dosing. I used it without issue with Flourish Phosphorus for PO4. It seems to be a balancing act from what I've read to keep a low level in your system. I'm no expert. But this worked for me.


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[top shelf]

increase flow, blow off your rocks with a turkey baster, keep nutrients in check.



It will burn out on its own if you follow those three.



I get it every once in a while. I blow off my rocks and turn up my pumps a bit and it goes away.

+1