Re-starting tank ?'s

[E.Rude]

I've been dealing with dino's for a while now and I'm honestly at my wits-end. I'm considering a last-ditch effort to save my interest in this tank, which would be a full tear-down and cleaning.

Rather than buying all new rock and sand, would bleaching the rock for a few days in FW rid them of dinos? I know it would kill the rock, but I really like the shape of the rocks I have. I would replace the sand and give the system a proper cleaning.

 

[dave.m]

Dinoflagelates are a natural step in breaking in a new tank and can be expected to last a few weeks. Usually you just vacuum them out. Also, you can filter for silicates. You have not mentioned here what steps you've taken or how long you had the problem. You should also check/replace your RO/DI's filters to ensure you are not reimporting nutrients.

Dave.M

 

[E.Rude]

This has been going on for months. I've done numerous black-outs, with the tank wrapped in a tarp, some for up to a week. I've reduced photoperiods. I've stopped water changes for a month. I've ran PhosBan, I've not run PhosBan. I've changed salts. Every time I do a water change the dino's reappear. Every few days I siphon the rocks through a 100 micron filter sock into the sump. I don't use a RODI. I have a Kati-Ani and have regenerated the resins. 0 TDS.

 

[dave.m]

Well, I think you have just stated the obvious for yourself. You say every time you do a water change you get a new dino outbreak. Start using a good quality RO/DI system to generate your source water.

Dave.M

 

[E.Rude]

I was under the impression (as counterintuitive as it seemed) that Dino's thrive on good water? I read this in several places, including threads on RC. If a new RODI is the answer, that's awesome. Am I misunderstanding something?

 

[dave.m]

All algae thrive on nutrients like nitrates and phosphates, sunlight and oxygen. Dinos also need silicates to form their tests. Limiting any one of these can affect algae growth, but if you want to target dinos specifically you must start with the best quality water you can, including RO/DI filtration. Testing your product water for silicates can also tell you if you need to filter specifically for silicates, especially if they are heavy in your local water.

Dave.M

 

[Aqua Chemist]

Spectrapure works awesome for me. Bit pricy but well worth the product

 

[E.Rude]

I'm going to try RODI water on my next water change. If my source water is feeding the Dino's I'll probably go with a water-saver unit from TFG's. I go through a lot of water.

 

[jjk_reef00]

A good RODI is a must IMO. I had a bunch of algae problems in my FOWLR and figured out that I wasn't replacing my RODI enough because I also go through a lot of water.
It took me a few months to get my algae under control, I also used algae fix which seemed to help a little. I probably wouldn't add that to a reef though.
Don't skimp on RODI and track your water use because you may need to replace the cartridges more often than recommended.

The other thing is food. I use to feed a bunch of cubes that would 'feed' the algae. Now I try to feed larger foods so my fish eat most of it.