very low nutrients but I still have dinos?

[foshizzle]

Ever since the interceptor treatment 6 months ago I have been battling dinoflagellates. My nutrient levels are very low so that I have seen lightening in a number of acros. I would actually like to run a little dirtier to get deeper color, but I'm afraid the dinos would take over.

How do I get rid of the dinos?

pH ~8.1
alk 8.5
Ca 400
temp ~80
SG 1.026
NO3, PO4 =0
no additives
250w reeflux 10k 8hrs, 190w vho 12 hrs
carbon bag in sump
flow is good

 

[Shawnts106]

I think Ive got the same problem...

Are you haveing a coffee, brownish colored "slimmy mat" covering your substrate? and maybe some on your rocks? on the overflow? back of tank???


Im thinking Ive got Dinoflages... but I was told here on another part that I had Cynobacteria... which I really am not thinking I do... The Slimmy Mat is far from red/red-brown... its coffee/brown...

Im 99% sure its Dinos...


Sorry to high-jack... but I must chime into this!

 

[shelburn61]

Yours actually sounds more like Cyano to me? Cyano looks more like slimey mat of goo than algae. Dark purple/brown IME.

Dinos look more algae-like IMO, kind of a golden/rusty-brown slimey fur... if that makes any sense?

 

[clkwrk]

silicates ???

 

[Satori]

I know from experience, dinos are tough. It lives on very small levels of trace elements so water changes only feed it. Leaving the lights off for days don't do anything to it. Carbon and heavy skimming doesn't seem to help.

Just siphon it and let it run it's course.

 

[marine_freak]

I tend to disagree MSM.... I had them for a spell and I did large water changes 20% weekly... I cut my lights to 4 hours a day, and siphoned off any excess dinos with water changes.... I got rid of them in 4 wks and they have not been back..... I ended up with mine after using chemi clean to fight a cyno problem.... I got rid of the cyno and picked up dinos but they are gone too... my tank has been problem free since

 

[icliao]

Just dump 1 liter (less if your tank is smaller) of RowaPhos or Phosban and it will disappear in a few days. Use it properly though a reactor with low flow. Use generous quantity in order to make it work. Water change will take forever.

 

[foshizzle]

Anyone know what actually causes a dino bloom in the first place?

I keep hearing conflicting advice on dealing with them:
1) starve the dinos out for nutrients with carbon, water changes, GFO etc.
2) nutrient (NO3, PO4) levels don't matter, you have to just wait em out
3)manual removal helps/ doesn't help

clkwrk, silicates are more important for diatoms and from what I have read the excess silicate thing is kind of a myth anyway?

 

[technoshaman]

For what its worth I had this problem (dinoflagellates) on my 215 a few months after it was set up. Water changes, skimming, carbon did nothing. I raised the ph to 8.3-8.4 and covered the tank - all lights off for 3 days and they dissaspeared never to return ! (knock on wood).

Good luck

 

[Satori]

Good point about raising the pH. In The Reef Aquarium volume 1, they say to try using a kalk drip to raise your pH to 8.4 to 8.5 for a week. I did it for 5 days but it didn't do anything. I also turned off the lights for 3 days. In the end, I just quit messing with it and it ran it's course.

 

[Amphiprion]

Dinoflagellates are quite resistant and can still thrive under low nutrient levels (take zooxanthellae, for example). I would continue the normal processes, add kalkwasser to raise pH (hence lessening CO2 dissolvability, precipitating phosphates, etc). They can and do go away eventually.

 

[Mike O'Brien]

I've just been through it. I just basically waited it out, but I was very agressive with the turkey baster several times a day to blow off as much as I could so it could be skimmed out. I did notice improvement's after WC's, but kept my regular scedule. It took about a month from start to finish and I do belive it just ran it's course and consumed whatever it was it was thriving on. Some of my coral's did suffer a bit, but I'm confident the reef will rebound just fine.

I also agree on the ph thing because my bloom came right after switching from limewater to a CR.