vinegar dosing and dinoflagellates

[Potsy]

I have a 50 gallon tank with what I think might be dinoflagellates. I currently dose vinegar at 10ml per day. My parameters are 1.025 sg, 8.2 pH, 80 - 81F, 10dkh, 0 nitrate, no measurable phosphate (according to salifert), 1400 ppm Mg.

Should I stop dosing vinegar? Can dinoflagellates utilize carbon dosing as a food source?

 

[Dave & Monica]

How old is the tank? 10ml is really a small amount, and I think you need to follow the carbon plan to increase (while testing) to find the point when NO3 and PO4 are going down.

 

[Potsy]

I actually did follow the plan. With only four small fish, the largest a royal gramma, the tank isn't heavily stocked. When I started with the vinegar, my nitrates were at 10-15ppm, once I got it under 2ppm, with 20ml daily, I cut the dose in half and the levels have remained steady. I don't want an ulns because I'm all softie and lps. My salifert phosphate kit has never registered any phosphate.

 

[bertoni]

You could try shifting the mix to a bit more vodka, or dialing back on the vinegar. I'm not sure which would be safer. Either can fuel various microbial blooms.

 

[Dave & Monica]

From what I've read, Jonathan is right. It's said first cut back. Also, Vinegar causes less algae than Vodka. I'm running a 70% vodka, and 30% Vinegar mix, but still ramping up to get the reduction. Hope someone else can chime in.

 

[tmz]

Well I'm not sure it's dinoflagellates or if it's a bacterial bloom or cyano bacteria? How well is your skimmer working?
I've never heard of dinos being associated with vinegar dosing but I suppose it could be. As specualtion, the vinegar if dosed all at once will dramatically lower ph short term as it brings in quantities of CO2 and dinos need CO2 . Either vodka or vinegar will lower it a bit long term but vodka does not have the precipitous short term effect and can be dosed all at once. The ph drop might help dinos which wane when ph slips out of their range of tolerance as they may be unable to control their internal ph very well compared t other organisms other organisms according to a number of reports. Couldn't say this is the problem though. Perhaps the dinos like the acetate . Many are using vinegar without any reports of dinos as an outcome of which I am aware and plenty of aquairums get them without vinegar dosing.

This article by Randy Farley has more:

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-11/rhf/index.php

 

[Potsy]

Well I'm not sure it's dinoflagellates or if it's a bacterial bloom or cyano bacteria? How well is your skimmer working?
I've never heard of dinos being associated with vinegar dosing but I suppose it could be. As specualtion, the vinegar if dosed all at once will dramatically lower ph short term as it brings in quantities of CO2 and dinos need CO2 . Either vodka or vinegar will lower it a bit long term but vodka does not have the precipitous short term effect and can be dosed all at once. The ph drop might help dinos which wane when ph slips out of their range of tolerance as they may be unable to control their internal ph very well compared t other organisms other organisms according to a number of reports. Couldn't say this is the problem though. Perhaps the dinos like the acetate . Many are using vinegar without any reports of dinos as an outcome of which I am aware and plenty of aquairums get them without vinegar dosing.

This article by Randy Farley has more:

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-11/rhf/index.php

Thanks for the link. I'm pretty sure they're dinos judging by their stringy, bubbly appearance, and their habit of disappearing at night only reappear during the full photoperiod (they don't bloom under the blue+ bulbs). I would think a bacterial bloom would be unaffected by darkness.

I'm going to try raising my pH and see what happens.

Thanks.

 

[tmz]

I've had luck on a friend's tank on a heavy infestaion with manual removal via sucking them up with a turkey baster along with stabilizing ph . It took daily removal over the course of a week . I haven't had many over the years in my system but have had a few. Removing and a bit of attention to ph works in that system.

God luck

 

[Potsy]

Removing and a bit of attention to ph works in that system.

God luck

By stabilizing the pH, do mean maintaining at a higher level or consistently within ideal normal ranges?

Did you alter your friend's tank's photoperiod? I'm assuming you sucked the dinos out after they've formed bubbly strings during the photoperiod, yes?

Thanks.

 

[tmz]

Just holding it in an acceptable range. A llittle on the high side seems better ie 8.2 to 8.4. highs. Some go higher but I fret about starting some clacium carbonate precipitation.


I did not reduce the photo period, thinking less photosyntesis in genral would lower ph. During lights on , I placed the tip of the turtkey baster at the base of the dino with the bulb to the baster squeezed . On release teh dino comes up the tube which is expelled into a waster container( plastic coffee can). It took about 15 minutes each day and was tedious but effective.