Dinoflagellates - Who's beat them?

[mcarroll]

When possible, can you post another full tank shot?

 

Any other details on what's happened since last post would be interesting too!

 

Sorry it sounds like things aren't trending toward better yet...

[Nano_Addict]

Just wanted to post an update to this thread for if (when) anyone else has this issue!  I finally beat the dinos, but it came at a steep cost.  I lost all my sps and lps corals as well as most of my zoas.  However, the fish are healthy as ever (in fact, having the fish was part of the reason I didn't take the tank down).

 

So here are the main factors I THINK helped me finally overcome the dreaded dinos:

• Increased feeding to establish a solid source of nitrate and phosphate in the tank. I purchased an autofeeder, and started adding reefroids and reef chili to the tank on a daily basis
• Slowly stirring and removing some of my sandbed.  I can't be sure, but I think my sandbed was a major contributor to the downfall of this tank.  It was old, full of junk and generally gross.
  • As part of this I purchased a pistol shrimp to do the stirring for me.  The sandbed is back in tiptop shape thanks to him **snap snap**
• Vibrant Aquarium Cleaner - I think this may have been the biggest factor in finally beating them.  Additionally, once the dinos began to fade, other algae immediately started to go crazy in the tank.  Weekly doses of Vibrant brought this in check, but it took time.  I didn't  see significant results for probably 6-8 weeks.

Other Possible contributing factors

  - I added Pods and began regularly dosing phytoplankton. 

 

There were many times where I wanted to just shut down the tank, but I'm glad I didn't.  while I may have lost all my coral, it has given me a good opportunity to do a soft reset with this tank and implement an easier style of tank to care for with fewer sps and more hardy corals in general.  In the meantime, I have lots of beautiful coraline algae to stare at!

 

Dinos can be beaten!  Cheers everyone.

[thedon986]

33 minutes ago, Nano_Addict said:

Just wanted to post an update to this thread for if (when) anyone else has this issue!  I finally beat the dinos, but it came at a steep cost.  I lost all my sps and lps corals as well as most of my zoas.  However, the fish are healthy as ever (in fact, having the fish was part of the reason I didn't take the tank down).

 

So here are the main factors I THINK helped me finally overcome the dreaded dinos:

• Increased feeding to establish a solid source of nitrate and phosphate in the tank. I purchased an autofeeder, and started adding reefroids and reef chili to the tank on a daily basis
• Slowly stirring and removing some of my sandbed.  I can't be sure, but I think my sandbed was a major contributor to the downfall of this tank.  It was old, full of junk and generally gross.
  • As part of this I purchased a pistol shrimp to do the stirring for me.  The sandbed is back in tiptop shape thanks to him **snap snap**
• Vibrant Aquarium Cleaner - I think this may have been the biggest factor in finally beating them.  Additionally, once the dinos began to fade, other algae immediately started to go crazy in the tank.  Weekly doses of Vibrant brought this in check, but it took time.  I didn't  see significant results for probably 6-8 weeks.

Other Possible contributing factors

  - I added Pods and began regularly dosing phytoplankton. 

 

There were many times where I wanted to just shut down the tank, but I'm glad I didn't.  while I may have lost all my coral, it has given me a good opportunity to do a soft reset with this tank and implement an easier style of tank to care for with fewer sps and more hardy corals in general.  In the meantime, I have lots of beautiful coraline algae to stare at!

 

Dinos can be beaten!  Cheers everyone.

Nice! I am battling some dinos right now. From the microscope pic I would say you have (had) amphidinium, which is what I just saw under my microscope. They are mainly in the sand, do not produce bubbles but will get stringy and will show up on rocks if left to get large enough in the sand. I have been siphoning them out to keep populations low. I am also about to start dosing N and P as well as a silica supplement to challenge them for nutrients and real estate with diatoms. From other things I have read, when they disappear at night they are going into the sand if they are amphidinium, which is why you didn't really need a UV. Adding pods and possibly Vibrant is on my list if silica and nutrient dosing don't work. I think I am lacking in biodiversity and was keeping my tank too clean. That backfired real hard. Keep your nutrients from bottoming out and keep pumping biodiversity into the tank and I think that is a good way to keep them at bay.

[William]

I have battled them a few times, here is what I have found that works. 
 

UV Sterilizer (properly sized): works very well for dinos that free float at night 

 

Filter Roller: Works well at removing free floating dinos 

 

slightly elevated nutrients: helps bacteria/algae compete with the dinos

 

Vibrant: seems to help in reducing Dino colony density, seems to attack them. 

 

Silicate dosing: will cause a diatom bloom, which will outcompete the dinos. In order for this to work you have to have detectable nitrate and phosphate. 

[mcarroll]

Dinoflagellates – Are You Tired Of Battling Altogether?

 

Best thread on the topic, but don't take my word for it (I'm biased), instead look at the information contained in the main post (and read it – links included, as much as possible) as well as the thousand and thousands of posts of GREAT results and go by that. 😉  (Or at least read as many as you can stand....it's almost up to 10K posts now.)

 

For what it's worth, there are some dino types that are less common and which do not respond to the same environmental corrections that most folks try. Those exceptions are addressed within that thread too, to the extent possible.  The fixes aren't as perfect for them, but we do have information on them worthy of experimentation.  Amphidinium is the most common of these "weirdos" and they are by far less common than the Dino's most folks see in their tanks.

 

This is why, even with the great solution vs Dino's available on that thread, I still emphasize getting your strain ID'd the way I do.  

 

(BTW, the exact recommendations for the solution aren't given on the main post.  They are given out in the thread after your tank is sorted out and your strain is ID'd.)

[Chris O]

I am also dealing with Dino's but wondering what everyone's thought is on Using RO/DI water on changes? I'm not sure what everyone's using for water but I know my tap water must contain organics and silicates, which silicates can cause dino's from my understanding. I know I probably should be using RO/DI water anyway but does anyone think getting a system and doing frequent changes with the RO/DI water could combat this? I saw aquaticlife is now making a 4 stage unit for $60... could be worth it in the long run.

[mcarroll]

21 minutes ago, Chris O said:

I am also dealing with Dino's but wondering what everyone's thought is on Using RO/DI water on changes? [....]silicates can cause dino's from my understanding.

With respect to the silicates, you're thinking of diatoms.

 

With respect to the Dino's, check out the link in my last thread and read as much of the main post (including links) as you can.

[William]

47 minutes ago, Chris O said:

I am also dealing with Dino's but wondering what everyone's thought is on Using RO/DI water on changes? I'm not sure what everyone's using for water but I know my tap water must contain organics and silicates, which silicates can cause dino's from my understanding. I know I probably should be using RO/DI water anyway but does anyone think getting a system and doing frequent changes with the RO/DI water could combat this? I saw aquaticlife is now making a 4 stage unit for $60... could be worth it in the long run.

You are thinking of diatoms, I Actually dosed  silicates you get rid of my dinos 

[I'm Batman]

Hey just an update I beat the Dino outbreak after about 3-4 months! Thanks to all the help from people like @Clown79 and @seabass and all the other great contributors on the forum. Microbacter 7, OceanMagik and tons of reef roids were my solution. I’m coming upon 3 years with this 20G DIY AIO. Thanks again everybody!!

[I'm Batman]

Before and after pics. Nov 2019 to June 2020.

[Firefish15]

Hey all, thanks for the information. I think I’m running into dinos as well.

[05XRunner]

I beat them on my last tank.

They started early and before they got ahold this time I started attacking them.

With all my effort I couldnt keep my nutrients up and thats what probably started them.

Once I noticed them I started dosing Nitrate and phos. I wasnt really measuring how much I was just trying to be around 10nitrate and .1pmm phos was fine if it went a little higher I didnt care.

I then did the 3day black out followed by the Dr Tims Dino combo of Refresh and waste away.

After about 2weeks they were gone and never saw them again in that tank.

Mine was the sandbed type I had a small UV in there but that didnt do anything for the one I had