Dinos Never Go Away

[Noobeef]

Been a while since I posted. I know there are other topics, but I thought I'd post a new one since I've done just about everything I can thing of with this situation. Here's what I've done.

 

• Multiple 3-4 day blackouts, twice with the tank completely covered. 
• Manual Removal (as best I can since it disintegrates when you get near it) 
• Dino X dosing during blackouts and not during blackouts (I should own stock in that company).
• Beneficial Bacteria dosing
• Raised the PH to high levels
• Multiple water changes, some up to 50%.
• Letting the nitrates and phosphates go up since I've read that dinos can thrive in water that's zeros across the board.
• 55 Watt UV sterilizer. Now in fairness, the UV sterilizer DID work. I was dino-free for the 10 days I was running it. But when I turned it off, the dinos were coming back in about a day in a half.

 

I guess I could run the UV sterilizer everyday, but I'd rather not have that thing chugging 24/7. Has anybody else had any success doing something I have not listed? I am so tired of this fight. I have never had a battle last this long with anything.

 

[Clown79]

Waterchanges are the worst thing you can do to get rid of dino's. They thrive on new water.

 

 

Dino's are always present but thrive in systems with a lack of nutrients and biodiversity.

Their main competitor is pods.

 

Uv and dino x only work on some strains.

Uv must be run in the actual display tank.

 

Black outs don't work on dino's, reduced photo period just slows them down, total black out does the same.

Additional flow actual promotes their spread, same with waterchanges, adding amino's etc.

 

Check out the full process of what I did for my lagoon in my journal starts on PG 7.. It's very detailed but it worked. Within a month the problem was corrected.

[Noobeef]

1 hour ago, Clown79 said:

Waterchanges are the worst thing you can do to get rid of dino's. They thrive on new water.

 

 

Dino's are always present but thrive in systems with a lack of nutrients and biodiversity.

Their main competitor is pods.

 

Uv and dino x only work on some strains.

Uv must be run in the actual display tank.

 

Black outs don't work on dino's, reduced photo period just slows them down, total black out does the same.

Additional flow actual promotes their spread, same with waterchanges, adding amino's etc.

 

Check out the full process of what I did for my lagoon in my journal starts on PG 7.. It's very detailed but it worked. Within a month the problem was corrected.

Well, I know the UV sterilizer worked for me because it had been 2 months of never getting the upper hand. I used that thing and it immediately took them out, like withing 48 hours of it running I had none. I just don't want to run a giant UV sterilizer all the time. I know I read somewhere that one type of dino in particular is very susceptible to UV because it goes into the water column at night. 

 

You mention pods in your plan of attack. What kind of pods did you get? There are several different varieties.

[Clown79]

7 hours ago, Noobeef said:

Well, I know the UV sterilizer worked for me because it had been 2 months of never getting the upper hand. I used that thing and it immediately took them out, like withing 48 hours of it running I had none. I just don't want to run a giant UV sterilizer all the time. I know I read somewhere that one type of dino in particular is very susceptible to UV because it goes into the water column at night. 

 

You mention pods in your plan of attack. What kind of pods did you get? There are several different varieties.

Tisbe, rotifers, first then I added tigger later on.

 

Dino's are always present in the tank, they are a natural part of the ecosystem.

 

When conditions are favourable in the tank they flourish and become an issue.

 

You could have a different strain now.

 

UV can be beneficial but hasn't worked for everyone and sometimes multiple approaches need to be taken. 

 

the underlying cause may not have been corrected with UV use and that's why they are flourishing again. 

[Thrassian Atoll]

It really depends on what type you have.  If it’s large cell amphidinium there is nothing you can really do.  I have them right now, but they stay in my sand at all times and I just suck them out during my weekly water change and go about my business.  I was super worried about them, but they aren’t doing any harm besides making my sand look like crap. I am just going to keep doing what I am doing.  
 

If it is the other types UV should be able to take care of them which it sounds like yours did.  I would definitely turn it back on.  I bought a cheap microscope to see what I was dealing with.

[Tamberav]

What size is the tank? I dropped in a 10 watt small one into the IM back chamber on a 25g and it did the job without needing a giant 55 watt one or even a seperate pump for it. 

 

I have a large UV as well and the only difference I saw was the large one cleared it up in 12-24 hours and the small one cleared it in a few days.

[Noobeef]

5 hours ago, Tamberav said:

What size is the tank? I dropped in a 10 watt small one into the IM back chamber on a 25g and it did the job without needing a giant 55 watt one or even a seperate pump for it. 

 

I have a large UV as well and the only difference I saw was the large one cleared it up in 12-24 hours and the small one cleared it in a few days.

It's a big tank (180g display). My first tank years ago was a nano, so this was the first forum I joined. The people here always seemed more knowledgeable than on other forums. 

 

8 hours ago, Clown79 said:

Tisbe, rotifers, first then I added tigger later on.

 

Dino's are always present in the tank, they are a natural part of the ecosystem.

 

When conditions are favourable in the tank they flourish and become an issue.

 

You could have a different strain now.

 

UV can be beneficial but hasn't worked for everyone and sometimes multiple approaches need to be taken. 

 

the underlying cause may not have been corrected with UV use and that's why they are flourishing again. 

Thank you. I will order some pods. I know they are always present, I just hope I can curb them so I don't have to pull out the UV every couple days. 

[Noobeef]

So I ordered pods and some phytoplankton to feed them. After a couple days, the tide started to turn and the dinos started to go away. But after 2-3 days they came roaring back even worse than before. I'm honestly not sure what to do at this point. Part of me is starting to wonder if I should give my fish back to the LFS, empty the tank completely and get all new rock and sand. If the tank wasn't 180 gallons and impossible to move, I likely would just say screw it and throw the tank out. I've had it with this battle.

[mcarroll]

Late to the party as usual.  SORRY!  😉

 

On 4/2/2020 at 5:01 PM, Noobeef said:

• Multiple 3-4 day blackouts, twice with the tank completely covered. 
• Manual Removal (as best I can since it disintegrates when you get near it) 
• Dino X dosing during blackouts and not during blackouts (I should own stock in that company).
• Beneficial Bacteria dosing
• Raised the PH to high levels
• Multiple water changes, some up to 50%.

...all bupkis.

 

On 4/2/2020 at 5:01 PM, Noobeef said:

• Letting the nitrates and phosphates go up since I've read that dinos can thrive in water that's zeros across the board.
• 55 Watt UV sterilizer. Now in fairness, the UV sterilizer DID work. I was dino-free for the 10 days I was running it. But when I turned it off, the dinos were coming back in about a day in a half.

"letting them go up" makes it sound like you were holding them down.  How?

 

Unfortunately you're kind of implementing random solutions vs taking a strategic or tactical approach.  That's guaranteed to be a win some/lose some situation.....no real expectation of victory.

 

Check out the main page on my dino thread....try to read and digest the whole main page, links included.  (Either post in the thread if you have questions, or post here....these days I'm only here tho.)

Dinoflagellates – Are You Tired Of Battling Altogether?

 

Assessing and fixing your tank should be the first item on your agenda – whatever caused the bloom in the first place.

 

Often the cause is over-filtration on top of a deep lack of bio-diversity, but sometimes it's just a simple lack of nutrients.

 

So what are your filtration, nutrient management and cleaning routines like?

How old is the tank?

How is the tank set up for lighting, heat and flow?

Did you use live rock?

What are your test results for everything?  (especially phosphates)

 

Please also post a full tank pic that shows as much as possible.

 

Do you have a microscope?

[justinkdenny]

On 4/2/2020 at 4:22 PM, Clown79 said:

Waterchanges are the worst thing you can do to get rid of dino's. They thrive on new water.

 

 

Dino's are always present but thrive in systems with a lack of nutrients and biodiversity.

Their main competitor is pods.

 

Uv and dino x only work on some strains.

Uv must be run in the actual display tank.

 

Black outs don't work on dino's, reduced photo period just slows them down, total black out does the same.

Additional flow actual promotes their spread, same with waterchanges, adding amino's etc.

 

Check out the full process of what I did for my lagoon in my journal starts on PG 7.. It's very detailed but it worked. Within a month the problem was corrected.

I followed Clown79's advice and finally defeated it.  It can be done. Don't give up! Mine took longer than most I think. It was like 5 or 6 months to defeat them and now all is good in my little reef.

[justinkdenny]

1 hour ago, mcarroll said:

Late to the party as usual.  SORRY!  😉

 

...all bupkis.

 

"letting them go up" makes it sound like you were holding them down.  How?

 

Unfortunately you're kind of implementing random solutions vs taking a strategic or tactical approach.  That's guaranteed to be a win some/lose some situation.....no real expectation of victory.

 

Check out the main page on my dino thread....try to read and digest the whole main page, links included.  (Either post in the thread if you have questions, or post here....these days I'm only here tho.)

Dinoflagellates – Are You Tired Of Battling Altogether?

 

Assessing and fixing your tank should be the first item on your agenda – whatever caused the bloom in the first place.

 

Often the cause is over-filtration on top of a deep lack of bio-diversity, but sometimes it's just a simple lack of nutrients.

 

So what are your filtration, nutrient management and cleaning routines like?

How old is the tank?

How is the tank set up for lighting, heat and flow?

Did you use live rock?

What are your test results for everything?  (especially phosphates)

 

Please also post a full tank pic that shows as much as possible.

 

Do you have a microscope?

Mccarroll helped me out alot too.  Always read his advice!