Another Dyno Question Here........

[Carz]

I have a 250 main display with the sump in the basement. Sump holds another 40 gallons. The system is coming up on 2 years old and things look good and parameters are where I want them and corals are growing.

No Dynos in the system................life is good.

However when I add another 40 gallons of water to my frag tank Dynos break out in the frag tank only.

-Frag tank is made from cast acrylic and I have 4 frag racks made from cast acrylic in the tank. (thinking the silicates is the problem)
-Frag tank drains from the bottom into my main sump connected to my main display.
-Frag tank lights are T5's

First Dyno break out in the frag tank I drained it to avoid a break out in the main display. I cleaned the frag tank and tried again 3 months later and the same thing happened so I drained the frag tank again and now looking how to stop the Dyno breakout in the frag tank. I want this all to run on the same system but just not working out so far.

Any suggestion or help please.

 

[MnFish1]

so - just to be clear - you have a frag tank - attached to your main tank - the parameters are the same? What are the 'numbers' in the frag tank - vs the main tank? Where are the Dinos 'breaking out' - on the corals or on the bottom...

 

[Carz]

Frag tank is connected to the main display. All the same water going in the whole system. Dynos break out on the frag tank walls, racks and start to get on the frags, but thats when I stopped the frag tank and put the frags on racks in my main display.

 

[Carz]

After the frag tank is torn down, no dynos ever showed up in my main system

 

[MnFish1]

Frag tank is connected to the main display. All the same water going in the whole system. Dynos break out on the frag tank walls, racks and start to get on the frags, but thats when I stopped the frag tank and put the frags on racks in my main display.

my 'GUESS' is that its the flow - in your frag tank. As compared to the display. Did you have additional pumps - etc. PS - Dinos on the walls shouldn't hurt anything. And - are you sure they were Dinos?

 

[attiland]

I would put some live rock over from the main tank. The bacteria cultures clearly not the same. The frag tank is missing something not going over just by the flow. While dinos present in the main tank the can’t trive there while in the frag tank there is no competition

 

[MnFish1]

I would put some live rock over from the main tank. The bacteria cultures clearly not the same. The frag tank is missing something not going over just by the flow. While dinos present in the main tank the can’t trive there while in the frag tank there is no competition

This doesn't make sense to me. Its the same water volume. The water is continuous - it doesnt matter if its from another tank or not. IMHO its the bare surface area - that they are taking care of - thats whats not available in your display (empty surface)

 

[Carz]

I was leaning on the surface of the frag tank not having the bacteria on it while the main display has a good amount on it

 

[Carz]

was thinking of trying adding some media from my sump to the frag tank and no lights for a month or so? Thoughts

 

[lelandmarine]

Maybe i missed it, whats the lighting on the main tank

 

[Carz]

T5/kessils

 

[ScottB]

I have thread around here somewhere on this exact topic. My frag system is composed of 3 separate tanks now, but began as just one tank. Each time I added a new tank, it would break out with dinos. The "old" tank would be fine. Even when I added a new sump/refugium it too broke out.

Every mature, diverse system has some dinos in it. But they are outcompeted by bacterial film, film algae, algae, coralline and microfauna galore.

That new tank has none of these competitors yet, so the dominant microorganism becomes dinos.

Here is what you do:
a) Make sure you have ample nitrates and phosphates in the system. I like 10/.1
b) Slap a UV on the frag system running to/from the affected tank. 1 watt per 3 gallons. slow flow.
c) You can run some carbon just in case it is a toxic variety
d) Do you have a microscope? Getting an ID on the species helps with treatment plans
e) As long as your system remains stable, and sufficient nutrients remain available your display is safe from a dino explosion. After all, where do you think they came from?
f) Poor man's UV: clamp a bunch of filter floss to your glass in high light/flow areas. Toward the end of each day, remove, rinse, replace.

 

[Carz]

Leave the lights out??? on the frag tank

 

[attiland]

This doesn't make sense to me. Its the same water volume. The water is continuous - it doesnt matter if its from another tank or not. IMHO its the bare surface area - that they are taking care of - thats whats not available in your display (empty surface)

Bacteria in question lives in surfaces not in the water column. The rest has been explained by @ScottB

 

[attiland]

Leave the lights out??? on the frag tank

Don’t think it will help though if the tank is without coral you can do that yet to keep the dinos in the water.

Something to read. https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/dinoflagellates-–-are-you-tired-of-battling-altogether.293318

 

[1guydude]

Dinoflagellates is an algae

 

[attiland]

Dinoflagellates is an algae

you must have done extensive research.

Sorry I couldn’t help myself

 

[MnFish1]

Bacteria in question lives in surfaces not in the water column. The rest has been explained by @ScottB

I think you are totally incorrect. Its spread through the water column. right? Do you think it only expands from rock to rock? If so - how did it get to your rock/tank in the first place. Of course - it can move through the water column. And I disagree with ScottB. The nutrients in your DT have the same nutrients as in your frag tank - if they are connected. By the way - in part what Scott B and I were saying was the same (maybe you didnt read my post) - I said its the bare new area - with nothing else on it - than can allow Dinos to grow.

 

[ScottB]

I think you are totally incorrect. Its spread through the water column. right? Do you think it only expands from rock to rock? If so - how did it get to your rock/tank in the first place. Of course - it can move through the water column. And I disagree with ScottB. The nutrients in your DT have the same nutrients as in your frag tank - if they are connected. By the way - in part what Scott B and I were saying was the same (maybe you didnt read my post) - I said its the bare new area - with nothing else on it - than can allow Dinos to grow.

I don't see any disagreement with respect to nutrient. If the system (DT & FT) does not have enough nutrient, the existing film bacteria, algae etc will weaken and the dinos will take over the system guaranteed.

 

[MnFish1]

I don't see any disagreement with respect to nutrient. If the system (DT & FT) does not have enough nutrient, the existing film bacteria, algae etc will weaken and the dinos will take over the system guaranteed.

my point was if the water was coming from the DT - and if it was 'nutrient driven' as compared to 'space driven' - there should be no Dinos. In other words - I think this is multifactorial - and I disagree that Dino's will take over 'guaranteed'. For example - many people use an algae reactor - in order to keep algae from growing in their tanks. Its the same principal.