Blackout?

[Travis Stewart]

Is blacking out for two days safe for a mixed Reef? Need to get rid of a small Dino problem before it takes over.

 

[Crabs McJones]

Is blacking out for two days safe for a mixed Reef? Need to get rid of a small Dino problem before it takes over.

Yes, you can black out for 3 to 4 days safely.

 

[Pongo]

There's a 80% chance of thunderstorms daily for the next 8 days in Fiji.
I'm guessing those corals won't get much light either.

Go for it!

 

[Zack K]

I blacked out for 10 days to defeat Dino’s. Lost some SPS but all the softies recovered okay as well as 90% of the LPS. Just make sure to dim your lights ALOT after the blackout. Slowly ramp them back to full over the course of a week or 2.

-Zack, who agree 3-4 days safely

 

[jsker]

How long and what intestity are you running the white spectrum at?

 

[Travis Stewart]

How long and what intestity are you running the white spectrum at?

Hey man running 4 hours at peak 25% with two hour ramp up/down.

 

[Travis Stewart]

I blacked out for 10 days to defeat Dino’s. Lost some SPS but all the softies recovered okay as well as 90% of the LPS. Just make sure to dim your lights ALOT after the blackout. Slowly ramp them back to full over the course of a week or 2.

-Zack, who agree 3-4 days safely

So 2 days won’t get it huh? I have very little but enough to sblow off rocks couple times weekly.

 

[Travis Stewart]

Suggestions on what to use to cover the tank? Wanted to do a big water change tomorrow and cover it for the weekend while out of town.

 

[Travis Stewart]

RBTA will be good too I take it?

 

[hyprc]

I just clipped large black trash bags to the side of the tank and draped a breathable fabric over my radion with some space in the back for air exchange

 

[jsker]

Hey man running 4 hours at peak 25% with two hour ramp up/down.

Cut you white cycle down to 5.5 hours total.

 

[Travis Stewart]

Cut you white cycle down to 5.5 hours total.

Instead of blackout? What about running now white for two days and seeing how that does before my blackout?

 

[Pongo]

You can run all blues/UV and see how the tank does.
I tried that for 5 days at 20% intensity of my usual light schedule before trying a total blackout.

It didn't help much, the dinos returned quickly.

 

[Pongo]

The solution to my dynos was multifaceted.
They started after using NoPoX and driving the nitrates to 0.25 and phosphate to 0.0.
It was a very ugly scene. For a moment I contemplated starting over and the tank was barely 3 months old.

Increased flow and made it chaotic - as much flow as possible without moving the sand.
Reduced white channel to 15% and turned the red/green channels off.
Used my Apex Wave pumps to blow off the rocks frequently.
Used a turkey baster to stir up the sandbed every day.
Increase frequency of cleaning the filter socks.
Feed fish more.
Put in a LOT of copepods and amphipods.
Added more snails.
Patience.

Now after a year I've turned the white channel peak at 25% and the red/green channels peak at 15% for the past month.
So far, so good.

 

[Travis Stewart]

The solution to my dynos was multifaceted.
They started after using NoPoX and driving the nitrates to 0.25 and phosphate to 0.0.
It was a very ugly scene. For a moment I contemplated starting over and the tank was barely 3 months old.

Increased flow and made it chaotic - as much flow as possible without moving the sand.
Reduced white channel to 15% and turned the red/green channels off.
Used my Apex Wave pumps to blow off the rocks frequently.
Used a turkey baster to stir up the sandbed every day.
Increase frequency of cleaning the filter socks.
Feed fish more.
Put in a LOT of copepods and amphipods.
Added more snails.
Patience.

Now after a year I've turned the white channel peak at 25% and the red/green channels peak at 15% for the past month.
So far, so good.

Mine is minimal and corals are very happy. I do blow off rocks a couple times a week. I have none in my sand bed..

 

[Zack K]

Mine is minimal and corals are very happy. I do blow off rocks a couple times a week. I have none in my sand bed..

Your description sounds like Cyano to me. Dino’s are very aggressive and come on strong during the day and completely disappear at night.
-Zack

 

[Pongo]

That is very good.
I hope you never have to deal with the slimy mess I did.

 

[Travis Stewart]

Your description sounds like Cyano to me. Dino’s are very aggressive and come on strong during the day and completely disappear at night.
-Zack

Been in the hobby for a little while and have had multiple cases of cyano. It is long and stringy/slimy. In low flow it looks like it is standing straight up. Also has some air looking bubbles at some of its base.

 

[Travis Stewart]

Your description sounds like Cyano to me. Dino’s are very aggressive and come on strong during the day and completely disappear at night.
-Zack

Very accurate discription. I wondered if only running blues would help because it looks very minimal when whites are out.

 

[jsker]

Instead of blackout? What about running now white for two days and seeing how that does before my blackout?

Just try the schedule for a week