Can Dinos cause really low ORP?

[seastar]

So after reading Randy's excellent simple version of the guide to ORP, I get that ORP mostly is the battle between oxydizers and reducers. A reducer can be food, waste, dead things and probably a ton of other stuff. Would it be fair to draw a conclusion that Dino's killing microscopic things in the tank are leading to my ORP running with very low numbers? Any thoughts or solutions? Do I even need to concern myself with it?

I am running the high phos/nitrate solution (in week 2) from the master dino thread. The 13th there was during Hurricane Irma.

 

[seastar]

Tank parameters as of 5min ago

temp: 78.1
Salinity: 1.026
PH: 8.02
Alk: 10.7
Ca: 490
Mg: 1380

Dosing these next two high for combat Dinos
---------------
Nitrate: 8
Phosphate: 0.08

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

The dinos may well be releasing organic chemicals that are lowering the ORP. I wouldn't worry about the ORP aspect of the problem.

 

[seastar]

The dinos may well be releasing organic chemicals that are lowering the ORP. I wouldn't worry about the ORP aspect of the problem.

Agreed and had a chuckle with that. I realize it's a little silly to be posting about ORP during a dino infestation.

This was more or less an observation I made during all of this. Sadly I only added the probe well after the infestation began so I don't really have anything to gauge it against, but even so I was surprised by how low it is. My tank is literally a bubble factory.

Thank you for your excellent write-up on ORP btw!

 

[seastar]

I was asked to start a dino thread in one of the main two threads on curing them, so Im going to continue it here since mine is also tracking ORP which no one else over there seems to be doing.

I turned off my micro-bubbler for a bit and the ORP CRASHED down to 17 before I went into action and turned it back on. I have to run it 24/7.

 

[seastar]

Nitrate was always my problem - I ran a "hard" 0 since probably around March. I say hard meaning I think it was so low is was impeding coral growth and certainly the things that needed it to live and compete with the dinos.

Tank Params as of this morning:

Temp 77.2
Alk: 10.8
No3: 6 - dosed back up to what I think will be near 10
Po4: .17 - yesterday this was 0.12, and I didn't dose anything, so go figure

 

[mcarroll]

Sounds like you're getting on the right track!

Is this system running protein skimmer? Unless there's something strange with the plumbing, I'd think you ought to be able to just rely on that. (Is there anything notable about the sump or plumbing on the system?)

Tank looks pretty clean from the photo above (yeah, too clean) – can you post a shot that "features" some of the dino growth?

And remind me if you were able to ID your dino's with a scope yet?

I dunno if you already got to this link via the other thread or not, but if not you might like this info too:
A Nitrate Dosing Calculator For Better Tank Health (And Better Coral Color!)

 

[seastar]

Is this system running protein skimmer? Unless there's something strange with the plumbing, I'd think you ought to be able to just rely on that. (Is there anything notable about the sump or plumbing on the system?)

Yup! I have a skimmer with a 1/2" airline plumbed a short 3ft to an outdoor fresh air source. I have been opening my windows in the morning as well (I work out of the office/room that this tank is in)

Tank looks pretty clean from the photo above (yeah, too clean) – can you post a shot that "features" some of the dino growth?

Videos attached, depressed voice and all..

And remind me if you were able to ID your dino's with a scope yet?

I think so, looks to be Osteopsis and Amphidinium. (you can see both in the photo attached)

I dunno if you already got to this link via the other thread or not, but if not you might like this info too:
A Nitrate Dosing Calculator For Better Tank Health (And Better Coral Color!)

Awesome, thanks!

 

[Tjm23slo]

@mcarroll Thanks for pulling all this together. I have the fight brought on from the belief that "2 ppm" Nitrates and "0 ppm" phosphates are the goal and overdosed vinegar and GFO. I should have thought something was wrong with my Alevapora was turning white with tips of green and my setosa was turning white and Zoas were shrinking. These old methods are put on hold and Seachem Nitrogen and Phosphorus are being dose to keep numbers up Carbon to protect the livestock. Zoas are back and Setosa is regaining its orange again. There are numerous ratios out there on N. 4:3 or 16:1 or 10:1, looking to see if there is one that others have found to work best. It seems that I should me more concerned with having ~0.08- 0.12 ppm of Phosphate at a minimum and let the Nitrate fall where is falls. Thoughts?

Have you seen success with the paper towel method to extract dino's?

Using 2 filter socks one inside the other. Wrap the inner on with layers of paper towel as a diatom filter, change daily. This would act in lieu of a UV or diatom filter. I am experimenting with this while blowing off the rocks and aerating/turkey basting the substrate 2 times per day. Once mid day and once after lights out. First 24 hours yielded lots of brown stuff in 3 of the 4 layers of paper towel.

Sounds like you're getting on the right track!

I dunno if you already got to this link via the other thread or not, but if not you might like this info too:
A Nitrate Dosing Calculator For Better Tank Health (And Better Coral Color!)

 

[Onthefly]

Sorry for the thread resurrection....

I have developed a huge Dino issue myself recently. Osteoposis confirmation....I've started all the appropriate measures per the Dino's thread (Thanks @mcarroll & @taricha...one of the best threads EVER!).

Reason why I'm bumping this....my ORP had been dropping over the last few weeks (from 380 down to 270) as the bloom took hold. As soon as I put the UV on last night (plumbed to the DT)...my ORP has been rising steadily ever since....it's no longer "low tide" in my family room. Hard to say if the slime is less yet, but the corals that were showing signs of stress (one dig and one birds nest) have polyps out and more color. Purely anecdotal at this point....Just wanted to highlight my observation between UV starting and the increase in ORP.

 

[taricha]

As soon as I put the UV on last night (plumbed to the DT)...my ORP has been rising steadily ever since....it's no longer "low tide" in my family room. Hard to say if the slime is less yet, but the corals that were showing signs of stress (one dig and one birds nest) have polyps out and more color. Purely anecdotal at this point....Just wanted to highlight my observation between UV starting and the increase in ORP.

UV can oxidize some substances in aquarium water, and thus might raise ORP.
UV also kills dino cells by directly irradiating them.

both those things happen, but it's not like one (raised ORP) directly causes the other (dead dinos)