Dino Battle - Silicate Dosing and Testing..what test kit?

joe-ejs · Oct 23, 2023

Hello, So I have determined that I have Dino's on my sandbed..specifally Amphidinium Large Cell. I believe this happened because my nutrients bottomed out. I am dosing NeoPhos to get phosphates detectable and then NeoNitrade. Shooting for a target of 10/.1. Meanwhile I need to dose silicates per the thread here. They recommend the Hanna Hi705 ULR silicate test kit, but it is no longer available through BRS.

I was wondering what others are using to test silicates, and also what has your experience been with this treatment plan?

Thanks

Miami Reef · Oct 23, 2023

You don’t need a silicate test kit. You can dose once a week to encourage diatoms.

Here’s how to determine dosing amounts. I’ll assume that you want 17 mM (1 ppm SiO2) dosing, and you can scale from there. If the concentration of the supplement is 29% silica by weight (41° Baume), then it is 290,000 ppm silica. To get to 1 ppm silica, you then need to dilute by 290,000 fold. If you add 1.3 grams of this supplement (0.96 mL) to a tank with 100 gallons (378,500 mL), then the final concentration will be about 17 mM (1 ppm SiO2). I’d disperse the concentrated silicate solution into some fresh water before adding it to the tank, and then add it to a high flow area. Because the pH is high, you likely will see some cloudiness that is mostly magnesium hydroxide. The magnesium hydroxide will dissolve without a problem, but to be safe, add the supplement in a high flow area.

Silica In Reef Aquariums

Why would I recommend dosing silica? Largely because creatures in our tanks use it, the concentrations in our tanks (at least in mine) are below natural levels, and the sponges, mollusks, and diatoms may not be getting enough to thrive.

reefs.com

If you want to use a silica test, this is a good one (I use it myself) https://www.hannainst.com/hi705-sil...MIxr-Lk9iMggMVrIJaBR2iOwoYEAQYASABEgKE6_D_BwE

joe-ejs · Oct 23, 2023

Miami Reef said:
You don’t need a silicate test kit. You can dose once a week to encourage diatoms.

Silica In Reef Aquariums

Why would I recommend dosing silica? Largely because creatures in our tanks use it, the concentrations in our tanks (at least in mine) are below natural levels, and the sponges, mollusks, and diatoms may not be getting enough to thrive.

reefs.com

If you want to use a silica test, this is a good one (I use it myself) https://www.hannainst.com/hi705-sil...MIxr-Lk9iMggMVrIJaBR2iOwoYEAQYASABEgKE6_D_BwE

Miami Reef, so if I dose to encourage diatoms to repopulate the sand bed, is it going to trigger a diatom bloom? Anything I need to know?

Randy Holmes-Farley · Oct 23, 2023

That's the goal: to drive diatoms. You can always dose less if it seems a problem.

Miami Reef · Oct 23, 2023

joe-ejs said:
Miami Reef, so if I dose to encourage diatoms to repopulate the sand bed, is it going to trigger a diatom bloom? Anything I need to know?

You might grow diatoms on the glass and powerheads. The diatoms are beneficial. I dose silica in my tank despite never encountering Dinos.

As Randy said, if they become too bothersome, lower the dose. Higher phosphates are going to help you beat them, too. Good luck.

bradreef · Oct 23, 2023

On the DIno facebook group it is commonly said that it is near impossible to hurt your tank and coral with too many silicates. you simply stop once you aren't seeing any dinos in your microscope and then monitor. That will allow the silicate to dissipate and the diatoms to eventually go away.

Keko21 · Oct 23, 2023

I used the Seachem one $17 worked just fine.

saltyhog · Oct 23, 2023

The hobby kits we have here in the states are awful IME. I dosed 2ppm of water glass daily and got an ICP after about 2 weeks and adjusted accordingly.

There's really no consequences to over dosing silicate other than a diatom bloom that lasts longer after dinos are gone. I've seen ICP documented levels of over 200 ppm with zero effect on corals and livestock. I don't even recommend testing, even the ICP test I did wasn't really necessary.

joe-ejs · Oct 24, 2023

Miami Reef said:
You might grow diatoms on the glass and powerheads. The diatoms are beneficial. I dose silica in my tank despite never encountering Dinos.

As Randy said, if they become too bothersome, lower the dose. Higher phosphates are going to help you beat them, too. Good luck.

So I have been dosing now for a week at 35ml of NeoPhos per day and now have detectable phosphates around .07-.08ppm or so. I also stopped dosing Nitrate when I started the higher 35ml daily dose of Neophos per guidance from another thread on battling Dino's. It states that dosing Nitrate would drop the phosphates. Currently my nitrates are zero. Should I start now to dose Nitrate to get to a Nitrate / Phosphate ratio of 10/.1 or should I hold off?

Thanks

Miami Reef · Oct 24, 2023

joe-ejs said:
So I have been dosing now for a week at 35ml of NeoPhos per day and now have detectable phosphates around .07-.08ppm or so. I also stopped dosing Nitrate when I started the higher 35ml daily dose of Neophos per guidance from another thread on battling Dino's. It states that dosing Nitrate would drop the phosphates. Currently my nitrates are zero. Should I start now to dose Nitrate to get to a Nitrate / Phosphate ratio of 10/.1 or should I hold off?

Thanks

Dose the nitrates now. The ratio isn’t important.

Phosphates: 0.02-0.10ppm
Nitrates: 2-10ppm.

Above that the range is better than below it.

If you are battling dinos, phosphates at 0.10ppm seems to be the ideal target value.

joe-ejs · Oct 24, 2023

Miami Reef said:
Dose the nitrates now. The ratio isn’t important.

Phosphates: 0.02-0.10ppm
Nitrates: 2-10ppm.

Above that the range is better than below it.

If you are battling dinos, phosphates at 0.10ppm seems to be the ideal target value.

Thanks Miami Reef. I will restart by Nitrate Dosing. I am battling Dino's, specifically Amphidinium. Low Nutrients in my tank caused it. I will start to add the Nitrate Dosing. Next step is to dose Silicate to get my Diatom population established/re-established.

Lesson Learned regarding Low Nutrients...don't let them bottom out.