Dino ID help, Please!

[JKSmith]

I think it's either Prorocentrum or Amphidinium but not sure which. Tank is 3 months old. Thanks in advance for any assistance!

https://youtube.com/shorts/EmdMPis6Iog?feature=share

https://youtube.com/shorts/MxHqSOZU1kA?feature=share

 

[dwest]

Amphidinium. I see the beak and moves like a roomba.

Dinoflagellate Identification Guide

I've had this laying around for a while. Had some recent interest, so I tweaked it a bit and am posting it. Not really about cures just ID pictures, videos, and a few short facts. Hope it can be helpful.

www.reef2reef.com

 

[JKSmith]

Wow, thanks so much for the prompt response! How can you tell?

 

[dwest]

Wow, thanks so much for the prompt response! How can you tell?

I used the guide from @taricha above.

 

[JKSmith]

Sorry, I will read link, was so excited that I got an awnser I missed the link! lol. Thanks again!!

 

[vetteguy53081]

Im thinking prorocentrum bu disk and swimming motion. Its biological deficiencies that are causing the dino structure and tank is already doomed.
No light is first key followed by the addition of bacteria to overcome the bad bacteria allowing them to thrive
Prepare by starting by blowing this stuff loose with a turkey baster and siphon up loose particles. Turn lights off (at least white and run blue at 10-15% IF you have light dependant corals) for 5 days and at night dose 1ml of 3% hydrogen peroxide per 10 gallons for all 5 nights. If you dont have light dependent coral- turn all lights off. During the day dose 1ml of liquid bacteria (such as micro bacter 7 or XLM) per 10 gallons. Clean filters daily and DO NOT FEED CORAL FOODS OR ADD NOPOX
You can feed fish as normal and if doing blackout, ambient light in room will work for them

 

[dwest]

It could be prorocentrum. I do see the structure in the center. Hmmm

 

[JKSmith]

Well, for background, if it makes any difference, I have never let nutients totally bottom out. Close, but never zero. Phosphates have been between .05 and .1 and I HAD been keeping nitrates around 3. Since this outbreak I have increased my NeoNitro dosing and am maintaining between 10 and 15 now on Nitrates. I also have added a ton of copopods and amphipods, almost since the beginning, and have added live phyto on a regular basis since then. 165g total volume. Salinity steady at 34.8 ppm, Alk 8.2, (dose Fusion 2 part) Cal 500. Prob 10-15 small frags, 10-12 fish, big CUC, refugium full of rubble rock. 20 % wc every 2 weeks. Here's what changed and what I suspect may be the cause. : I started adding adding 5 ml KZ FlatwormStop daily about 3 weeks prior to emergence of the orange patchs on the sandbed. I stopped as soon as I noticed in case it was the cause.

 

[taricha]

the beak is a better indicator. The dino in the videos is Large cell amphidinium

 

[dwest]

Well, for background, if it makes any difference, I have never let nutients totally bottom out. Close, but never zero. Phosphates have been between .05 and .1 and I HAD been keeping nitrates around 3. Since this outbreak I have increased my NeoNitro dosing and am maintaining between 10 and 15 now on Nitrates. I also have added a ton of copopods and amphipods, almost since the beginning, and have added live phyto on a regular basis since then. 165g total volume. Salinity steady at 34.8 ppm, Alk 8.2, (dose Fusion 2 part) Cal 500. Prob 10-15 small frags, 10-12 fish, big CUC, refugium full of rubble rock. 20 % wc every 2 weeks. Here's what changed and what I suspect may be the cause. : I started adding adding 5 ml KZ FlatwormStop daily about 3 weeks prior to emergence of the orange patchs on the sandbed. I stopped as soon as I noticed in case it was the cause.

You might want to do nothing. Or you may want to try silica dosing. Or something else. I would read first.

Amphidinium Dinoflagellate Treatment Methods

This thread is a spin-off from the @mcarroll very successful Dino thread The purpose is to discuss methods for removal and fighting against a particular strain of dinoflagellate - Large Cell Amphidinium. It seems to make up about a third of the cases of dinos. The reason this strain gets its...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[JKSmith]

the beak is a better indicator. The dino in the videos is Large cell amphidinium

Thanks so much everyone for the great information and ID! I am going to try to maintain my current conditions for now and see what happens. Anyone think it might be connected to my use of KZ FlatwormStop? (Stopped as soon as I saw Dinos)

 

[doubleshot00]

Thanks so much everyone for the great information and ID! I am going to try to maintain my current conditions for now and see what happens. Anyone think it might be connected to my use of KZ FlatwormStop? (Stopped as soon as I saw Dinos)

Silica dosing if it gets worse.

How bad does the tank look?

 

[thedon986]

Thanks so much everyone for the great information and ID! I am going to try to maintain my current conditions for now and see what happens. Anyone think it might be connected to my use of KZ FlatwormStop? (Stopped as soon as I saw Dinos)

I think it's possible that using that killed off other things as well, possibly dino competitors.

 

[Court_Appointed_Hypeman]

I had those, to deal with it I...
Dosed Nitrates, Phosphates to keep above 0 free

Dosed phyto .5ml per gallon
Dosed silica, 1 drop per 3 gallons
Ran a mean green uv at night slightly oversized in the display

Dosed 2ml microbacter7 per 40 gallons

Added 1lbs of very live rock with tons of algaes, isopods and amphipods

I manually removed dinos from rock by using a felt filtersock and bruching the rock right after lights out every couple days.

Once I added the rock and other algaes started it no longer required removal and started disappearing on its own.

I am guessing the manual removal might not be necessary after seeing how adding microbial life diversity made the dinos disappear, but if it's covering a ton of surface, I would remove some just so your CUC doesn't get poisoned.

My dinos came right after my diatom phase at about 2 months, and disappeared about
5 weeks into that regimen. It took over my entire tank before I realized it was dinos, every surface had it. Didn't known it was amphidium until i got a microscope about 3 weeks into fighting it with that regimen, it could have been more than the one kind prior to me seeing them.

 

[JKSmith]

I think I am getting on them early so, hopefully, that will work in my favor. Tank is not bad, yet. One orange patch behind rock wall that disappears at night but comes back every day once the lights have been on awhile, and some light orange "dusting" in a couple of other places. . Conchs seem to like it and stay in the patch constantly. Also forgot to mention that I am running a 25w UV 24/7, but with Amphidinium, that's no help. I will order silicates today and start that dosing as soon as it arrives. I have more pods and live phyto coming as well. Thanks again everyone for all of the advice and info! Will see what happens.

 

[JKSmith]

the beak is a better indicator. The dino in the videos is Large cell amphidinium

I am still absorbing all of the great info you and others have provided and so I apologize for asking this, but I want to go ahead and order the things I don't have on hand etc. while I am continuing to educate myself. I am about to purchase 44% Sodium Silicate waterglass (Is that correct? ) so I can begin dosing it but I am unsure which test kit is most reliable and the one you recommend. Thanks again!

 

[vetteguy53081]

Well, for background, if it makes any difference, I have never let nutients totally bottom out. Close, but never zero. Phosphates have been between .05 and .1 and I HAD been keeping nitrates around 3. Since this outbreak I have increased my NeoNitro dosing and am maintaining between 10 and 15 now on Nitrates. I also have added a ton of copopods and amphipods, almost since the beginning, and have added live phyto on a regular basis since then. 165g total volume. Salinity steady at 34.8 ppm, Alk 8.2, (dose Fusion 2 part) Cal 500. Prob 10-15 small frags, 10-12 fish, big CUC, refugium full of rubble rock. 20 % wc every 2 weeks. Here's what changed and what I suspect may be the cause. : I started adding adding 5 ml KZ FlatwormStop daily about 3 weeks prior to emergence of the orange patchs on the sandbed. I stopped as soon as I noticed in case it was the cause.

Its not always of nutrients bottoming out. When we see zero readings, automatically we assume this is the cause but by the time you see zero numbers, its because the dino has consumed the po4 and no3 and are multiplying and in turn many dose no3 and po4 to bring numbers up not realizing they are feeding these flagellates even more.
Its biological deficiencies that are causing the dino structure and tank is already doomed.

 

[JKSmith]

Doomed? That sounds pretty ominous. And I notice that you've mentioned that twice in this thread. Please explain.