Dino ID please

Aquaman102 · Oct 21, 2019

Can anyone help ID these dino's?

Aquaman102 · Oct 21, 2019

@taricha and @dwest - can you assist? I'm thinking ostreopsis.

dwest · Oct 21, 2019

Aquaman102 said:
@taricha and @dwest - can you assist? I'm thinking ostreopsis.

I’m not good at this, but I’m thinking amphidinium. Hope someone better at ID can help. @saltyhog

saltyhog · Oct 21, 2019

Aquaman102 said:
@taricha and @dwest - can you assist? I'm thinking ostreopsis.

Definitely not ostreopsis unfortunately, I agree with @dwest but @taricha is the real expert. I'm sure he will be by soon to verify the type.

taricha · Oct 21, 2019

Prorocentrum! Like ostreopsis, but sandier, and more ornery.

Aquaman102 · Oct 22, 2019

taricha said:
Prorocentrum! Like ostreopsis, but sandier, and more ornery.

Thanks. Do you have any tips for defeating this? Increasing nutrients and using a UV sterilizer maybe?

taricha · Oct 22, 2019

Yes. Those two steps. Be sure when you are adding nutrients, (assuming your tank is low in the first place) that you are adding inorganic simple phosphate and nitrate. Heavier feeding or adding complex organics has lower success.
UV is helpful, however prorocentrum is less willing to go into the water. So after a few days you may need to do a short blackout in order to push more cells in contact with the UV.

Aquaman102 · Oct 22, 2019

taricha said:
Yes. Those two steps. Be sure when you are adding nutrients, (assuming your tank is low in the first place) that you are adding inorganic simple phosphate and nitrate. Heavier feeding or adding complex organics has lower success.
UV is helpful, however prorocentrum is less willing to go into the water. So after a few days you may need to do a short blackout in order to push more cells in contact with the UV.

Nitrates are between 2-5 ppm. Phophates are at 0. I'm never sure why the Phos is 0 as I don't run GFO. I only have a sump, skimmer and a golf ball size chunk of chaeto.

I did have some cyano bacteria that I cleaned up with Chemiclean. The dino's showed up after that...

I have an auto-feeder that drops in some flakes once a day, then I put a dime-sized frozen chunk of LRS shrimp. Also half a sheet or nori every other day or so. Maybe I need to feed more??

Recommendations on inorganic simple phosphate and nitrate that I can use?

piranhaman00 · Oct 22, 2019

Seachem Flourish Phosphorus and potassium nitrate (KNO3) from stump remover are what I use.

taricha · Oct 22, 2019

Above suggestions good. I use flourish Phos and ordered sodium nitrate.

Edit: don't elevate nitrate until PO4 is detectable. Corals hate that imbalance.

Aquaman102 · Oct 23, 2019

Is this the right "stump remover" to get?

dwest · Oct 23, 2019

Aquaman102 said:
Is this the right "stump remover" to get?

Many people use that. I went another route. I also highly recommend the Hannah ulr phosphorous checker. You may not really be at zero.

Aquaman102 · Nov 6, 2019

@taricha - I've got some Seachem Phosphorus and the Stump Remover Nitrate stuff above.

My current levels are Nitrate @ 5 ppm and Phos just tested as .06 on the Hanna Checker.

I'm starting to get some GHA.

Should I raise those more? If so, to how much?

Thanks!

dwest · Nov 7, 2019

The “target” numbers are about 10 ppm nitrate and 0.1 ppm phosphate. If I were you, I would keep them where they are. GHA is a great thing.

Have you started UV?

Aquaman102 · Nov 7, 2019

@dwest - yep, I have, but it's only a 25W one on a 120 gallon tank.

I did stir the top layer of the sand bed before lights on last night. I'll keep try that, running the UV.