Dino: Salvage Op

[NeonRabbit221B]

My 30 gallon which I plan to transplant within 1-2 months to a 40 breeder has a bad dino bloom. No microscope to confirm but I did the old shake and filter test.

Is there any way to save the corals? Am I safe to move the inverts to my Evo 13.5? How easy is it to cross contaminate? Right now I make sure nothing that touches the 30 contacts the nano (which is doing super well). I have some zoa, candy cane, GSP and mushroom that I would like to try and save that were doing well but are now covered in the brown slime... An hour of google searches didn't yield much besides some H202 dips..

 

[NeonRabbit221B]

Also... is there any way to to prevent dino contamination in the new tank. Should I start fresh with all new sand and live rock?

 

[Bret Brinkmann]

Dinos bloom due to phosphates and or nitrates bottoming out 99% of the time. Cross contamination is dependent upon the conditions in the new tank. Many people have gotten them only in the DT or just the refugium. I recommend rinsing them in a 3% H202 dip before transfer. Not for contamination reasons but to clean the dinos off of the coral to give them some relief.

Make sure you keep your nutrients in the new tank at least 5 ppm nitrates and 0.1 ppm phosphates. That is the key to keeping them out long term. Use some MicroBactor 7 in the new tank too. That will help establish the beneficial bacteria and help prevent dinos from gaining a foot hold in the new tank. Also run GAC to help with dino toxins. You don't need new rock and sand but keep the photo period shorter and intensity lower for a month then slowly ramp up. Again the nutrients not being zero is key. Use a higher quality test kit like Red Sea for nitrates and Hanna for phosphates.

 

[NeonRabbit221B]

Monday of last week I made some efforts to bring Nirates/Phosphates up as they have been steadily at zero. Increased feeding, removed GFO/matrix, cut off fuge lights and after a week was still steadily at zero. Last night I dosed some NeoPhos in both tanks to bring the levels up slightly and will again tonight until I reach readable levels.

Thanks for the tips on the rest. It seems the dinos have receded slightly but still worried about destroying a tank that has been doing so well.

 

[Bret Brinkmann]

Many people say increase nutrients through extra feeding but the organic sources are more favorable for dinos. The inorganic sources are better for the competition and will help speed things up. They also won't give the high carbon doses you get from food either.

 

[LadyTang2]

Many people say increase nutrients through extra feeding but the organic sources are more favorable for dinos. The inorganic sources are better for the competition and will help speed things up. They also won't give the high carbon doses you get from food either.

Which are the inorganic sources Bret? You're talking about nitrate and phos correct? What are the names of the commonly used inorganic compounds? Thanks, great answer to neos question!

 

[malacoda]

Either potassium nitrate or sodium nitrate for bring up nitrates inorganically. You can get get them in food grade or lab/reagent grade in powder/pellet form on Amazon and dissolve them in RODI water. Some folks also use Spectracide Stump Remover.

mcarroll put a great article -- and a dosing calculator -- on his reefing blog: https://reefsuccess.com/2017/02/08/nitratecalc/

This is the one I picked up a few weeks ago to knock back a minor dino outbreak that was triggered by an imbalance when my PO4 shot from 0.02 to >1pmm in 48 hours (don't ask...) while my NO3 stayed down at 1 ppm: Sodium Nitrate, Reagent Grade

I know you can also use sodium phosphate or potassium phosphate to bring up PO4 levels, but i haven't had to do that, so can offer any advice other recommend you search for those to terms.

 

[Bret Brinkmann]

I personally use Spectrocide stump remover which is pure KNO3 according to their label. A little bit of that goes a looonnngg way so be careful. I have to wet a 1/2 tsp and stick it in the container. What ever sticks to it, not a scoop but the residual crystals, is enough for my 29 gallon.

I also used SeaChem Flourish which I was told is inorganic but never verified come to think of it.