Dinoflagellates still under microscope...

Velcro · Feb 10, 2017

So I've been dealing with this satan infestation for over 6 months. Finally realized 3 day blackouts weren't cutting it and moved all of my coral to my frag tank (RIP 75% of my acros).

I basically did about 1-2 hours of actinic lights only for two weeks on the display. The dinoflagellates SEEMED to be gone, but I got the brilliant idea to look at some of my green algae under a microscope and it seems that they are back or never completely left in the first place. When they were at their worst, they were simply thin, brown whispy strands here and there on the tips of coral and at the ends of hair algae. I don't have these strangs currently, but like I said I am finding the dinos in samples of hair algae. It's not nearly the same amount of dinos, but it makes me worried.

Has anyone been able to knock this garbage back to the point of not seeing it to the naked eye, but still able to find it under microscope?

I should add that whatever strain this is seems to be low toxicity. I haven't lost any fish or snails.

Velcro · Feb 10, 2017

@twilliard

Nick92515 · Feb 10, 2017

Many tanks have dinos, its all about weather your tanks biodiversity is able to out compete, or keep the dinos confined to a location. You can live with dinos in your tank, as long as they arent spreading and staying under control to a point whrre its not harming anything, and isnt a estheticly displeasing, they can be fine. Some things can trigger them to explode again(carbon dosing), and some things like coraline algae help prevent dinos from growing easily on that surface.

To your point, if you knocked them back to a point where your tank is in balance and keeps them at that point, good job! Obviously better to have none, but its an ecosystem, not a clean room.

I also find that with having a sterile tank with no or little diversity you are more susceptible to having something small take over more rapidly than if there are competing organisms.

twilliard · Feb 12, 2017

Sorry Guys I am a tad bit behind for the week!
This has to be one of the largest and most wide spread hopes "They are gone!" as one might say. I truly hate to be the bearer of bad news to anyone dealing with dinoflagellates.
99% of the time they ARE NOT!
People don't understand how small "THIS" is. Sorry guys you just can not see one of these.

Velcro · Feb 12, 2017

twilliard said:
Sorry Guys I am a tad bit behind for the week!
This has to be one of the largest and most wide spread hopes "They are gone!" as one might say. I truly hate to be the bearer of bad news to anyone dealing with dinoflagellates.
99% of the time they ARE NOT!
People don't understand how small "THIS" is. Sorry guys you just can not see one of these.

So have you seen cases where they stay controlled but present?

twilliard · Feb 12, 2017

Velcro said:
So have you seen cases where they stay controlled but present?

Yes for sure. They can be controlled and present. Using Metro is one way to do that.
I am catching up on PM's and I can get into detail about this when I an caught up