dinoflaggelates and spa tissue necrosis

[maksim serebro]

Hi, I have been battling dinos in my DT for several months. Peroxide had no effect. Recently, Im noticing that some SPS are having tissue necrosis from base up. You can actually see the tissue coming off. Snails are not doing too well either. Fish are unaffected. Could the toxins from dins cause SPS to necrose?

Thanks

 

[buckeye82]

If the dinos are touching them absolutely. Got a pic

 

[maksim serebro]

 

[maksim serebro]

Not the best pics. Will take more later. Death at the base working itself up

 

[buckeye82]

Could be something else. Has your alkalinity spiked recently or stayed steady? Do you have any ability to take the frag rack out and clean it of the dinos?

 

[maksim serebro]

Alkalinity stable at 7.8 via Hanna checker. Dino's are long snotty strings attached to side and back walls. They are not touching the corals. I feel like toxins released are causing necrosis. It's weird. Many long established colonies and some new ones are affected

 

[maksim serebro]

I'm starting to dose nitrate as it was measuring 0 previously. Lack of nutrients may have caused the appearance of Dino's.

 

[buckeye82]

I'm starting to dose nitrate as it was measuring 0 previously. Lack of nutrients may have caused the appearance of Dino's.

Bingo. That's what caused it. Stop the nitrate dosing as it lowers your phosphates and strips the sps of nutrients in essence causing a bleach fest. Exact same thing happened to me doing the exact same thing you did. Work to get the dinos out then address the nutrient issue.

 

[maksim serebro]

Well, it's possible, but the necrosis started a few weeks ago. The first dose of nitrate was last night. I only started dosing because I thought that the presence of Dino's and lack of nutrients was too much for corals to handle. I also had the skimmer off for a week to try to dirty the tank up and fed heavy

 

[maksim serebro]

Did you also have Dino's? And if you did how did u beat them?

 

[buckeye82]

Well, it's possible, but the necrosis started a few weeks ago. The first dose of nitrate was last night. I only started dosing because I thought that the presence of Dino's and lack of nutrients was too much for corals to handle. I also had the skimmer off for a week to try to dirty the tank up and fed heavy

Exact same steps I've tried with skimmer off and gfo off. Have you continued to do a full light schedule with dosing peroxide? Do you dose peroxide with lights on or off?

 

[buckeye82]

Did you also have Dino's? And if you did how did u beat them?

Yup. Still have them. Trying to get rid of the last visual 5-10% of them. Peroxide alone will not take out dinos or at least the tough strands of them.

 

[maksim serebro]

Dosed peroxide during day and night. No difference. I did see shrimp acting funny, anemone and several lps corals close so stopped dosing after 5 days. No difference in Dino's. It was causing more harm than good. I think I have to outcompete Dino's with macro algae. Installed an algae scrubber, dosing nitrate, less skimmer. Have a fish only tank with .3 phosphate and 40 nitrate without a trace of any algae. I don't get it

 

[maksim serebro]

I also tried large and small water changes, less feeding, more feeding, less light, more light, and praying... Dino's are unaffected

 

[buckeye82]

Dosed peroxide during day and night. No difference. I did see shrimp acting funny, anemone and several lps corals close so stopped dosing after 5 days. No difference in Dino's. It was causing more harm than good. I think I have to outcompete Dino's with macro algae. Installed an algae scrubber, dosing nitrate, less skimmer. Have a fish only tank with .3 phosphate and 40 nitrate without a trace of any algae. I don't get it

Pm me I can help you. Macros won't outcompete them.

 

[maksim serebro]

Pm sent. Thanks

 

[andys]

Please tell everyone how to get rid of them. I also have them and would like a answer

 

[twilliard]

There is no easy solution to dinoflagellates as of now.
I am working on finishing up my cyanobacteria work and then I will move to dinoflagellates but this one will be tough without hurting the zooanthelle in corals.

 

[maksim serebro]

my tank has always been registering 0 for nitrates and phosphates. Colors on SPSs ofter paled after purchase. No algae grew in the tank. I read somewhere that when you have a starved reef and your redfield ratio is off, it can cause an outbreak of cyano and dinos. Im willing to experiment and see. I have little to loose at this point short of tearing the tank down

 

[twilliard]

I'm sorry I don't have more information to share about dinoflagellates
I plan to start culturing next month and hope to start the work by the end of June.
(Provided I can culture them successfully)