Dinos and silica help

[martin3490]

I have Dino’s and I’m going to try and outcompete them with a diatom bloom. How much silica should I dose ? I’m using sponge excel by brightwell.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I have Dino’s and I’m going to try and outcompete them with a diatom bloom. How much silica should I dose ? I’m using sponge excel by brightwell.

Why would you want to add diatoms to an already existing issue in which both are photosynthetic?
First recourse is to blow this stuff loose and net and siphon it up
Then turn off white light or better- all lights for 5 days. During these 5 days do the following:
-Empty skimmer cup daily
- Clean filters daily
- add 1.5ml of liquid bacteria such as micro bacter XLM per 10 gallons daily
- at night add 1ml of hydrogen peroxide per 10 gallons for 5 days

 

[J1a]

Why would you want to add diatoms to an already existing issue in which both are photosynthetic?

This is exactly what it is meant by outcompete. When diatom compete for space and nutrients with dino, as well as producing allelopathic chemicals, they can help to bring dino under control.

Diatoms are harmless, in fact, great food for corals and inverts.

@martin3490, I would target about 4ppm silicate for a start and dose to keep it there to induce diatom bloom. Once the diatom started to take over, I would dose and maintain silicate at about 2ppm until dino is mostly gone.

Do ensure silicate dosing is appropriate for the species of dino you have. Also keep in mind the pH and Alk impact of silicate dosing.

 

[ShepherdReefer]

Back in the day, instead of netting it, we use a MJ pump with a hose attached to the outlet. Placed the pump into the tank and pump the water into a 10-micro sock filter ( note the sock filter hovered over the tank to allow the filter water to stay in the tank). Did this for several days, all gone.

 

[martin3490]

This is exactly what it is meant by outcompete. When diatom compete for space and nutrients with dino, as well as producing allelopathic chemicals, they can help to bring dino under control.

Diatoms are harmless, in fact, great food for corals and inverts.

@martin3490, I would target about 4ppm silicate for a start and dose to keep it there to induce diatom bloom. Once the diatom started to take over, I would dose and maintain silicate at about 2ppm until dino is mostly gone.

Do ensure silicate dosing is appropriate for the species of dino you have. Also keep in mind the pH and Alk impact of silicate dosing.

Thank you. I really appreciate it !

 

[DeniableArc]

Why would you want to add diatoms to an already existing issue in which both are photosynthetic?
First recourse is to blow this stuff loose and net and siphon it up
Then turn off white light or better- all lights for 5 days. During these 5 days do the following:
-Empty skimmer cup daily
- Clean filters daily
- add 1.5ml of liquid bacteria such as micro bacter XLM per 10 gallons daily
- at night add 1ml of hydrogen peroxide per 10 gallons for 5 days

Can you explain why silica dosing will not help with Dino’s?

 

[Garf]

It’s not just diatoms that have weird interactions with other organisms but I’ll just put this link here;

Allelopathic effects of diatom filtrates on the toxic benthic dinoflagellate Ostreopsis cf. ovata

Ostreopsis blooms regularly occur in many Mediterranean coastal areas in late summer-autumn. In the northern Adriatic Sea, Ostreopsis blooms affect di…

www.sciencedirect.com

 

[Reefahholic]

Why would you want to add diatoms to an already existing issue in which both are photosynthetic?

When you force a diatom bloom with silicates they help outcompete the Dino’s. Seems counterintuitive but it works well.

 

[smd189]

How do the diatoms outcompete? I’m working through the same process and it seems to be working. Just don’t understand what they are competing for? How do you know when the diatoms have won? Thanks.

 

[J1a]

How do the diatoms outcompete? I’m working through the same process and it seems to be working. Just don’t understand what they are competing for? How do you know when the diatoms have won? Thanks.

There are a few possible reasons.

Firstly, diatoms can produce allelopathic compounds which inhibit the growth of dinoflagellates.

Allelopathic effects of diatom filtrates on the toxic benthic dinoflagellate Ostreopsis cf. ovata - PubMed

Ostreopsis blooms regularly occur in many Mediterranean coastal areas in late summer-autumn. In the northern Adriatic Sea, Ostreopsis blooms affect diatom-dominated microphytobenthic communities. In this study, the effects of the filtrates of some diatom species, both benthic (Tabularia affinis...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

So as the diatom blooms, the environment becomes adverse for dinoflagellates.

Secondly, diatoms can compete with dinos for light, space, availability of CO2/bicarbonate, nitrogenous and phosphate compounds, iron, etc. Although we can't say for sure which of these has the most impact, I'm sure competition along these area also place significant pressure on dini population.

How do we know diatom is dominant? By examining the sample under microscope. You know diatom is winning when the number of diatom is much more than dinos.

 

[Bucs20fan]

You want to target around 2ppm silicate per day to induce the bloom. This treatment does work well, and your cuc and stopping silicates when the dinos are gone will reduce the diatoms in days.

 

[epicfatigue]

2ppm but first of all what Dino's do you have ? Silica isn't effective against all types of Dino's

 

[Bitcoin Reefer]

2ppm but first of all what Dino's do you have ? Silica isn't effective against all types of Dino's

Which species is it effective against?

 

[Bitcoin Reefer]

I used Silica and seemed to defeat my LCA (Large Cell Amphimidium) dinos temporarily, but then after came what I think might be SCA (small cell amphimidium) or a mixture of multiple dinos along with I think green or brown cyano? I'll post pics from my phone.