Dino's everywhere and won't go away
- Thread starter Itsmebmp
- Start date
- Tagged users None
Randy Holmes-Farley
Reef Chemist
Staff member
Super Moderator
Excellence Award
Expert Contributor
Article Contributor
R2R Research
My Tank Thread
If it is dinos, lowering silicate won't help, and I've never heard of Tech M working on them either.
High pH sometimes works, usually driven by limewater additions.
High pH sometimes works, usually driven by limewater additions.
moulton712
Active Member
I would siphon out all sand. When you bring livestock over to lfs to hold I would shake the rocks under water , take them out and do a 100% water change. And add fresh sand if you want. I think all your problems are from old sand and the nasties that get caught up in there. Could be a combo of sand and your water source.
If you start with good clean product and get your tank going you'll love the beauty of this hobby.
If you start with good clean product and get your tank going you'll love the beauty of this hobby.
Diatoms eat Silicates, thats why they are only around for a short period of time in a new tank.
Dinoflagellates are a totally diferent thing altogether, and the treatments are not the same.
Problem Dinoflagellates and pH by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com
Dinoflagellates - Predators, Pathogens, and Partners by Eric Borneman - Reefkeeping.com
https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/re...gellates-my-experience-h2o2-reefing-tool.html
Dinoflagellates are a totally diferent thing altogether, and the treatments are not the same.
Problem Dinoflagellates and pH by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com
Dinoflagellates - Predators, Pathogens, and Partners by Eric Borneman - Reefkeeping.com
https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/re...gellates-my-experience-h2o2-reefing-tool.html
miyags
Valuable Member
Well Itsmebmp, I'm going to try kalkwasser to raise my PH from 8.2 to 8.5/8.6. My tank evaporates about a gal of water per day. I don't want to raise PH to fast. I'll let you know if it takes care of my dino's.
Randy Holmes-Farley
Reef Chemist
Staff member
Super Moderator
Excellence Award
Expert Contributor
Article Contributor
R2R Research
My Tank Thread
Randy Holmes-Farley
Reef Chemist
Staff member
Super Moderator
Excellence Award
Expert Contributor
Article Contributor
R2R Research
My Tank Thread
Like all the pests we have, they need a source of nitrogen, phosphate, some trace elements, a carbon source (like CO2), and light. They may, like cyano, also consume organics, but I do not know if the ones we have do so.
miyags
Valuable Member
Ok I started to dose mrs wages pickling lime. I added 1 tsp to a gallon milk jug with some air line and a small valve for my diy drip top off. 4-25-2015 started with 1 tsp per gal. PH up to 8.4 using red sea PH test. 4-26 started new gallon with 1 1/2 tsp a gal. slowed the drip rate down. today I tested at 8.4, I will test again when all lights are on. I'm getting ready to mix another batch of top off water. I'll try 2 tsp this time to see if I can reach 8.5/8.6. My tank has est. 55 gal, with very little coraline algae, only 2 corals. I have not tested for cal or alk yet.
4FordFamily
Tang, Angel, and Wrasse Nerd!
- Joined
- Feb 26, 2015
- Messages
- 20,450
- Reaction score
- 47,597
- Location
- Carmel, Indiana
- What state or country do you live in
- Indiana
I battled this forever in my 125 which I upgraded to my 180.
During the upgrade I sucked out as MUCH as humanly possible (it was covering EVERYTHING). I started replacing my GFO media monthly as I was supposed to, I did weekly 20% water changes (or more as needed to remove new growth of dinoflaggelates) with siphoning them all off of the rocks. I used Tech M and Hydrogen peroxide initially (with success only limiting growth) I had to remove them physically and replace GFO coupled with aggressive water changes each time they returned before I killed them off.
It is interesting to note that I began to grow GHA which seemed to outcompete the dinos before the dinos went away. When the GHA took over, I kept siphoning those out as well with water changes. Eventually, (after about two months of this madness) I beat them both. Water quality seems imperative. I also have a skimmer on my 180 rated for 450 gallons which helped. I upgraded that at the beginning of this two month battle.
During the winning push, I dosed mag and hydrogen peroxide ZERO. My strain became pretty resistant to them and I didn't like adding the chemicals. I didn't want to suck them off the rock with tubes for water changes and I held out for about a year --- I made no noticeable dent in the population (for more than a week) without doing this. I believe this was the key to my success.
I was more stubborn than they were!
During the upgrade I sucked out as MUCH as humanly possible (it was covering EVERYTHING). I started replacing my GFO media monthly as I was supposed to, I did weekly 20% water changes (or more as needed to remove new growth of dinoflaggelates) with siphoning them all off of the rocks. I used Tech M and Hydrogen peroxide initially (with success only limiting growth) I had to remove them physically and replace GFO coupled with aggressive water changes each time they returned before I killed them off.
It is interesting to note that I began to grow GHA which seemed to outcompete the dinos before the dinos went away. When the GHA took over, I kept siphoning those out as well with water changes. Eventually, (after about two months of this madness) I beat them both. Water quality seems imperative. I also have a skimmer on my 180 rated for 450 gallons which helped. I upgraded that at the beginning of this two month battle.
During the winning push, I dosed mag and hydrogen peroxide ZERO. My strain became pretty resistant to them and I didn't like adding the chemicals. I didn't want to suck them off the rock with tubes for water changes and I held out for about a year --- I made no noticeable dent in the population (for more than a week) without doing this. I believe this was the key to my success.
I was more stubborn than they were!
Last edited:
miyags
Valuable Member
This stuff is tuff!!! Thats why I'm tring for higher PH. Current levels are Cal 440. Alk 10.4 Ph is at 8.3. I just made a new gallon of top off with full 2 tsp. pickling lime. I hope this brings Ph up without throughing Alk and Cal out of wack. The tank looks great in the morning,then turns to krap by 6pm.
4FordFamily
Tang, Angel, and Wrasse Nerd!
- Joined
- Feb 26, 2015
- Messages
- 20,450
- Reaction score
- 47,597
- Location
- Carmel, Indiana
- What state or country do you live in
- Indiana
Seriously siphon it several times per week. It will lose. Be more persistent. I did not want to screw with it either, but it's just too expensive with all the additives that only help temporarily...
huuta
Well-Known Member
ShawnSaucier
Well-Known Member
I am by far no expert, and it sounds like your tank is rather new. First, get your livestock out. Second, take a deep breath and relax. As mentioned before, it seems something is wrong with your water chemistry. My tank took almost a year to finally settle, with a lot of losses in that year. I got to a point where I just had to be patient and let the biology do its work for itself. If you start adding things quickly, you will compound the issue, leading to another issue.
Without any livestock, you can dim your lights (if dimmable), take time to adjust your chemistry and get your water tested for silicates or other issues that it could be. There may be the possibility you have a bad batch of salt, so test both your fresh RO/DI water and fresh mixed SW. as you feed the tank, watch the flow patterns in the water, where is everything collecting, are there dead spots? How deep is your sand? Do you vacuum it? At some point the Dino's are going to run out of food and disappear. If your water is clean ( RO/DI and FSW) everything should even out at some point. Then slowly restock your tank with some critters.
The biggest thing I have learned over the last year has been not to rush at all. It cost more money and frustration, which is why I think so many believe this hobby is so expensive. And it is expensive when you rush it. How cool would it be to say "I've had that pair of clowns for 14 years".
Look into a local club, at your LFS, really check out their tanks and ask for advice (if their tanks are struggling find another store) and of course there are so many pros on this sight. Good luck, be patient and don't give up
Without any livestock, you can dim your lights (if dimmable), take time to adjust your chemistry and get your water tested for silicates or other issues that it could be. There may be the possibility you have a bad batch of salt, so test both your fresh RO/DI water and fresh mixed SW. as you feed the tank, watch the flow patterns in the water, where is everything collecting, are there dead spots? How deep is your sand? Do you vacuum it? At some point the Dino's are going to run out of food and disappear. If your water is clean ( RO/DI and FSW) everything should even out at some point. Then slowly restock your tank with some critters.
The biggest thing I have learned over the last year has been not to rush at all. It cost more money and frustration, which is why I think so many believe this hobby is so expensive. And it is expensive when you rush it. How cool would it be to say "I've had that pair of clowns for 14 years".
Look into a local club, at your LFS, really check out their tanks and ask for advice (if their tanks are struggling find another store) and of course there are so many pros on this sight. Good luck, be patient and don't give up
Randy Holmes-Farley
Reef Chemist
Staff member
Super Moderator
Excellence Award
Expert Contributor
Article Contributor
R2R Research
My Tank Thread
Powerhead will lower pH.
