Dinos... (I need help)

Wet_Fretboards · Jun 24, 2017

Hey guys.

Over the last 3-4 days, my tank has become nearly overrun with dinos. I noticed a brown haze on the sand bed first, and within days, the rockwork, powerheads, sand, and even glass are getting increasingly covered in the stuff. I think it may have killed the one SPS I've had doing well up until now. I think I got into this trouble dosing vinegar. Tank is a reefer 170 with a TWV of about 38 gallons or so. Tank has been up (post cycle) since March 7th. It was started with arag-alive sand, and ReefRock 2.0. Cycled by ghost feeding.

My parameters (as of yesterday evening) and how I test for them are:
Temp ~77
PH 8.23 -Apex / Refracto
Salinity 35.2 -Apex
Ca 525 - Red Sea Pro / Hanna
Alk 8.8 - Hanna
Mg 1400 - Red Sea Pro
No3 4 - Red Sea Pro
Po4 .02 Hanna ULR
Running skimmer wet. (cup fills about every 24 hrs)
BRS ROX carbon and High capacity GFO in reactor
ATO with Kalk at 2 tsp / gal controlled by Apex.
Hydra 26 HD running the AB+ profile at reduced power
Inhabitants are 1 Scopas tang about 3 inches, 1 PJ cardinal about 1.5 inches, 1 Skunk shrimp, and several nassarius snails, and some weird bivalve thing that hitchhiked in on a zoa rock a couple of months ago. Some Duncans, Zoas and a pocillopora about the size of a baseball. The Duncans and Zoas are absolutely great. The Pocillopora appears to be very unhappy and on its way to STN.

I'm about 99% certain this is dinos. It's brown and slimy, yet wavy in the current. Definitely not diatoms. I'll try and get some photos tomorrow if necessary.

Randy

CJBuckeyes · Jun 24, 2017

I'd confirm it's dinos before moving forward. Anyone you know have a microscope? It takes about 30 secs.

Your NO3/PO4 numbers (non-zero) would suggest maybe it's not dinos.

Wet_Fretboards · Jun 24, 2017

CJBuckeyes said:
I'd confirm it's dinos before moving forward. Anyone you know have a microscope? It takes about 30 secs.

Your NO3/PO4 numbers (non-zero) would suggest maybe it's not dinos.

I don't think I know any one with a 'scope, but buying a "hobby grade" one is not beneath me. I've considered it anyway.

saltyfilmfolks · Jun 24, 2017

Grab a picture when you can. Something to consider is a lights out for a couple of days and manual removal.
A bandaid many say yes, but if there's enough to effect your coral it might help. Band aids can be used effectively.

A uv if you have one may also help. It'll cut down on the amount of bacteria in the water and the free floating Dino's as well.
Keep your carbon changed too.

The aim is to lower the total mass of the Dino and reduce it exponentiinal reproduction and side effects as you look for the possible cause of the sudden outbreak.

Have you been using any other bacterial additives , aminos, or VIbrant?

GoVols · Jun 24, 2017

Like Salty says... Pictures

And I'd like to tag along for the ride.

Regards, GoVols

Wet_Fretboards · Jun 24, 2017

saltyfilmfolks said:
Have you been using any other bacterial additives , aminos, or VIbrant?

No. Only ever dosed the vinegar.

saltyfilmfolks · Jun 24, 2017

Thanks. I ask because 2017 seems the year of the Dino's and theory's abound right now.

Wet_Fretboards · Jun 25, 2017

Here's some photos guys. Sorry, but I'm no photographer. I set my lights to 6500K to show the true "brown-ness"

saltyfilmfolks · Jun 25, 2017

Wet_Fretboards said:
Here's some photos guys. Sorry, but I'm no photographer. I set my lights to 6500K to show the true "brown-ness"

I see nothing out of the ordinary for a new tank.
I would grab a bunch more snails. The more diverse the better.
Man made rock correct? Wen it the tank dry?

A suggestion. Lay that clam on the sand zoas up.
Your lucky you found that before I did btw.
I ;Wootbivalves.

Wet_Fretboards · Jun 25, 2017

saltyfilmfolks said:
I see nothing out of the ordinary for a new tank.
I would grab a bunch more snails. The more diverse the better.
Man made rock correct? Wen it the tank dry?

A suggestion. Lay that clam on the sand zoas up.
Your lucky you found that before I did btw.
I ;Wootbivalves.

I appreciate the feedback. Yes it's man made rock that was brand new. I already went through a brief diatom bloom a couple of months ago. The nassarius snails cleaned it totally in 24 hours. They're not touching this stuff. Don't seem interested at all. Are you saying this doesn't look like Dino? I'd love for that to be the case, but what the heck is it?

saltyfilmfolks · Jun 25, 2017

Wet_Fretboards said:
I appreciate the feedback. Yes it's man made rock that was brand new. I already went through a brief diatom bloom a couple of months ago. The nassarius snails cleaned it totally in 24 hours. They're not touching this stuff. Don't seem interested at all. Are you saying this doesn't look like Dino? I'd love for that to be the case, but what the heck is it?

There a lot of odd slime algae and brown algaes and mulm and stuff that grows in tanks. So all that stuff is hard to Id.
IMO if it were a true Dino it is generally every where Esp the sand.

Not sure the variety of snails you have but they all have different food preferences.

Man made rock may lead a bit more alk than natural rock depending on how they bind it together.

I'd bet your ph is pretty good all the time and your alk is med.

Wet_Fretboards · Jun 25, 2017

saltyfilmfolks said:
There a lot of odd slime algae and brown algaes and mulm and stuff that grows in tanks. So all that stuff is hard to Id.
IMO if it were a true Dino it is generally every where Esp the sand.

Not sure the variety of snails you have but they all have different food preferences.

Man made rock may lead a bit more alk than natural rock depending on how they bind it together.

I'd bet your ph is pretty good all the time and your alk is med.

All was gradually dropping until I started kalk dosing. PH was actually pretty lousy until then too. Well maybe it isn't Dinos then. Hell I don't know!!!

chefjpaul · Jun 25, 2017

Wet_Fretboards said:
Here's some photos guys. Sorry, but I'm no photographer. I set my lights to 6500K to show the true "brown-ness"

Honestly it appears to me, pic kinda blurry, to be more like bacteria & algae.

saltyfilmfolks · Jun 25, 2017

Wet_Fretboards said:
All was gradually dropping until I started kalk dosing. PH was actually pretty lousy until then too. Well maybe it isn't Dinos then. Hell I don't know!!!

Itlll pass. Pretty much always does.
It's like a test.
Lol

Wet_Fretboards · Jun 25, 2017

chefjpaul said:
Honestly it appears to me, pic kinda blurry, to be more like bacteria & algae.

I suppose it's quite possible, which could also point to the vinegar...

Wet_Fretboards · Jun 25, 2017

saltyfilmfolks said:
A suggestion. Lay that clam on the sand zoas up.
Your lucky you found that before I did btw.
I ;Wootbivalves.

@saltyfilmfolks I would, but it's attached itself there pretty good. It already survived me ripping (literally) it off the zoa rock it came in on. I assumed it was just a dead shell when it arrived. Then one day after I moved it, I noticed it was open.