Dosing Silicates....Where should I see diatoms?

[clhardy5]

So...If dosing for silicates to get a diatom bloom - to out compete dinos.......Where should you see the majority of the diatoms? I seem to have quite a few diatoms on the glass? But not a whole lot when I pull the 'gunk' from the sand or swaying brown strands.
First pic is a 'strand' that was flowing in the water. Just dinos.....no diatoms.
Second/third pic is a sample I took off the glass. Lots of diatoms...and green stuff - very few dinos.
Fourth pic is a sample from the sand - some diatoms....LOTS of dinos.

Also....Some of the green things were moving? Phytoplankton? Or something else?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Any pics? I’m suspecting dinoflagellates

 

[clhardy5]

Any pics? I’m suspecting dinoflagellates

Can you not see the pics? There should be 4 of them....

I know I have Dino's....Prorocentrum - which I've been dosing silicate in order to get a diatom bloom to out compete.

 

[Reef.]

Yes pics are there.

Think he means of tank.

 

[clhardy5]

Yes pics are there.

Think he means of tank.

Ah...Lights are out right now....I'll post a tank pic tomorrow.

 

[Reef.]

My diatoms were mainly on the glass and sand, the glass would need cleaning 1 hour after I scraped it, none to speak of on the rocks.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Yes pics are there.

Think he means of tank.

Yes of the tank and under white lights

 

[Idoc]

During my dino battle, i dosed 2 bottles of silicates over several months time... never saw a diatom bloom occur!

 

[Reef.]

Ah...Lights are out right now....I'll post a tank pic tomorrow.

Have you tried a blackout, uv or dinox?

 

[clhardy5]

During my dino battle, i dosed 2 bottles of silicates over several months time... never saw a diatom bloom occur!

Did you ever get rid of the dinos?

 

[clhardy5]

Have you tried a blackout, uv or dinox?

I have Prorocentrum dinos. Before I found out the variety, I did try a blackout and UV. Neither worked. Since Prorocentrum doesn't go into the water column at night, they didn't migrate to the UV. I even tried to turkey blast them so they would go....but alas....no luck. The blackout set them back a bit, but only temporarily. I haven't tried dinox. Since the directions call for the use of a skimmer - and I have a Biocube 32 - with no skimmer, I decided not to risk it.

I read through the sticky thread about dinos, and the people there say that dosing silicates is the way to go. I am upping the silicates day by day, and definitely had more diatoms on the glass tonight. But I'm wondering if that is enough? Or do I need to up the daily dose even more, so that they also reproduce on the sand - where most of my dinos are congregating. I'm also dosing phytoplankton and pods.....

 

[Idoc]

Did you ever get rid of the dinos?

No, but they are at least controlled now.