Guys, I need help......

[GHsaltie]

I am having some serious issues with my tank and it's really wearing on me. Two main things that have me very frustrated is #1 my tank is overrun with dinos, and #2 my parameters are chronically low except for Ca. I haven't tried very many fixes as of yet but I've done some reading on my issues and I'm at the point where I don't know where to start, information overload I guess. Do I start by trying to get aggressive with the dinos or try and fix my parameters? How should I go about doing one or the other? Ok so now that I've gotten my concerns out there I'll post some info on my tank .

40b with 20g sump
10 months old
Kessil A360w-e
Reef Octopus 110 space saver skimmer
Jebao rw-8 powerhead supplemented with a double-headed return
I use Salifert test kits, none are close to expiring except nitrate in April.
I've used Instant Ocean RC since startup and I try to do a 15g wc every week but most of the time it ends up being every other week.

Parameters:
SG 1.025
NH4 0
NO2 0
NO3 2-5
PH 7.8-8.0 (I can't tell exactly where it is, color almost looks to be in the middle at 7.9)
Alk 6.7
Ca 420
Mg 1050
PO4 0

A couple notes, my nitrates and phos used to stay around 5-10 and 0.03-0.1 until I had the dino outbreak about 3 months ago. Alk has stayed around 6.7-7.3, it hasn't gone above that in 6 months. Calcium has always been 400-420. Mag has been hanging at 1050-1080 for the past 4 months.
I have a small assortment of lps and two leather toadstools, all of my corals are doing good minus one of my duncans that has been closed for a couple weeks. Good, but not great. There isn't a lot of noticeable growth except from my acan which is constantly growing more heads same for my zoas and I got another duncan almost 3 weeks ago that's already growing another head. I do not have a fuge technically, I have a section for one but all it has is a couple rocks and sand. I tried to add a clump of chaeto a couple months ago to try and compete with the spreading dinos but it completely disintegrated over time.

Okay I think that's everything but let me know if you guys have any other questions. Please help me!
And I will also, reluctantly, add a couple pictures showing the extent of dino invasion.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

WHat are you feeding? Any aminos, or dosing vitamin c or nopox?

 

[GHsaltie]

Oh and another thing I almost forgot, all of my inverts minus 2 hitchhiker urchins and my 4 hermit crabs died over the course of about 3 three weeks back in Dec. 2 turbo snails, close to a dozen hitchhiker limpets, about half a dozen nerites.

 

[GHsaltie]

I am not dosing anything, I'm not sure what to start with if anything with dosing. No reactors or carbon either. Feeding is a mixture of Ocean nutrition flakes, San Francisco bay brine shrimp and mysis shrimp. Only thing that's added is vitachem once a day. I had started cutting down on feeding amount drastically to help with the dinos but it only got worse so I went back to normal feeding schedule as my blenny was getting thin.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Oh and another thing I almost forgot, all of my inverts minus 2 hitchhiker urchins and my 4 hermit crabs died over the course of about 3 three weeks back in Dec. 2 turbo snails, close to a dozen hitchhiker limpets, about half a dozen nerites.

Oy! You are on Rodi water?
I would start with a bag of carbon on the return pump.(gets good flow) Maybe a small bag of gfo as well.
Stop the Vita chem. It does apparently have a lot of aminos that feed bacterias.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Your mag and others seem odd esp if your doing consistent water changes. The coraline in the tank also looks good.
Have you tested for ammonia?
Do you have any bottled marine bacteria?

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I would love to see more flow in the tank esp if you can get some good surface agitation, maybe with one of the returns pointing up.

 

[GHsaltie]

Yes I've used Rodi since day one and changed out the sediment filter and carbon block back in Dec. Coralline has been growing like crazy but it did get kind of smothered on the rockwork when the dinos increased and I also had a small outbreak of hair algae. Ammonia is zero although I did have a 0.25-0.50 spike after all the inverts died. I have a bottle of Bio-spira, bought it when I started the tank so I don't know if it's still good or not. I will definitely stop the Vitachem, I wasn't aware that aminos would feed bacteria.

 

[GHsaltie]

I have one of the returns pointed straight at the surface, I can get a short vid if you want to determine whether I should add more. I have to Jebao on it's lowest setting right now but I'm afraid to turn it up because it blows my sand like no tomorrow and my corals got super mad whenever I turned it up.

 

[bhavy]

.03 Phos is high believe it or not

1) get Gfo reactor
2) more flow in tank/add bottle of benificial bacteria like dr Tims
3) stop water changes dos peroxide
4) no light for 3 days then 1 day with light then another 3 day black out. True black outs absolutely no light in.
4) dos mag
Note can't run skimmer for 24hrs after bacteria is put in



Could start there. Are u sure it's Dino's and not Ditoms/cyno?
The only way to know for sure is microscope

That's where I would start.

 

[bhavy]

Anyone else agree?...

 

[GHsaltie]

I have looked at multiple samples under the scope, absolutely 100% dinos.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

It appears that it contains a lot oc vitamin c. thats a substantial carbon source. So its like carbon dosing...
I would def test Mag and alk again just as a double check, based mainly on the very odd numbers and the presence of good coralline.
If the bacteria is good Id use some.

If you move the power head down and point it up a bit so its not direct it may help. You def want the water to ripple. Or the return will work too if its just under the surface.

Im not convinced its dinos btw. But by eliminating excess aminos and a carbon source, adding as much oxygen to the water as you can, it should recede. The carbon bag on the pump will act as a reactor and pull out toxins if there are any in the water. The little bit of gfo will also remove any silicates and some toxins as well.

.03 Phos is high believe it or not

Anyone else agree?...

My Po4 is over .25 and I dont have any cyano on my sand.

 

[GHsaltie]

@saltyfilmfolks In regards to the carbon and gfo, what would be a good brand or type to use? Do I need a reactor for the gfo or can I get away for a time with just a bag or something in a high flow area of the sump?

Posted my questions right as you answered lol.

 

[SandJ]

Ugh, sorry you are dealing with this.

Inverts dying could be due to the Dinos (I know it can kill snails, I actually am not for sure about other inverts though).

What are you checking the salinity with? If it is a refractometer or digital meter has it been calibrated? If the salinity is off, then I would think that could account for some of the other parameters being off.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

@saltyfilmfolks In regards to the carbon and gfo, what would be a good brand or type to use? Do I need a reactor for the gfo or can I get away for a time with just a bag or something in a high flow area of the sump?

Posted my questions right as you answered lol.

Hahah... Me too.
I just use a bag on the return pump. I almost never use GFO and usually have a small bag of carbon in the tank. My gfo is 6 years old.
Seachem is good Its just GFO. Any carbon really. API is carried at most stores if the LFS isnt close. I prefer a gfo and a carbon separately rather than a combined product.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Ugh, sorry you are dealing with this.

Inverts dying could be due to the Dinos (I know it can kill snails, I actually am not for sure about other inverts though).

What are you checking the salinity with? If it is a refractometer or digital meter has it been calibrated? If the salinity is off, then I would think that could account for some of the other parameters being off.

agreed.

 

[GHsaltie]

Would it be advisable to get a different brand of test kit and see if that shows any difference?

@SandJ I have a refractometer calibrated with distilled water per instructions. Although I haven't calibrated it in a while so I'll pick up some more water tomorrow to cover all bases.

 

[Florida Sunshine]

You can put it in a bag in a high flow area.
FWIW I think it is Cyano.
I would try to syphon out as much of it as you can. Sometimes you can even pull it out or net it. When I had a bad outbreak my husband and I worked as a team with one of us either stirring the sand or brushing the rocks and the other scooping it up with a small net. If you remove the algae you are removing the nutrients it has eaten.

 

[SandJ]

Would it be advisable to get a different brand of test kit and see if that shows any difference?

@SandJ I have a refractometer calibrated with distilled water per instructions. Although I haven't calibrated it in a while so I'll pick up some more water tomorrow to cover all bases.

Sounds good. You may check and see if the store has any 35ppt calibration solution you could use also (and take your refractometer with you).