Help with 8 month dinoflagellate bloom

[Ron Primas]

Hi all. Appreciate all of the feedback I always receive on this forum!!!! My dilemma is that I have a 3 year old established 8 gallon AOI saltwater macroalgae/turtlegrass/refugium/dwarf seahorse tank with a 4 inch sandbed, AI Prime lighing with mostly red and green spectrum, sg 1.023/24, nitrates 2-5 ppm. phosphates .08, iron .09, a refugium in the back with RDP growing chaeto. I've been trying to raise pods with some success but now been having a dino outbreak for the last 8 months that only a temporary fix of a blackout helps with. The tank tends to run with a high pH (as high as 8.6/7 on occasion (like now). I have been experimenting with CO2 injection by Fluval that has now stabilized the daytime pH at 8.4. I am at my wits end. I really want to keep my macros thriving as well as my pods and seahorses (none in tank now). I recently purchased 1000 mysid and placed them in the tank but all died within 2 hours. That's when I decided to check the pH and alkalinity (11.4). I could really use your advice. I've tried both low nutrient and high nutrient solutions but none seem to be working. The dino's have now blocked so much light that I have tremendous die off of my macro's. I am about to give up. It was anamazing tank until 8 months ago. It was stable for years with great macro growth (except for dragon's breath).
Thanks in advance!!! Stay safe!!!
Ron

 

[Kfactor]

What are you feeding ? I just started trying reef roids and that **** gave me Dino’s not Much but I will never use again lol

 

[LegendaryCG]

I’d try UV with reduced tank lighting. I normally suggest peroxide but that will probably harm your macro.

 

[Ron Primas]

What are you feeding ? I just started trying reef roids and that **** gave me Dino’s not Much but I will never use again lol

I am only feeding AlgaeBarn OceanMagik live phytoplankton. Absolutely nothing else.

 

[Ron Primas]

I’d try UV with reduced tank lighting. I normally suggest peroxide but that will probably harm your macro.

Thanks. I need a micro UV. Any suggestions? Also, will it harm my pod population?

 

[brandon429]

We need pics to help, full tank shot for added details

 

[Ron Primas]

I’d try UV with reduced tank lighting. I normally suggest peroxide but that will probably harm your macro.

I think that's my next move. Thx

 

[AlgaeBarn]

Hi all. Appreciate all of the feedback I always receive on this forum!!!! My dilemma is that I have a 3 year old established 8 gallon AOI saltwater macroalgae/turtlegrass/refugium/dwarf seahorse tank with a 4 inch sandbed, AI Prime lighing with mostly red and green spectrum, sg 1.023/24, nitrates 2-5 ppm. phosphates .08, iron .09, a refugium in the back with RDP growing chaeto. I've been trying to raise pods with some success but now been having a dino outbreak for the last 8 months that only a temporary fix of a blackout helps with. The tank tends to run with a high pH (as high as 8.6/7 on occasion (like now). I have been experimenting with CO2 injection by Fluval that has now stabilized the daytime pH at 8.4. I am at my wits end. I really want to keep my macros thriving as well as my pods and seahorses (none in tank now). I recently purchased 1000 mysid and placed them in the tank but all died within 2 hours. That's when I decided to check the pH and alkalinity (11.4). I could really use your advice. I've tried both low nutrient and high nutrient solutions but none seem to be working. The dino's have now blocked so much light that I have tremendous die off of my macro's. I am about to give up. It was anamazing tank until 8 months ago. It was stable for years with great macro growth (except for dragon's breath).
Thanks in advance!!! Stay safe!!!
Ron

You should definitely give this a read! https://www.algaebarn.com/blog/phyt...croalgae-to-control-nuisance-dinoflagellates/

 

[ThePurple12]

I feel your pain. I just beat dinos after having them for several months, and it feels awesome. What worked for me is raising nitrate and phosphate. I read that you tried that, but for how long?

UV is also a good method-- but have you identified your dinos with a microscope? Some kinds (Amphidinium) don't travel into the water column. Do yours disperse at night and come back throughout the day?

I had no luck with peroxide, but it works for some.

Of course, you could always go nuclear and completely restart the tank, especially because it's so small. Start with some new live rock and sand for biodiversity, and keep the nutrients up so that the dinos are outcompeted and can't come back.

Dwarf seahorses+turtle grass sounds awesome. I'd love to see a pic of your tank even with dinoflagellates in full swing!