Help with Dinos taking over my tank

[eleongsit]

HI Everyone.

I was hoping I could get some input on how I can treat my tank for an ongoing problem with dinos. Unfortunately I don't have access to a microscope yet so I don't know the exact species I'm dealing with yet but I do know that they seem to dissolve into the water column at night.

To start with I'll provide the parameters that I'm able to test:

Sailinity: 1.026
Ammonia: 0
Nirite: 0
Nitrate: 5ppm
Phosphate: undetectable by Salifert test (Note: I suspect it is not 0 as I have dosed phosphate in the last few days in an attempt to get a detectable reading but was unsuccessful. I have not dosed in about a week since I cannot seem to measure)
PH: 8.3
Alk: 9dKh (I think? I'm using red sea test, unsure if testing correctly)

Initially when this issue started I was able to take a sample to a LFS about an 40 min drive from me and they were able to look at it under a microscope and confirmed dinos, but I was unable to get a picture of them at the time and they did not know the species. They recommended Vibrant at the time which I have tried but all that happened with during this time is my cheato ball died. During this time I noticed that my Nitrates were at 0ppm, after researching online I figured that this might be at least part of the problem.

Since the species that appears to be present seems to be one that goes water born at night time, I purchased a small UV sterilizer (Green Machine 3W) but this had no effect after running for 2 weeks straight, maybe due to the unit being too weak I am unsure.

The next and current method I've been trying with limited success is just manually sucking it out using a turkey baster every day and also dosing Microbacter7. I also added some tisbe pods. I'm not sure if this is really making a difference or not, I'm able to maintain some sort of presence of nitrate now with it hovering between 5-10ppm, I don't have a hanna tester for Phospates but using the Salifert Phosphate test kit I get a 0 result even if I dose some phosphate into the tank (1ml at a time) . Since I cannot seem to get a proper reading I stopped dosing phospates.

I've attached some photos of what I'm dealing with currently. The other symptom is that my zoas and mushrooms are all not looking so good. They some zoas are opening about halfway but most are closed up tight. I am blowing off debris from them every day as I see brown dust growing on them.

I'm not sure what I should be doing to combat this next I would greatly appreciate some assistance and advise. I also apologize for the long post, I've probably missed something here as well....


* note that the photos make it look like there are tons of bubbles in the sandbed, that is not the case my camera is just unable to take proper photos...

 

[KellyCorals]

Your story sounds like the exact thing that happened to me. What worked for me was blacking out the tank for 3 days and then turning the lights back on for 2 and then blacking out the tank again for 3 days. Then back to normal light schedule - reduce whites as much as possible after the black outs and slowly bring them back online. Run your UV sterilizer constant during this time and skim heavy as possible. I didn’t wrap my tank with cardboard - just turned off the lights. This didn’t get rid of them 100% but it did give the chance for other algae to compete with the Dino’s and they lost the upper hand. Currently I have a small patch of Dino’s still on my sand bed but they don’t seem to spread anymore. Feed heavy that seems to help, dinos seem to come around when nutrients are low (that’s my opinion). Be prepared to lose some zoas...I did. But I DONT recommend chemical options like HYPROX or anything like that - they seemed to do more harm then good. This has been my experience and everyone’s experience will be different. If your cheato died...buy more. I also did all the same things you did - pods, add extra bac, ect. Avoid doing water changes for a while even though you would think the opposite. My fight with Dino’s was the worst thing I’ve experienced in the whole time I’ve had saltwater tanks - so be patient...only bad things happen fast in this hobby. But I was able to get thru it with my tank and I’m sure you will to. I do recommend a bigger UV also - mine is a 35w that is a flow thru off the sump pump outlet before it returns to the tank. But the black out (x2) was my turning point for sure. Good luck!

 

[KellyCorals]

Also keeping the tank closer to 82 Degrees seems to help some. Just a final thought.

 

[josephxsxn]

The following seemed to help me.. the blackout was really key imho.

• No water changes
• Skimmer 24/7 and extra wet
• Changed filter socks daily
• 2 day black out
• Lights set to 6 hours a day after blackout and only blue lights no white lights
• Tempature to 83f
• Non-Zero nitrate and phosphates (dose of needed to raise)
• Stop amino acids and other supplements

 

[Nick428]

I lost lots of corals to dinos. Raising temp, feeding more and cutting back refugium lights and raising magnesium worked for me. Mag was just under 1000 at one point

 

[eleongsit]

Thanks for all the quick replies. I did try blackouts in the past but it seemed to not make a difference. Knowing that though I never tried a 3 day blackout, I'll try that now and see if I am able to do it more effectively, previously I just shut the lights off, I'm going to try to see if I can cover the tank to produce a more effective blackout.

One thing I forgot to mention before is I have increased feedings to every other day. I'll try starting up my mini sterilizer during the blackout and I'll up my temp from its current 80F to 83 -84F.

I don't have a skimmer on my tank as its too small and from what I've heard the skimmer they make for the Fluval Evos is not the greatest.

So far I've been lucky enough to not have lost any zoas but I am fully prepared to have some not make it. I'll continue monitoring Nitrates and try to monitor phosphates and boost accordingly.

 

[eleongsit]

I don't have a test for Mag right now, you think it might be worth testing and raising?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Here is a sure recipe:
Before treatment, check your phosphate and nitrate to assure levels aren’t elevated
Blow loose with a turkey baster. It will capture and clean more surface area. Here is full program:
Prepare by starting with a water change and blow this stuff loose with a turkey baster and siphon up loose particles.
Turn lights off (at least white and run blue at 10-15%) for 5 days and at night dose 1ml of hydrogen peroxide per 10 gallons for all 5 nights. If you dont have light dependent coral- turn all lights off.
During the day dose 1ml of liquid bacteria (such as bacter 7) per 10 gallons.
Clean filters daily and DO NOT FEED CORAL FOODS OR ADD NOPOX as it is food for dinos.
Day 5,, you can start with blue lights - ramping up and work your white lights up slowly

 

[eleongsit]

Here is a sure recipe:
Before treatment, check your phosphate and nitrate to assure levels aren’t elevated
Blow loose with a turkey baster. It will capture and clean more surface area. Here is full program:
Prepare by starting with a water change and blow this stuff loose with a turkey baster and siphon up loose particles.
Turn lights off (at least white and run blue at 10-15%) for 5 days and at night dose 1ml of hydrogen peroxide per 10 gallons for all 5 nights. If you dont have light dependent coral- turn all lights off.
During the day dose 1ml of liquid bacteria (such as bacter 7) per 10 gallons.
Clean filters daily and DO NOT FEED CORAL FOODS OR ADD NOPOX as it is food for dinos.
Day 5,, you can start with blue lights - ramping up and work your white lights up slowly

I do have a bottle of 3% hydrogen peroxide. I could possibly try this method during my black out and extend it to 5 days instead of 3 days. I also have a bottle of bacter7 on hand.

Its ok for me to still feed my fish frozen mysis during this period correct?

 

[vetteguy53081]

I do have a bottle of 3% hydrogen peroxide. I could possibly try this method during my black out and extend it to 5 days instead of 3 days. I also have a bottle of bacter7 on hand.

Its ok for me to still feed my fish frozen mysis during this period correct?

Do feed fish - not coral

 

[Cory]

Is your uv sterilizer really only 3 watts?

 

[eleongsit]

Is your uv sterilizer really only 3 watts?

LOL yeah.... I made a mistake when I bought it...

 

[Cory]

LOL yeah.... I made a mistake when I bought it...

Wow sorry. I dont think that will do anything for dinos.

 

[eleongsit]

So far so good. Just had one minor set back so far with the black out where my light disconnected from my wifi so it decided to turn on full blast. I just unplugged it for now. During the time the light was on I took a peek in the tank and everything seems to be alive and the sand looked spotless, but I guess that's to be expected when the tank is kept dark...

 

[eleongsit]

So I uncovered the tank today and everything for the most part seems to be alive and well

First thing I've noticed is that the back wall of the tank is now covered in a green film, everything else seems to be completely clean though.

I'm having an issue with my lights now though I'm not sure what happened to it but after I plugged it in today I cannot get the light to show up on my wifi network anymore. Thankfully it is not just starting up at full blast but its on some sort of default program which seems to be slowly ramping up the lights. I'm hoping that the wifi network will just popup eventually not I'm not sure.

Anyone have any experience with Coral Box Moon leds?

Over all I am hopeful that the dinos have been eliminated now, as it stands my zoas are starting to open up which was not the case before. I'm thinking that the 5 day black out with hydrogen peroxide treatment was successful but its too early to tell still for sure.

 

[brandon429]

Algae Identification

Any opinions on what type of algae this is growing on my rocks and sand bed?

www.reef2reef.com

run that, get the same outcome. no film algae

 

[eleongsit]

Wanted to give one more quick update. So far so good its been a few days now since I turned the lights back on and there is no sign on any new growth of Dinos. Following the advice provided here seems to at least eliminated them from my tank hopefully for good. My Zoas are still unhappy at this point but they are opening up a bit more every day so I'm hopeful that they are just adjusting back to normal again. I did a water change yesterday using a new salt as my previous bucket of Red Sea Coral Pro finished. I am now using Fritz RPM.

I was able to get control of my lights again so I am running only blues right now, I'll ramp up the whites over the next week or so.

Thank you everyone for all the advise and help, it is greatly appreciated