Help!!!!

[Proverbs3:5-6]

I have finally been able to video under a microscope what I’ve been battling. Please help me figure out what it is and how to treat it.

 

[AcroNem]

This looks like a small snail, almost like a tiny welk. Do you have a lot of them causing problems?

 

[Proverbs3:5-6]

This looks like a small snail, almost like a tiny welk. Do you have a lot of them causing problems?

That’s under 400x microscope. In tank it’s stringy and covers my rocks and sand pumps back glass. It appears brown and comes back every time I swoosh them away.

 

[ramboisreal]

Definitely dinoflagellates

 

[Proverbs3:5-6]

Definitely dinoflagellates

The little brown things don’t move under the microscope. How do you know? What do I look for?

 

[ramboisreal]

The little brown things don’t move under the microscope. How do you know? What do I look for?

Some types of dinos are immobile, at least for the most part from what I’ve read, under a microscope. I know because it looks exactly like what I had in my tank just a couple months ago.

This thread was super helpful to me in identifying what I had and how to go about treating it.

Dinoflagellates – Are You Tired Of Battling Altogether?

I don't know what percentage of folks had luck battling dinos with any of the methods in the old Dino thread but it's obviously a very low percentage, so I'd like refresh folks on the natural alternatives and lay out three areas of info: some of the factors that contribute to a dino outbreak...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[ramboisreal]

The little brown things don’t move under the microscope. How do you know? What do I look for?

From your description of your tank, yours looks exactly like mine did when I was battling dinos. Does it look like this?

 

[Proverbs3:5-6]

From your description of your tank, yours looks exactly like mine did when I was battling dinos. Does it look like this?

More stringy less big patch

 

[brandon429]

we need to know how many gallons is the tank

the params and id wont matter at all depending on size of tank, access is based on size of tank

large tanks=cant access must do things to the water and wait months. will need param testing, id, targeting of meds etc.

smaller tanks, say 50 gallons and less=can rip clean the whole tank and be dino free in 3 hours. then you set the tank to anti-dino mode, apply beneficial organisms, alter params (in the clean condition, not the filthy one, thats for large tankers) no params and no ID needed for all small tank invasions.

if you are a large tanker sorry for painting the accessibility so bleak lol/ true

 

[ramboisreal]

More stringy less big patch

Would you be able to post a picture of it? Sure looks like dinos under the microscope though.
I have a 100 gallon system and I was able to get rid of it (so far, at least) but it sure wasn’t easy. My dinos came as a result of low nutrients. I had to dose h2o2, nitrate and phosphates. What are your nitrate and phosphate levels?

 

[Proverbs3:5-6]

we need to know how many gallons is the tank

the params and id wont matter at all depending on size of tank, access is based on size of tank

large tanks=cant access must do things to the water and wait months. will need param testing, id, targeting of meds etc.

smaller tanks, say 50 gallons and less=can rip clean the whole tank and be dino free in 3 hours. then you set the tank to anti-dino mode, apply beneficial organisms, alter params (in the clean condition, not the filthy one, thats for large tankers) no params and no ID needed for all small tank invasions.

if you are a large tanker sorry for painting the accessibility so bleak lol/ true

I have a 75 gallon right now and my temp is at 77.7 nitrate is 5-10 my ammonia is .25 yesterday, nitrite is 0 and ph is 8. Running an ati dimmable sunpower 8x54w T5 fixture at 50% for 6 hours then the one hour each ramp up and down.

 

[Proverbs3:5-6]

Would you be able to post a picture of it? Sure looks like dinos under the microscope though.
I have a 100 gallon system and I was able to get rid of it (so far, at least) after doing several things. What are your nitrate and phosphate levels?

I don’t have a phosphate checker currently I have an api saltwater test kit, I have 5-10 ppm nitrates and 0 nitrites.

 

[ramboisreal]

I have a 75 gallon right now and my temp is at 77.7 nitrate is 5-10 my ammonia is .25 yesterday, nitrite is 0 and ph is 8. Running an ati dimmable sunpower 8x54w T5 fixture at 50% for 6 hours then the one hour each ramp up and down.

Ammonia is harmful to corals and fish at any level. I would recommend checking your phosphates too. If you decide to get a phosphate test kit, I would recommend anything other than API.

 

[brandon429]

your current ammonia level is zero in the tank, for very specific reasons posted in prior statements here. your reported test kit levels wont factor in any assessment, api .25=0 in this aquarium for specific reasons.

post a full tank shot, and get ready to choose your repair mode... you will have opposite methods offered and you'll need to avoid blending them. pick one you think will work, run it, dont change course from it for 60 days. be that dedicated. dont custom blend methods, that would be further guessing.

 

[Proverbs3:5-6]

Would you be able to post a picture of it? Sure looks like dinos under the microscope though.
I have a 100 gallon system and I was able to get rid of it (so far, at least) but it sure wasn’t easy. My dinos came as a result of low nutrients. I had to dose h2o2, nitrate and phosphates. What are your nitrate and phosphate levels?

Sorry for the blue don’t have a filter for my phone camera.

 

[Proverbs3:5-6]

your current ammonia level is zero in the tank, for very specific reasons posted in prior statements here. your reported test kit levels wont factor in any assessment, api .25=0 in this aquarium for specific reasons.

post a full tank shot, and get ready to choose your repair mode... you will have opposite methods offered and you'll need to avoid blending them. pick one you think will work, run it, dont change course from it for 60 days. be that dedicated. dont custom blend methods, that would be further guessing.

 

[brandon429]

hey you are acting early! nice one.

you should order a $200 pond sterilizer off amazon, check ratings posts for quality. cheap and easy and powerful.

next, hand siphon 100% of the dinos off the rocks and sand before installing, only install UV in the clean condition. taking out that much target will be the equivalent of about 50% water change.

do all the other stuff after following these steps/thats my offer specifically based on pics.

you have no free ammonia in that system, per pics.

well done starting early, before domination. simply hand guide and dont run GFO or phosphate specific media. do what this gent has done:

Cycling a new Biocube 32

Hello all! My name is Daniel from Florida and I’m starting to get into the reef hobby. I have been cycling my tank for two weeks now and logging it into an app. I have recently been gifted a live rock with some good amount of coralline on it. I also got some water from and established tank. My...

www.reef2reef.com

that tank is only half your's size its a fitting work scale model.

look at the path he's taking, hands on vs hands off

planning and avoiding dinos on page one. now we're at page nine full of corals.

 

[Proverbs3:5-6]

hey you are acting early! nice one.

you should order a $200 pond sterilizer off amazon, check ratings posts for quality. cheap and easy and powerful.

next, hand siphon 100% of the dinos off the rocks and sand before installing, only install UV in the clean condition. taking out that much target will be the equivalent of about 50% water change.

do all the other stuff after following these steps/thats my offer specifically based on pics.

you have no free ammonia in that system, per pics.

well done starting early, before domination. simply hand guide and dont run GFO or phosphate specific media. do what this gent has done:

Can you link me one that you recommend? I’m currently overpowered as it is on my skimmer. Running a coralife super skimmer 220g on a 75. I have plans on upgrading at tax time to a 300 gallon. I have a whole room to dedicate to it.

 

[SMSREEF]

I agree with @brandon429

Many different ways to deal with this. Your tank seems a little too new to have a dino problem. But IMO that's what they look like under microscope. Did you use any chemicals to kill off algae or other microbes? Dinos seem to take over when they don't have competition, or nutrients get too low and their competition dies.

If it were me, I would try a UV sterilizer because you say you can disperse them into the water column where the UV will kill them.

There is some really awesome info in the dino thread that @ramboisreal gave you the link to.

 

[Proverbs3:5-6]

I agree with @brandon429

Many different ways to deal with this. Your tank seems a little too new to have a dino problem. But IMO that's what they look like under microscope. Did you use any chemicals to kill off algae or other microbes? Dinos seem to take over when they don't have competition, or nutrients get too low and their competition dies.

If it were me, I would try a UV sterilizer because you say you can disperse them into the water column where the UV will kill them.

There is some really awesome info in the dino thread that @ramboisreal gave you the link to.

I just switched from Red Sea coral pro salt to NeoMarine this is my supply closet for now.