How do I get rid of this?

[mike007]

Yes a second mp 40 will help get more flow. I have a 100 and i run 2 of them plus 2 other powerheads. You may have some dead spots in your tank with lack of circulation. But i still believe you have a nutrient issue and i would double check your test results and maybe have your lfs check your water also. If all else fails you might want to enter into the world of carbon dosing.

 

[Lazys Coral House]

Here ya go bud. https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/re...gellates-my-experience-h2o2-reefing-tool.html

 

[KoleTang]

Here ya go bud. https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/re...gellates-my-experience-h2o2-reefing-tool.html

I was just about to post this.

Seems not many people know what dinoflagellates are.

 

[mtnrunner]

I'm on day 2 of H2O2 treatment, no improvements yet, but am hopeful after a few days I will.

I'd be interested in the others on this thread that seems to be having the problem if they are also trying and results.

 

[Mimmrfr]

With the bubbles, it appears as maybe some type of cyano...I would "turkey baste" off as much as possible, definitely try the 3 day black out and additional flow with several water changes over the next few days.

 

[cparka23]

[...]Seems not many people know what dinoflagellates are.

I was thinking the same thing. I'm guessing that they never had a problem with dinoflagellates.

@mtnrunner, The H2O2 method may not work for all types of dinoflagellates. It's stated in the thread lazylivin posted, but it's easy to miss. dougers31 mentioned that it didn't work for him, for example. Good luck, and keep us updated.

 

[jedimasterben]

Seems not many people know what dinoflagellates are.

This.

OP, you've definitely got dinoflagellates. They are toxic, and you'll more than likely notice enormous casualties among your cleanup crew and herbivorous fish (except rabbitfish, as they are able to ingest the toxins with no issues), and if you do not continue to manually remove them from your corals, they will die. Zoanthids seem the most heavily affected by them. They seem to come and go, and when you think you got rid of them, they rear their ugly head again. I tell everyone that has 'beaten' dinoflagellates to put a few mils of vinegar in their tank (to act as a carbon source) to see if they really did, and I've never heard back from any of them, so I assume that they either came back or they did not try it at all for fear that they did not actually win the fight.

• If you are carbon dosing, stop.
• Do a 3-7 day blackout (as long as you think that your livestock can survive), then for the next 2-4 weeks or so run only actinic light, nothing with spectra above 500nm. If your actinics do not have a lot of output, then skip that part, or you may kill your corals. At the very least, after the blackout, run the actinics only for a couple of days (to get corals used to light again) and then run your halides for half the time you normally do, and increase it by one hour every few days, especially if you did a long blackout.
• Dose peroxide between a 1:10 (one mL of peroxide per 10 gallons) and a 1:1 ratio (one mL per one gallon), daily or several times daily. Use as much peroxide as your system can tolerate (my tank is around 100 gallons total volume, and I am able to dose almost 300mL of 3% peroxide daily [in three 100mL doses] without ill effects on the coral or microfauna, more than that and coral color begins to fade. Corals produce hydrogen peroxide internally, so they are used to it, but too much of a good thing is a bad thing ). Peroxide will oxidize organics (like ozone does), raise ORP, and raise dissolved oxygen, as well, so overdoing it can bad, but in sane doses, it is fine.
• Use large amounts of efficient activated carbon and change it at least weekly. You will also more than likely need a phosphate remover since your cleanup crew will have massive casualties and will be decaying all over the tank.
• Skim wet, as there will be a LOT of garbage in the water that needs to get out.
• Do not do a single water change during this time.
• Run low-micron mechanical filtration and use a little flocculent if you have any, though KZ Coral Snow will do a similar thing, all the while manually using a fairly strong powerhead to blow them off of the rocks and corals.
• Stir up a small part of your sandbed every day, just a few square inches, and move to another spot the next day, and so on. I removed most of my sandbed, but that should do the same thing. If you have a true deep sand bed, then skip this or you'll have worse problems than dinoflagellates

I haven't seen hide nor hair of dinoflagellates in my tank since I did all of that (and most of that comes from around 40-60 hours of research). I've been carbon dosing again (using white vinegar) and I have not seen them return, which was always the problem in the past. I lost nearly all of my cleanup crew (to the order of around 400 various snails) and several herbivorous fish during the time I had them (I couldn't figure out why they kept dropping like flies until I was reading that the dinos are toxic)

I wish you luck in your battle, but I do need to tell you that most don't actually win. Be diligent and keep on it and you will have the best chance for success.

 

[philr]

When you do your water changes do you use a baster or something to blast off detritus from the rocks? If allowed to sit the algae has a greater chance to develop. Water flow alone will not completely solve this. Use a baster or a power head to 'blast off' rocks etc. I would also suggest somewhat more than 12 gallons weekly on a 90 gallon tank. How much water is in your sump? You should change 15-20 gallons weekly. Also check phosphates and nitrate readings.

 

[jedimasterben]

Under no circumstances should water changes be done with dealing with dinoflagellates. There is something about new water that fuels them.

 

[dougers31]

Under no circumstances should water changes be done with dealing with dinoflagellates. There is something about new water that fuels them.

Going to have to try your method. Thanks!

 

[Steveowhits]

100% sure it is not bubble algae. It is Dino. I would recommend a multi step assault: blackout period, reducing feedings, siphoning sand bed and rocks, possible peroxide treatments (never tried myself) , and large water changes with 0 ppm water. It is nasty stuff that can't often be beat with just a simple one step process. I read a decent article a while back on advanced aquarist:

How I beat dinoflagellates, and the lessons I learned ? Advanced Aquarist | Aquarist Magazine and Blog

I had it in my display tank a while back but was able to beat it by reducing my nutrients, blackout, carbon + GFO blend in media bags, and removing as much as possible by hand and siphon.

Don't give up you can do it!

 

[Steveowhits]

The reason I recommend water changes is to deal with the die off that is being caused by the Dino. Opinions will differ. I'm not a marine biologist, but I have beat dino.

 

[mtnrunner]

I've done the 1ml/gal of h2o2, but still have the problem. I do notice that in the mornings, there is less due to no lights at night. Then in evenings it is worse again. I hate to try the blackout period but I may have to.

I'm wondering also about trying 10ml/gal of h2o2 as has been mentioned above, but I'm uneasy about that much h2o2.

 

[mtnrunner]

I'm going lights out starting today, Friday, 12/13. Dosed 30ml + 30ml = 60ml of h2o2 in my 90 gal mixed reef. Charcoal, poly filter, chemi-pure also.

H2o2 alone for a week at 10ml per day did not help.

Wish me luck.

 

[dougers31]

I did the lights out with 20 mil perox. dosing on my 60 gal of total water volume setup and it did make a huge difference. Will keep on dosing the 20 mil on a daily basis and see how that works long term.

 

[GHill762]

No question that is dinoflagellates. easy fix with H202.

bingo.

don't know why it took so long for someone to say this.

this stuff is the devil..