ID this Algae / Dino

[Reeferbo619]

Has all the characteristics of Dino’s but I bought a microscope and took some videos to confirm

been doing a good job blowing it off of rocks and corals. Although it shows up on my sand bed every day no matter what I do.

I struggled to get nutrients up in the tank was reading double 0 for a long time until now


phosphate .02
Nitrate 10ppm
Alk: 8.5
Calc: 420
Mag: 1340
Salinity: 35PPM
Ph: 8.2

accepting all advice and criticism!

 

[Neoalchemist]

Only 1 video is viewable but based on that one it appears you have multiple strains, not unusual.
Best advise is keep working on those no3 and po4 numbers.
You must get po4 up to around .05.
I would highly suggest u.v. set up with strength and flow adjusted to kill protists.
1/3 of the tanks volume in wattage and flow somewhere in the range of 200 to 300 gph through the unit.

 

[Idoc]

They look predominately like small cell amphidinium dinos to me.

Elevate your No3/Po4 numbers to help with competition for other algaes. UV supposedly help with small cell amph dinos since they do go into the water column somewhat.

I battled these for a year in my system! Eventually, I performed the Elegant Corals Dino-Cyano treatment and it knocked off the small cell amphid dinos for me! It then allowed ostreopsis dinos to proliferate, but those are easier to control. I then hooked up an Aqua 57w UV with a MJ1200 pump inside the DT (approx 400gph) and that has cleaned up my tank perfectly. But, I didn't try the UV when the small cell amphidinium dinos were the worse, so unsure if it alone would have worked.

But something I have thought about that I think would have worked...Using the UV system during a blackout where the dinos are forced into the water column. Small cell amphidinium dinos will NOT be controlled with only a 3 day blackout by itself! I did a 5.5 day blackout on a smaller 20g quarantine tank (with H2O2 dosing) and they still came back in a few days! Supposedly it takes around 9 days blackout to completely clear this type out. No scientific basis behind this next comment, but I believe it is occurring due to my experiences...blackouts don't kill the dinos, just puts them into a hibernation mode. The reason I believe this...my small 20g coral quarantine tank is constantly getting dinos even after 4-5 different blackout attempts...all different time limits! And, nothing new added to that tank! The buggers keep coming back!

 

[Reeferbo619]

They look predominately like small cell amphidinium dinos to me.

Elevate your No3/Po4 numbers to help with competition for other algaes. UV supposedly help with small cell amph dinos since they do go into the water column somewhat.

I battled these for a year in my system! Eventually, I performed the Elegant Corals Dino-Cyano treatment and it knocked off the small cell amphid dinos for me! It then allowed ostreopsis dinos to proliferate, but those are easier to control. I then hooked up an Aqua 57w UV with a MJ1200 pump inside the DT (approx 400gph) and that has cleaned up my tank perfectly. But, I didn't try the UV when the small cell amphidinium dinos were the worse, so unsure if it alone would have worked.

But something I have thought about that I think would have worked...Using the UV system during a blackout where the dinos are forced into the water column. Small cell amphidinium dinos will NOT be controlled with only a 3 day blackout by itself! I did a 5.5 day blackout on a smaller 20g quarantine tank (with H2O2 dosing) and they still came back in a few days! Supposedly it takes around 9 days blackout to completely clear this type out. No scientific basis behind this next comment, but I believe it is occurring due to my experiences...blackouts don't kill the dinos, just puts them into a hibernation mode. The reason I believe this...my small 20g coral quarantine tank is constantly getting dinos even after 4-5 different blackout attempts...all different time limits! And, nothing new added to that tank! The buggers keep coming back!

thanks for all the info. My uv should come in April 28th meanwhile I’ve been working on those nutrient levels and siphoning the top layer of sand where the Dino populate..through a filter sock into a bucket and then back into the tank

 

[taricha]

hey, thanks for the PM.
I watched your videos you posted in a couple of threads
Good advice so far by @Neoalchemist and @Idoc.

One video (not microscope) shows long strings. This is a sign of kinds that go into the water a lot and would be susceptible to UV, none show movement like ostreopsis, so this is possibly prorocentrum. Another video shows cells of large size and very small size, meaning small cell amphidnium is also present. Other cells move and look like Large Cell amphidinium.

See the guide 35ppt posted here for pics and videos and a few facts about each.

It is difficult to make out, I'm thinking Prorocentrum or Amphidinium. Check out this guide and maybe you can make it out by eye better.

Highly likely you have a population of at least 3 different kinds. Run UV, dose to elevate nutrients. Vacuum out visible brown spots. While waiting to get UV, hang a filter floss in high flow and in the light, cells in the water will will settle onto it turning it brown during the lights-on hours. Rinse out the filter under tap water. Can do this once or a couple of times during the light period. This'll remove more cells than you expect, and help keep corals much more clear.

 

[Idoc]

While waiting to get UV, hang a filter floss in high flow and in the light, cells in the water will will settle onto it turning it brown during the lights-on hours. Rinse out the filter under tap water. Can do this once or a couple of times during the light period. This'll remove more cells than you expect, and help keep corals much more clear.

Do you have a video or pics of doing this? Id like to give that a try in my coral quarantine tank... just can't picture it in my mind, though.

 

[taricha]

Do you have a video or pics of doing this? Id like to give that a try in my coral quarantine tank... just can't picture it in my mind, though.

Filter floss & zip tie, hung on a pump, turns brown, wrung out into a beaker is almost pure ostreopsis.

 

[waleedreef]

is it having bubbles on top of their branches?

 

[Reeferbo619]

At first it did have bubbles but I've been staying on top of it hard the last two weeks and most I give it time to see is just a dust look that gets thicker in low flow areas

 

[waleedreef]

At first it did have bubbles but I've been staying on top of it hard the last two weeks and most I give it time to see is just a dust look that gets thicker in low flow areas

then it's dino. use Dino X for 40 days treatment and you will be ok.