Just started a tank blackout. Couple questions..

[BetterJake]

Just wrapped my tank with black trash bags for a three day blackout, part of my ongoing battle against Dinos.

It's my last step before just plumbing in UV.

Questions about the blackout and having the DT entirely covered in trash bags. The tank is a reefer 250, so it has a sump as well

Does anything need to be done for gas exchange? Just want to make sure CO2 buildup would not be an issue? Or any other type of buildup with the DT wrapped up like that?

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

IMO, whatever you are trying to solve, blackouts dont work, ever.

And wrapping your tank in garbage bags sounds airtight, not something I would do, gas exchange is very important.

This guy put a cardboard box over his tank to blackout and everything died.

Mass invertebrate die off after blackout

Hello, I did a three day blackout this week to tackle a Dino outbreak. It seems like a good portion of the microfauna of my tank have all died at once. There are literally piles of dead polychaetes, amphipods and snails. Every stomatella and limpet in my tank seems to have died. The water is...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[damsels are not mean]

The dinos will probably just come back, but I would definitely ditch the trash bags. You will absolutely nuke that tank if you don't increase oxygenation and covering the tank in bags will do the opposite. Whatever stray light is in the room will not affect the blackout.

 

[BetterJake]

The dinos will probably just come back, but I would definitely ditch the trash bags. You will absolutely nuke that tank if you don't increase oxygenation and covering the tank in bags will do the opposite. Whatever stray light is in the room will not affect the blackout.

Trash bags gone. Glad I asked. Thank you for the quick reply.

So I'll keep the aquarium lights off, are you saying that the ambient light in the room won't affect the blackout? In that case I should not cover any of the tank sides at all?

 

[damsels are not mean]

Trash bags gone. Glad I asked. Thank you for the quick reply.

So I'll keep the aquarium lights off, are you saying that the ambient light in the room won't affect the blackout? In that case I should not cover any of the tank sides at all?

It really shouldn't unless the tank gets lots of sunlight as in a direct window shot. There is a floor lamp close to my tank that keeps it well illuminated until we all go to sleep yet the tank goes to sleep close to 30min before the tank's "sunset" program is even done.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Just wrapped my tank with black trash bags for a three day blackout, part of my ongoing battle against Dinos.

It's my last step before just plumbing in UV.

Questions about the blackout and having the DT entirely covered in trash bags. The tank is a reefer 250, so it has a sump as well

Does anything need to be done for gas exchange? Just want to make sure CO2 buildup would not be an issue? Or any other type of buildup with the DT wrapped up like that?

No need to go that far but will assure darkness. Typically to get rid of Dino, begin 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% IF you have light dependant corals) for 5 days and at night dose 1ml of 3% 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 or XLM) 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

 

[BetterJake]

It really shouldn't unless the tank gets lots of sunlight as in a direct window shot. There is a floor lamp close to my tank that keeps it well illuminated until we all go to sleep yet the tank goes to sleep close to 30min before the tank's "sunset" program is even done.

The blinds pretty much keep the sunlight out of the room so should be fine. Thanks again!

 

[Uncle99]

Solving Dino’s is a two part process.

1.
Ensure nutrients are available and stable within normal band range.
This will feed the good guy diversity.

2.
Limit Dino numbers by multiple approaches.
-Change socks/filter media before lights on.
-light vacumn of the sand bed through filter sock daily when lights on.
-Lower white light.
-UV is a big help lowering numberthey come off the sand at night.

You must limit the Dino numbers while your stable water chemistry drives the good guys to a point where they outcompete the Dino’s.

Then they will stay gone provided water chemistry and nutrients availability run stable, say a month or so.

Not a fan of Hydrogen Peroxide as it effects good algae as well as bad.