Mike Lemming
Active Member
Hey guys! I just wanted to share my excitement with you all and maybe help someone else down the road
!
I currently have a 60’ish total water volume (3'x2'x20") and for the last 4+ months, I have been dealing with Dino’s.
At first, I didn’t realize it was Dino’s and did 4 or 5 consecutive 20g water changes hoping it would go away. It didn’t.
I probably should have went the route of identifying which Dino’s I had with a microscope but, I ended up adding a 36 watt UV sterilizer. The Dino’s I had did not disappear at night like most people online said there Dinos did but, I tried UV anyway. This ultimately did nothing.
I then researched a lot more and decided to raise my nutrients and dose bacteria. I was really patient with this and figured that my tank only being 9 months old, maybe it was a maturity thing.
Raising my nutrients didn’t do much other than bringing on a bunch of hair algae. Based on a Salifert test kit, my nitrates were around 50. For some reason I was having a hard time raising my phosphates but, the last time I tested with a Hanna checker, they were around .06.
I even tried changing my filter pad every morning and syphoning the sand bed a couple times a week but in the end, they just returned the next day.
Finally, I decided to do a black out. Not only did I turn my lights off entirely, I cut out card board and completely covered the glass.
I gave it a little over 3 days without touching the tank. The only thing I did was change the filter pad on day 2. I left everything running including my skimmer and UV.
Today I came home, took the cardboard off and EVERYTHING IS GONE!!!
Dinos are nowhere to be found and the green hair algae is gone as well! The few corals that I currently have don't seem to be bothered other than a little loss of color. The fish even seemed happy and excited to have the light back, swimming back and forth enjoying life.
I don't think I've seen my sandbed this clean since I started the tank up!
I turned my lights back on to only 20% with a 60 day ramp up and then did a 20g water change to lower nutrients (although I haven't bothered to test just yet) but, will do in the next day or two.
Since it's only been an hour since the water change, I don't know if the Dino's are gone for good or not but, I will continue my maintenance routine and keep an eye out.
I sure hope that I won this battle and never to have to deal with Dinos again. Only time will tell..
Fingers crossed!
!
I currently have a 60’ish total water volume (3'x2'x20") and for the last 4+ months, I have been dealing with Dino’s.
At first, I didn’t realize it was Dino’s and did 4 or 5 consecutive 20g water changes hoping it would go away. It didn’t.
I probably should have went the route of identifying which Dino’s I had with a microscope but, I ended up adding a 36 watt UV sterilizer. The Dino’s I had did not disappear at night like most people online said there Dinos did but, I tried UV anyway. This ultimately did nothing.
I then researched a lot more and decided to raise my nutrients and dose bacteria. I was really patient with this and figured that my tank only being 9 months old, maybe it was a maturity thing.
Raising my nutrients didn’t do much other than bringing on a bunch of hair algae. Based on a Salifert test kit, my nitrates were around 50. For some reason I was having a hard time raising my phosphates but, the last time I tested with a Hanna checker, they were around .06.
I even tried changing my filter pad every morning and syphoning the sand bed a couple times a week but in the end, they just returned the next day.
Finally, I decided to do a black out. Not only did I turn my lights off entirely, I cut out card board and completely covered the glass.
I gave it a little over 3 days without touching the tank. The only thing I did was change the filter pad on day 2. I left everything running including my skimmer and UV.
Today I came home, took the cardboard off and EVERYTHING IS GONE!!!
Dinos are nowhere to be found and the green hair algae is gone as well! The few corals that I currently have don't seem to be bothered other than a little loss of color. The fish even seemed happy and excited to have the light back, swimming back and forth enjoying life.
I don't think I've seen my sandbed this clean since I started the tank up!
I turned my lights back on to only 20% with a 60 day ramp up and then did a 20g water change to lower nutrients (although I haven't bothered to test just yet) but, will do in the next day or two.
Since it's only been an hour since the water change, I don't know if the Dino's are gone for good or not but, I will continue my maintenance routine and keep an eye out.
I sure hope that I won this battle and never to have to deal with Dinos again. Only time will tell..
Fingers crossed!
