New Hobbiest! Dinoflagellates, help please.

[EverestsFish]

Our tank is approximately 7-8 months old and I am 99.9% sure we have dinoflagellates. We have already battled diatoms and cyanobacteria, so I know this is different! It is a new brown growth with bubbles in the extensions.

Below is the protocol we are considering, but I am afraid to be too aggressive and kill good bacteria or damage our livestock. Would love your feedback before we begin!

Set-Up & Inhabitants:

• We have a 29 Gallon NanoCube.
• Filtration - Filter Floss, Chemipure Elite, Purigen.
• Inhabitants - Cleaner Shrimp, Damsel Fish, Clown Fish, Dwarf Red Starfish, Snail, Crabs.
• Corals - Hard and Soft.

Potential Regimen:

1. Add a UV sterilizer.
2. H2O2 Treatment - 1 ml of 3% (store bought) hydrogen peroxide per 10 gal of water. Twice per day, once in the morning and once in the evening. Should we pour this into the pump area for even distribution within the tank or should we do targeted treatments?
3. 3-4 Day Blackout - Our tank gets some natural light in the afternoon. We are considering covering it with a blanket.
4. No water changes.

I look forward to other suggestions and critiques to the plan we are considering. We are desperately trying to find a solution because this growth is continually blanketing our flowerpot when it is retracted and killing the coral.

Note: These photos represent less than a day's worth of growth. If we let the tank sit for a full day unattended the long hairs with bubbles will reach half-up up the tank. It is light sensitive, there seems to be less growth overnight with the lights off.

 

[mcarroll]

If you check out the stickies in this forum there's a dino thread there.

If you're doing anything to reduce nitrates or phosphates, STOP NOW.

Post some test results and read the first post of that thread ASAP.

How's your livestock and CUC?