Please identify these Dino’s

[sandfan85]

Hello fellow reefers. Like many on this forum, I too am battling the dreaded dino’s. My problem started for several reasons. A while back I got velvet, so I removed all the fish from my DT. In doing so, I had to remove most of my rock, therefore, disrupting my biological system. Also during the fallow period my No3 and Po4 dropped to zero. I’ve since corrected these issues. These Dino’s seem to be on my sandbed only. If you could help me identify these, it would help me in eradicating these jerks.

My current method of ridding these
from my DT are....

Maintaining safe levels of No3 & Po4
Dosing Dr Tim’s Waste Away
UV light (55w DT to DT)
Small in-tank diatom filter
Stirring sand bed 2-3 times daily.

 

[sandfan85]

Any ideas @taricha ?

 

[sandfan85]

Bump

 

[Bret Brinkmann]

Never was that good at IDing them, but I did beat mine. Took several months of making sure their were nutrients in the tank, weekly manual removal, and patience. Reducing my photo period really helped speed things up too. I dosed Si to encourage diatom growth, which worked and did help drive the dinos back in certain areas, but long term nutrient control (not total elimination) was by far the biggest help. Dinos converted me from an ULNS to dirty water fan.

 

[dwest]

Hello fellow reefers. Like many on this forum, I too am battling the dreaded dino’s. My problem started for several reasons. A while back I got velvet, so I removed all the fish from my DT. In doing so, I had to remove most of my rock, therefore, disrupting my biological system. Also during the fallow period my No3 and Po4 dropped to zero. I’ve since corrected these issues. These Dino’s seem to be on my sandbed only. If you could help me identify these, it would help me in eradicating these ********.

My current method of ridding these
from my DT are....

Maintaining safe levels of No3 & Po4
Dosing Dr Tim’s Waste Away
UV light (55w DT to DT)
Small in-tank diatom filter
Stirring sand bed 2-3 times daily.

Sorry, but m not much of an ID person. But I do think those are amphidinium. Hopefully others will chime in. You seem to be doing the right things. I would keep nitrates and phosphates measurable and consider dosing silicates. Unfortunately your UV will not wipe them out, but it does seem to play a long term helpful role IME. I eventually removed my sand as well, but others have success keeping theirs.

 

[sandfan85]

Dosing silicates is my next move. If that fails, bye bye sand.

 

[Bret Brinkmann]

I kept my 4" deep sand bed. The process of adding nutrients back to my system took months though. As long as you are seeing progress, how ever slow, don't change your method. For me 3 months for the dinos to be 90% gone but I had them REALLY bad. It was 6 months until they were undetectable. Nothing speeds up progress with dinos, you either make headway or you don't. Just have to be patient and run GAC for the toxins.