Silica dosing

[taricha]

he's saying that Chaeto growth is a good marker to help keep you in tune with the availabilities of nutrients in a system. Sometimes people have plenty of N and P and light and flow, yet their chaeto won't grow. That's probably telling us something about nutrient availability (trace elements?) that a test kit can't measure.

I often chaeto and carbon dose both. sometimes more carbon, sometimes barely any.

 

[merereef]

he's saying that Chaeto growth is a good marker to help keep you in tune with the availabilities of nutrients in a system. Sometimes people have plenty of N and P and light and flow, yet their chaeto won't grow. That's probably telling us something about nutrient availability (trace elements?) that a test kit can't measure.

I often chaeto and carbon dose both. sometimes more carbon, sometimes barely any.

 

[Neoalchemist]

Exactly.

 

[Charles4400]

So what is the recommended dosage amount for the silica? At what levels should they be maintained to battle dinos?

 

[Charles4400]

And is there a particular brand that has been used with success?

Battling stubborn dinos (seems like different types), in a blackout period with uv pulling directly from the dt. Trying not to use dino x so would like to give silica dosing a shot.

 

[Potatohead]

Silica dosing is probably the best thing I ever did to get rid of amphidinium dinos. I battled them for two years.

Started dosing phosphate
Started dosing heavy MB7 and running UV, turned off skimmer and UV for four hours after dosing, didn't do much after about three weeks
Got SpongExcel, slowly brought up dose over the course of 7 days to one drop per gallon. Maintained that for about four or five weeks. Slowly the reddish dinos started turning goldy brown. Once I saw no more red I maintained dose for another week and since I have been reducing the dose about 20% per week. I am now about 40% of maximum dose and my sandbed is beautiful. I will probably just continue dosing until this last bottle is gone.

 

[Charles4400]

Silica dosing is probably the best thing I ever did to get rid of amphidinium dinos. I battled them for two years.

Started dosing phosphate
Started dosing heavy MB7 and running UV, turned off skimmer and UV for four hours after dosing, didn't do much after about three weeks
Got SpongExcel, slowly brought up dose over the course of 7 days to one drop per gallon. Maintained that for about four or five weeks. Slowly the reddish dinos started turning goldy brown. Once I saw no more red I maintained dose for another week and since I have been reducing the dose about 20% per week. I am now about 40% of maximum dose and my sandbed is beautiful. I will probably just continue dosing until this last bottle is gone.

Awesome thanks for your response!

Did you keep the uv on and continue dosing mb7 while using the sponge excel?

 

[Potatohead]

Awesome thanks for your response!

Did you keep the uv on and continue dosing mb7 while using the sponge excel?

I think there was about a week overlap but for the most part, no.

 

[merereef]

Silica dosing is probably the best thing I ever did to get rid of amphidinium dinos. I battled them for two years.

Started dosing phosphate
Started dosing heavy MB7 and running UV, turned off skimmer and UV for four hours after dosing, didn't do much after about three weeks
Got SpongExcel, slowly brought up dose over the course of 7 days to one drop per gallon. Maintained that for about four or five weeks. Slowly the reddish dinos started turning goldy brown. Once I saw no more red I maintained dose for another week and since I have been reducing the dose about 20% per week. I am now about 40% of maximum dose and my sandbed is beautiful. I will probably just continue dosing until this last bottle is gone.

Ive been dosing for a week now can see a huge improvmenet in dinos not on glass or pumps any more... still a little on sand checked with microscrop... i was going to increase dose but will maintain the same dose every day for a few weeks

 

[Charles4400]

I think there was about a week overlap but for the most part, no.

Thanks Potatohead I'm going to try it!!!

 

[Charles4400]

Just thought of this but is running gfo and dosing silica counter productive? I have heard gfo takes out silicates but am unclear on how efficient it is at that.

Gfo is keeping my phosphates steady at .03-.04. I'll take the diatoms to get rid of the dinos but would hate for gha to return. It was a long and weary battle to finally get them under control!

Should I turn off gfo while dosing or let it ride?

 

[merereef]

Just thought of this but is running gfo and dosing silica counter productive? I have heard gfo takes out silicates but am unclear on how efficient it is at that.

Gfo is keeping my phosphates steady at .03-.04. I'll take the diatoms to get rid of the dinos but would hate for gha to return. It was a long and weary battle to finally get them under control!

Should I turn off gfo while dosing or let it ride?

Turn off gfo... feed lightly and skim wet should help keep nutrients in check and not let it get tooo high..

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

This is another reason I never agreed with stopping water changes in a dino fight. Fear of nutrient limitation that I cannot detect easily. I run cheato in all of my systems and over the years it teaches you about supporting the the supporting systems. By stopping water changes and changing feeding habits I feel you will eventually run into nutrient shortages of microbes and algea that compete with the dino.

My thought on the effect of water changes sometimes boosting dinos was introduction of a trace element such as iron that was limiting them, not a nutrient change.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Just thought of this but is running gfo and dosing silica counter productive? I have heard gfo takes out silicates but am unclear on how efficient it is at that.

Gfo is keeping my phosphates steady at .03-.04. I'll take the diatoms to get rid of the dinos but would hate for gha to return. It was a long and weary battle to finally get them under control!

Should I turn off gfo while dosing or let it ride?

While GFO does bind silicate, I wouldn't say it is counter productive.

I'd suggest it is even more desirable to dose silicate to a tank using GFO to keep silicate from being depleted too fast. FWIW, I used both at the same time.

 

[Charles4400]

While GFO does bind silicate, I wouldn't say it is counter productive.

I'd suggest it is even more desirable to dose silicate to a tank using GFO to keep silicate from being depleted too fast. FWIW, I used both at the same time.

Thanks Randy, your opinion is good enough for me!

 

[Neoalchemist]

My thought on the effect of water changes sometimes boosting dinos was introduction of a trace element such as iron that was limiting them, not a nutrient change.

Yes, true. I should clarify that when I speak of nutrients Im lumping in trace elements along with the normal fertilizer type nutrients.
Once an elemant is taken in and utilized for growth it becomes a nutrient. Is that correct or am I just causing confusion?

Dont want to cause confusion so I will be more specific in the future.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Yes, true. I should clarify that when I speak of nutrients Im lumping in trace elements along with the normal fertilizer type nutrients.
Once an elemant is taken in and utilized for growth it becomes a nutrient. Is that correct or am I just causing confusion?

Dont want to cause confusion so I will be more specific in the future.

Different folks utilize different definitions of nutrients, but most ordinary reefers are referring to nitrate and phosphate when they use the word "nutrients" and most do not include metals. That said, ordinary reefers make all sorts of definitional mistakes that sometimes I correct when I see them (magnesium, as a trace element, for example, when it is the polar opposite of a trace element).

In this case, I just wanted to distinguish the effect of low N and/or P (which does not seem to be a suitable way to deal with dinos) compared to low trace metals (which may be a useful way to control dinos).

 

[Charles4400]

So I finally got the spongexcel in and also got a hanna ultra low silica test as well.

Checked with hanna before attempting ti dose and I was surprised to find that my Silica level is 1.27 ppm! Isn't that already high?

Should I still dose silica with this level silica already in my system?

 

[taricha]

So I finally got the spongexcel in and also got a hanna ultra low silica test as well.

Checked with hanna before attempting ti dose and I was surprised to find that my Silica level is 1.27 ppm! Isn't that already high?

Should I still dose silica with this level silica already in my system?

Nope! 1-2 ppm Si is fine. It's plenty for any diatoms to grow and is in the ballpark of what natural levels can reach in the ocean.

 

[merereef]

Nope! 1-2 ppm Si is fine. It's plenty for any diatoms to grow and is in the ballpark of what natural levels can reach in the ocean.

So ive been dosing for 2 weeks and guess what????? Been dino free for 5 days now!!!! No dinos in sight