What is my cleaner shrimp eating?

[JoeinLA]

Also, since I'm asking, I assume the white specks on the coral plug aren't anything worth worrying about...?

Ignore all the diatoms and the cloudy tank I'm getting a UV sterilizer to assist with the later (and perhaps a little with the former).

Thanks!

 

[Jekyl]

Those look like dinos not diatoms.

 

[JoeinLA]

Those look like dinos not diatoms.

uh oh. i thought they were brown algae. they seem to disappear a little at night and then grow more during the day. I will look into dino's more to see if I can understand the difference...

 

[LiamPM]

You have dinoflagellettes rahter than diatoms there.

Have you tested for PO4 and NO3 lately?

 

[JoeinLA]

Yes; I test every other day.

Phosphates were 0.00 for a while so I began dosing NeoPhos about 10 days ago. Nitrates dipped down to 2.5, so I also began dosing NeoNitro. On 1/30, just before a ~20% water change, they were 0.01 and 4.3, and I dosed 1/2 cap of each last night.

Hanna checkers.

Also, it blows off the rocks, which I read means it's likely not dino's. but I'm doing that filter test where I see if they re-clump together in a little water...

I can do another water test shortly.

 

[Jekyl]

This is a copy and paste from @vetteguy53081 and is his recommended treatment for Dinos.

Prepare by starting 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%) for 5 days and at night dose 1ml of 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) 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

 

[vetteguy53081]

Dino does

Yes; I test every other day.

Phosphates were 0.00 for a while so I began dosing NeoPhos about 10 days ago. Nitrates dipped down to 2.5, so I also began dosing NeoNitro. On 1/30, just before a ~20% water change, they were 0.01 and 4.3, and I dosed 1/2 cap of each last night.

Hanna checkers.

Also, it blows off the rocks, which I read means it's likely not dino's. but I'm doing that filter test where I see if they re-clump together in a little water...

I can do another water test shortly.

blow off and you want to capture those particles with a net
Coffee filter test is suggestive and not a confirmation

 

[Jekyl]

Dino does

blow off and you want to capture those particles with a net
Coffee filter test is suggestive and not a confirmation

Didn't mean to steal your thunder.

 

[JoeinLA]

OK thanks for the Dino info. I'm not sure exactly what I'll do at this point as it seems like there are conflicting approaches. For now, however, I'll hope my inbound UV sterilizer and maybe dosing some bacteria will at least keep things from getting worse. I'll plan mechanical removal as much as possible and also large water changes over the weekend. Also, I'll continue dosing NeoPhos and NeoNitro to keep Phosphates above 0 and Nitrates above 5 or so.

Heh, and I thought the thing the cleaner shrimp was eating was the wonder of the moment

 

[JoeinLA]

Just for confirmation, I did the "filter" test and I now see a very nice strand of dino's. Oh well. I thought I was going to avoid that.

 

[JoeinLA]

just to give this a conclusion, between my cheapo UV sterilizer, 2 fighting conches, and a toothbrush, my dino’s are almost entirely gone after only a handful of days.

i’ve also been adding NeoPhos and NeoNitro to keep phosphates above 0.05 and Nitrates above 5.

I think I got the “easy version” of dino’s as it’s my understanding that there’s another version that’s infinitely more difficult to address. I’ll take my good furtive wherever I can get it