What is this cyano Dino's diatoms.

Scribe · Oct 1, 2013

I've been dealing with this for a long time on and off....not even sure what type it is, but its driving me nuts. Chems are all in check. Magnesium is a little high, but its coming down. No phosphates, nitrates. Got a clean up crew to try and help, seems it might have actually gotten a bit worse. I was siphoning it off, holding off on water changes...feeding less...adding more movement...lights are on less then 8 hours. Trying not to use chemicals to solve it, but I'm getting to that point quickly. Any thoughts ideas. I did add more sand recently...could that have encouraged it to grow more. Any help would be greatly appreciated. It was mostly on the San, but now seems to be growing on the rocks a lot more.

Scribe · Oct 1, 2013

Sorry it's upside down. Obviously had the iPad flipped. Thanks for looking.

Reefing Madness · Oct 2, 2013

Huge case of Dinos. Try Hydrogen Peroxide solution. Or possibly going the high PH route. Lights out for 3 days is helpful also. You have a few options.
How I beat dinoflagellates, and the lessons I learned ? Advanced Aquarist | Aquarist Magazine and Blog
Problem Dinoflagellates and pH by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com

Scribe · Oct 2, 2013

Thanks. It looks like I have a tank blackout in my future.

marvelousone · Oct 2, 2013

Wrap your tank with a black plastic bag so no light gets it. It may take time to fight it but you can beat it.

Scribe · Oct 3, 2013

Thanks for the encouragement. Think I am going to wrap it. I have to buy a GFO reactor, and there was a link to a filter in a link I saw too. Just wondering what the effect of no light will be on the corals...gues they survive in the ocean on with multiple days of little to no light during storms. Do I continue to feed fish while wrapped?

marvelousone · Oct 3, 2013

Scribe said:
Thanks for the encouragement. Think I am going to wrap it. I have to buy a GFO reactor, and there was a link to a filter in a link I saw too. Just wondering what the effect of no light will be on the corals...gues they survive in the ocean on with multiple days of little to no light during storms. Do I continue to feed fish while wrapped?

I was worried about the corals also but they survived. I did not feed them. Fish can go several days with out feeding.

Reefing Madness · Oct 3, 2013

You can feed the fish if you want to. Lightly. But like stated, you don't have to, they will be ok for a few days.

Scribe · Oct 4, 2013

Tank is covered. I'll keep you posted...thanks again for all of you input. It's greatly appreciated.

Reefing Madness · Oct 4, 2013

Scribe · Oct 4, 2013

Already itchin to peak.

Aussie Reefer · Oct 4, 2013

DInos. only time will get rif of them ontop of all recommended cures. I dont believe blackout is necesarry, i rid them without a blackout, but did shorten lighting period to 5 hrs

Longnose Hawkfish · Oct 31, 2013

Hey! Did the blackout work for you? And how were your corals?

Scribe · Nov 4, 2013

Sorry for the late reply. Yes, the blackout seemed to have helped. I only say helped, because I went full blown, and as well as the blackout, got a gfo/carbon reactor, also got a lot of detritus removed from the sand beds around the base of the rocks, changed metal halides to LEDs, and raised my alkalinity. So not sure which helped, but it's all gone for now at least. Knock on wood. I've only had problems with one coral so far....a blue tip acropora. Can't say if it's from the blackout or not though. Never have much luck with some acros.