When to do a water change when battling dinos?

[DrMMI]

Hi everyone,

I'm in the midst of trying to rid my tank of some dinos. I stopped my GFO and Nopox and started feeding a little heavier. In just over a week, my nitrates went from 0 to 20ppm and my phosphates went from 0 to 0.12-0.16ppm. At what point should I do a water change?

 

[AZMSGT]

Depending on what you have in your tank I would stay with what ever regular schedule you have. Remember water changes replenish elements that some live stock consumes. If you don’t stick to that schedule you could be starving a coral Of some trace elements.

Also use the water change as an opportunity to remove some of the Dinos. Use a small tube two siphon them up.

 

[DrMMI]

Thanks. I've read a few places that water changes also help to feed the dinos by reducing nutrients that their competitors can use. I've got a pretty stocked 300g system from a fish perspective. As far as coral, I've got some softies, LPS, and a couple of acro frags that seem to be holding steady for now.

 

[Michael Gray]

following as i have 2 chalices that have started to shrink and show skeleton. not sure if its because the no water changes in like 2 months. im wondering if i should try a small 15g small wc.. im at the tail end.. i used silicate dosing to outcompete.. but since the chalice frags are shriveling and showing skeleton i just wonder if trace elements will help... po4 is .15 and no3 is 8

 

[DrMMI]

Yeah I used to do WC once a month. I'm due this week, but I think I'm going to skip it. My nitrates are at 10-20ppm and phosphates were about 0.5ppm a few days ago and yet I still have a tank full of dinos. I'm about 2 days into the temperature method now, no sign of regression so far.

 

[Charles4400]

I'm doing a water change tonight and a big one at that. My nitrates are at 50 and phosphate at .27. I'm not willing to sustain these numbers anymore its been like this while fighting dinos for about 3 weeks now. I don't want to wake up to rtn/stn on my across which happened to me last year (non dino related).

I've been at 82 degrees for about 3 days now, uv still on and tried silica and blackout which helped alot but still there.

Going the nuclear route now with dinox and increased temp to see how that goes...but after I get my nutrients back in check as they are sure to rise again during dinox treatment.

 

[SMSREEF]

I waited over a month with my 10 gallon.
But I was dosing nitrate and phosphate and feeding corals to keep my nitrates 5-10 and phosphate about 0.05- 0.1.

I was using UV and saw no more signs of the Dino’s under a microscope.

when I did the water change I made the water, dosed some vinegar, phosphate and nitrate. I seeded this water with microbacter7 and Dr Tim’s waste away and a drop of ZEObac. I put a heater in and Let bacteria multiply for 2 days, then used this bacteria loaded water to do the water change.

I took the UV out after this water change and have not seen any signs of Dino’s since.
Coral colors and polyp extension are looking much better.

I know my tank is not comparable because I had low nutrients, but just throwing this out in case it gives you any ideas.

 

[Michael Gray]

Ya my chalices are receding. No idea why im thinking trace elements or no idea.

 

[Andonian_reefer]

I waited over a month with my 10 gallon.
But I was dosing nitrate and phosphate and feeding corals to keep my nitrates 5-10 and phosphate about 0.05- 0.1.

I was using UV and saw no more signs of the Dino’s under a microscope.

when I did the water change I made the water, dosed some vinegar, phosphate and nitrate. I seeded this water with microbacter7 and Dr Tim’s waste away and a drop of ZEObac. I put a heater in and Let bacteria multiply for 2 days, then used this bacteria loaded water to do the water change.

I took the UV out after this water change and have not seen any signs of Dino’s since.
Coral colors and polyp extension are looking much better.

I know my tank is not comparable because I had low nutrients, but just throwing this out in case it gives you any ideas.

I’m going to follow this method because the approach is so sensible.

 

[SMSREEF]

I’m going to follow this method because the approach is so sensible.

Just a follow up. After taking out the UV
After I saw no signs of the Dino’s under microscope for a week. And the water change with bacteria loaded water I have not had a problem with Dino’s. I feed really heavy and dose phosphate and nitrate to keep above 0.

My corals are finally extending and have much better colors.

I thought my duncan pulling all its tentacles in during height of light schedule was due to high par. But now I know it was due to the Dino’s.

here is a pic of it now, pardon the glass... I’m still letting algae build up and cleaning it less often.