Hi All,
400L Tank details:
1 3/4 year old. Fully stocked with coral, fish etc.
Salinity: 1.025 SG
PH 8.0
Alkalinity 9.3 dkH
Nitrate: 9.0 ppm
Phoshate: 0.12 ppm
Calcium: 440 ppm
Mag: 1450 ppm
Started battling with Dinos ~6months ago. Dinos were confirmed from microscope. Although exact species was difficult to confirm, but they were toxic and killed all my snails. Battle plans was/is to keep Nitrate/Phosphate elevated, use UV sterilizer, dose bacteria and also increase silica levels to encourage diatoms to outcompete the dinos.
Microscope samples of Dinos looked like this 6 months ago:
Battle has been progressing in the right direction. Dinos had visually just about disappeared 4 weeks ago and I removed UV sterilizer. Now it looks like I'm getting diatom blooms. The blooms are still tied to light cycle and from today's microscope sample it looks like diatoms seem to be out competing the dinos, but some dinos are still present... but I don't think you can completely eliminate dinos.
Today's microscope sample:
I could use some advice on what to do next.
My levels are nice and stable and I'm happy with where they are and more importantly coral seem happy and I have reintroduced snails and the are doing well. So I'll leave levels as is.
Should I keep using UV sterilizer?
Should I stop dosing silicate to let diatoms bloom die off? Don't have a tester for Silicate, but was just dosing 0.8ml of water glass every 3-4 weeks.
Should I siphon out the sand bed daily?
Thanks for your advice!
400L Tank details:
1 3/4 year old. Fully stocked with coral, fish etc.
Salinity: 1.025 SG
PH 8.0
Alkalinity 9.3 dkH
Nitrate: 9.0 ppm
Phoshate: 0.12 ppm
Calcium: 440 ppm
Mag: 1450 ppm
Started battling with Dinos ~6months ago. Dinos were confirmed from microscope. Although exact species was difficult to confirm, but they were toxic and killed all my snails. Battle plans was/is to keep Nitrate/Phosphate elevated, use UV sterilizer, dose bacteria and also increase silica levels to encourage diatoms to outcompete the dinos.
Microscope samples of Dinos looked like this 6 months ago:
Battle has been progressing in the right direction. Dinos had visually just about disappeared 4 weeks ago and I removed UV sterilizer. Now it looks like I'm getting diatom blooms. The blooms are still tied to light cycle and from today's microscope sample it looks like diatoms seem to be out competing the dinos, but some dinos are still present... but I don't think you can completely eliminate dinos.
Today's microscope sample:
I could use some advice on what to do next.
My levels are nice and stable and I'm happy with where they are and more importantly coral seem happy and I have reintroduced snails and the are doing well. So I'll leave levels as is.
Should I keep using UV sterilizer?
Should I stop dosing silicate to let diatoms bloom die off? Don't have a tester for Silicate, but was just dosing 0.8ml of water glass every 3-4 weeks.
Should I siphon out the sand bed daily?
Thanks for your advice!