Amphidinium Dinoflagellate Treatment Methods

[Cooper 2020]

Please can I get a positive ID on these, I think its Amphidinium
Not sure why Dinos erupted on our 3 year old tank
55W UV Running before the outbreak
PO4- Usually around 0.04
Nitrate around 7
Large population of snail deaths at initial outbreak and some LPS corals died or are not looking so great

Dosed H202 for 2 weeks am & pm to no avail ( stopped the bad smell and lessened them, since stopping H202 they are back in force)
Allowed phos to 0.120 no difference
Dose MB7 & Nitrates started to go lower to 5

Also have Cyno now too.

Has anyone tried Fluconazole against these and succeeded ? We have Bryposis too and will need to treat for that but one thing at a time.
Thanks in advance

Video not great but more to show movement of the Dinos You Tube Link

 

[taricha]

I then began to siphon out all the sand and water: I hung a 5 micron filter sock in a 5g bucket in hopes of removing as many bad guys as possible.

These are good interventions, but be aware that in the short term, disturbing this much sand will release some goodies - so don't freak out if dinos seem very happy in the short term. Still a medium/long term good idea to clean things like that.

Please can I get a positive ID on these, I think its Amphidinium

These are large cell amphidinium. The video does a good job of capturing how tightly they hug the sand.

 

[Cooper 2020]

These are good interventions, but be aware that in the short term, disturbing this much sand will release some goodies - so don't freak out if dinos seem very happy in the short term. Still a medium/long term good idea to clean things like that.


These are large cell amphidinium. The video does a good job of capturing how tightly they hug the sand.

Thanks for the confirmation

 

[Stephers]

Please can I get a positive ID on these, I think its Amphidinium
Not sure why Dinos erupted on our 3 year old tank
55W UV Running before the outbreak
PO4- Usually around 0.04
Nitrate around 7
Large population of snail deaths at initial outbreak and some LPS corals died or are not looking so great

Dosed H202 for 2 weeks am & pm to no avail ( stopped the bad smell and lessened them, since stopping H202 they are back in force)
Allowed phos to 0.120 no difference
Dose MB7 & Nitrates started to go lower to 5

Also have Cyno now too.

Has anyone tried Fluconazole against these and succeeded ? We have Bryposis too and will need to treat for that but one thing at a time.
Thanks in advance

Video not great but more to show movement of the Dinos You Tube Link

Have u checked your bryopsis for dino? I was having unknown troubles with my corals dying and I had coolio hiding in my hair algae. I used reef flux to kill the hair algae along with UV and raised and nutrients and they went away along with the algae.

 

[Cooper 2020]

Have u checked your bryopsis for dino? I was having unknown troubles with my corals dying and I had coolio hiding in my hair algae. I used reef flux to kill the hair algae along with UV and raised and nutrients and they went away along with the algae.

We’ve had a UV running for months before this issue a Troptronic 55 watt. No more deaths since starting the H202 , this did seem to help make the tank less toxic. Since stopping the H202 the dinos are a lot worse.
Took a piece of Bryopsis out and took this picture.

We already had nutrients and they didn’t bottom out.
So far we’ve tried raising Phosphate and Nitrate, MB7 and Probiodigest bacteria, phyto pods , allowed cyno to grow all in an attempt to out compete but it’s not working.
Now have a small test tank setup with Dino sand in, testing Vibrant then Fluconazole, cheaper and easier to test than the display.
Going to fit an algae scrubber but it won’t be ready for 2 weeks.
Failing all this we’re going to remove all the sand but that will take a while to remove.
Thanks

 

[phatduckk]

These are good interventions, but be aware that in the short term, disturbing this much sand will release some goodies - so don't freak out if dinos seem very happy in the short term. Still a medium/long term good idea to clean things like that.

thanks! ill keep an eye out. so far, so good though. we'll see if/when they come back

 

[merereef]

Has anyone find a proper cure for these types of dinos or whats worked for them?

 

[Thrassian Atoll]

I picked up a microscope the other day to confirm that I had Dino’s. I was hoping it to be the type that UV would kill but I believe it’s large cell amphidinium. Looks like I’ll have to read this thread front to back and come up with some sort of game plan.

 

[Thrassian Atoll]

How do we prevent Dino’s in the first place? Do they come on snails, corals, everything? Does dipping everything kill them?

 

[phatduckk]

How do we prevent Dino’s in the first place? Do they come on snails, corals, everything? Does dipping everything kill them?

my understanding is that they’re “around” but don’t become a problem until you get to a point where your nutrients (nitrate and phosphate) bottom out to 0

 

[Thrassian Atoll]

my understanding is that they’re “around” but don’t become a problem until you get to a point where your nutrients (nitrate and phosphate) bottom out to 0

I have had them for a few months now and my nitrates have been 10+ and phosphates .02-.05.

 

[taricha]

How do we prevent Dino’s in the first place? Do they come on snails, corals, everything? Does dipping everything kill them?

I'd argue it's like washing your hands. Will that keep you from ever getting sick? absolutely not. Will it help, and is it worth doing? yep!

 

[merereef]

I'd argue it's like washing your hands. Will that keep you from ever getting sick? absolutely not. Will it help, and is it worth doing? yep!

Do you think silica dosing is the only way to get rid of this type of dino?

 

[Thrassian Atoll]

I am just going to keep sucking it out during every water change. I am not going to change anything up. This stuff has stuck to my sand and hasn’t affected anything else. I don’t want to kill any corals or anything. Who knows, maybe it will go away, maybe I’ll eventually suck all of the sand out after sucking this stuff out each week.

 

[taricha]

Do you think silica dosing is the only way to get rid of this type of dino?

No. totally possible without Si additions. Some just outcompete with close proximity algae. Some have had success with persistent export and other interventions. I'd personally use Si if I got them again, but not necessary.

I am just going to keep sucking it out during every water change. I am not going to change anything up. This stuff has stuck to my sand and hasn’t affected anything else. I don’t want to kill any corals or anything. Who knows, maybe it will go away, maybe I’ll eventually suck all of the sand out after sucking this stuff out each week.

This is the right philosophy, most amphidnium outbreaks are not harmful, and so attempts to treat it shouldn't be too aggressive. Export is a great primary tool.

 

[merereef]

No. totally possible without Si additions. Some just outcompete with close proximity algae. Some have had success with persistent export and other interventions. I'd personally use Si if I got them again, but not necessary.

Sorry what i meant was did you find dosing silicates actually helped beating this type of dinos.. good to know

 

[Dsantamaria29]

Small Cell Amphidinium?

 

[taricha]

Small Cell Amphidinium?

The cells look pretty much right, if the affected area has the right dino look then I'd agree.

 

[merereef]

Small Cell Amphidinium?

Dose silica enough to create diatom bloom that should cure it

 

[merereef]

The cells look pretty much right, if the affected area has the right dino look then I'd agree.

Earlier post when you mentioned disturbing a lot of the sand will release good stuff and will see the dinos make a larrge reappearance? Is it best NOT to disturb the sand?