Got a case of the Dinos - need specific to me help

[mdpitts]

Hi folks, I know there are a zillion posts on this but I want to tell you what I have and get some help with my limited system. I have a 40 gallon breeder I set up in early April. I've been battling coarse hair algae and now I researched and I'm pretty sure I've got a Dinos. I have a video that I shot quickly on my lunch break today. I have some SPS, LPS and softies (zoas seem to be struggling). I don't have the best lights so I have the SPS up high on frag racks and I try to provide white light so they get what they need to live. I'm pretty sure my lights are the underlying issue. Whites are on from 7am - 5ish when I get home from work and then I'll ramp down to moonlight. My lights are 2 Current Orbit Marine LED's that stretch alllll the way across my tank (36-48 inch light bars). Below is the default Daylight setting:

I am using a Seachem Tidal 110 hob filter, an AquaMaxx 1.5 HOB skimmer, a Hygger 1500 GPH wave maker. I have another Hygger DC wavemaker I can pop in across the tank and I also have a UV filter that mounts inside the tank that is powered to be be used as a filter as well but I'll take the sponge out and just use it with uv lightbulb. Here is a screen shot - do you think this will work since I don't have a sump or all-in-one??

Here's is a 2 minute video of how gross my tank looks with this jerk Dino in there


I don't think the below link is working but maybe it needs time:





I change 4 gallons weekly - I make my own Saltwater using the RODI Buddy and Instant Ocean Reef Crystals.

I have 2 clowns, a scissor tail goby, tail spot blenny, 6 line wrasse, pink spot goby with his gigantic tiger pistol shrimp, a peppermint shrimp, 3 tiny hermit crabs, 1 big blue knee hermit, a tiger conch, Mex. turbo snail and a trochus snail.

Had digital water test done yesterday at LFS:

I just ordered some Microbactor 7 and I have Fritz Turbo 900 and maybe some AlgaeBarn Nitrocycle left over from when I set up the tank. Also, I have charcoal and a new bag of Seachem Phosguard in the Tidal 100 filter.

I know this is long but I don't want my corals to die. Some of them have been looking really puny. I tried to "over inform" so y'all can tell me what my specific fix could be because I'm finding so much conflicting info. Some say do this then you see don't do that. Thanks to everyone who takes the time to deal with this long post.

 

[bradreef]

You need a microscope and post photos on macks dinoflagellates group on Facebook. Best resource out there. Each type is a slightly different treatment.

Pods +phyto
Uv
Dose silicates
Blackout
Dose bacteria
Ect

 

[legionofdoon]

Go get PNS, or microbe lift special blend. Get two of the big bottles. You can get Microbe lift at the big boxes. Dump half a bottle of one turn off UV and skimmer but not the lights. Wait five days dump the other half wait five days then start the remaining bottle as per directions. I promise you it will work. It's photosynthetic and will out compete the dinos. I've done it at least twice. However it'll make your nitrites elevated for some reason.

 

[Stang67]

Do you have a microscope? Need to determine if it is in fact dinos and if so what type.

 

[Reefahholic]

Get in Jason Mack’s Dino group on Facebook. You’ll have the help you need to beat them.

 

[mdpitts]

You need a microscope and post photos on macks dinoflagellates group on Facebook. Best resource out there. Each type is a slightly different treatment.

Pods +phyto
Uv
Dose silicates
Blackout
Dose bacteria
Ect

Thanks. I’ll check that out. Any idea what kind of microscope? Go figure I haven’t used one since probably 8th grade. I did my best to avoid science and math and now look what happened

 

[mdpitts]

Get in Jason Mack’s Dino group on Facebook. You’ll have the help you need to beat them.

Thank you! I’m gonna watch your channel later. Add you to my arsenal

 

[mdpitts]

Do you have a microscope? Need to determine if it is in fact dinos and if so what type.

I don’t but looks like I’m going to get one. I saw a few for less than $30. I was afraid it was going to cost a lot more.

 

[ryanjohn1]

IMO turn that red light down some.

 

[mdpitts]

Go get PNS, or microbe lift special blend. Get two of the big bottles. You can get Microbe lift at the big boxes. Dump half a bottle of one turn off UV and skimmer but not the lights. Wait five days dump the other half wait five days then start the remaining bottle as per directions. I promise you it will work. It's photosynthetic and will out compete the dinos. I've done it at least twice. However it'll make your nitrites elevated for some reason.

Good info - I don’t know what PNS stands for though. Is that dosage good for a 40b or do you have a big tank. I guess. I’ll check out your posts.

 

[mdpitts]

IMO turn that red light down some.

Thank you! I was hoping someone would give me some input on that.

 

[legionofdoon]

Good info - I don’t know what PNS stands for though. Is that dosage good for a 40b or do you have a big tank. I guess. I’ll check out your posts.

Purple non sulfur bacteria. It's also a brand. Yes my last tank was a 40. Before you waste money try what I suggested.

 

[klc]

I didn't read about your parameters or your light settings as none of that really matters much with such a new tank. I can tell you how to beat them but it takes dedication. I bought some ONE micron filter socks that I attach to a bucket and I siphon out all of them that accumulate through the sock into the bucket, when it's full I add that water back to the tank through the overflow so it filters again through whatever media you have. There is very little that gets through the ONE micron sock as dinos are much bigger than that. At first you will see some of them that have made it through the sock coagulating in the bucket, but as you progress with the daily siphoning it will get to a point where there is nothing coagulating in the bucket any longer indicating no dinos are present. You will have to do this daily for perhaps a month or more and they will slowly disappear. I also had good luck with Dr Tims Refresh and Waste Away, both products introduce competing organisms. I still get some stringy stuff now and then but it is easy to deal with. There is no magical elixir to speed up dino elimination, you'll likely have to battle cyano after you've gotten rid of the dinos, and then onto the next organism that wants to grow, probably GHA.

 

[taricha]

I also have a UV filter that mounts inside the tank that is powered to be be used as a filter as well but I'll take the sponge out and just use it with uv lightbulb. Here is a screen shot - do you think this will work since I don't have a sump or all-in-one??

Your video shows stringy dinos - indicating it is attaching out of the water and thus would be susceptible to UV.
The issue with the UV you posted is that it doesn't say anywhere what the wattage on the UV bulb is - so it's probably pretty weak. For dinos, people like to see 1 watt per every 2-3 gallons. That means somewhere in the 13-20 watts of UV for your 40 gallon system.

 

[mdpitts]

Your video shows stringy dinos - indicating it is attaching out of the water and thus would be susceptible to UV.
The issue with the UV you posted is that it doesn't say anywhere what the wattage on the UV bulb is - so it's probably pretty weak. For dinos, people like to see 1 watt per every 2-3 gallons. That means somewhere in the 13-20 watts of UV for your 40 gallon system.

Thank you for watching the video and addressing the UV question. I checked the box this morning and it has an 8 watt bulb. I did end up putting it in the tank and letting it run for about 8-10 hours. I’m about to give a progress report on the tank and what I did as soon as I get moving and get a good picture.

 

[mdpitts]

I wanted to say thanks to everyone who helped with so much useful information. I’m happy to have all the info and am keeping it handy because I have a feeling this is just round one. What I ended up doing was trying things I had on hand and could try quickly. This is what I started with

I lowered the lights as suggested, upped my flow, put in a UV with a pump that I received as a product tester for the Amazon Vine program and clipped a piece of filter floss to the wall to catch airborne crud. I forgot to mention that the night before my first post I had dumped in a whole bottle of Tig Pods for my wrasse and blenny and just general hope to populate some pods and later found out it helps with my problem.

The following pictures are from yesterday

No Dino’s as of this morning. I don’t know if it’s fixed or if the Dino’s are planning Plan B. My green hair algae is still hanging tuff.

I’m so happy my corals are opening up and looking better!

Do I keep using UV and for how long per day, I bought Microbactor 7 and Chemiclean but didn’t use. When should I do a water change?

I guess I need to lower lights and maybe only use frozen food for a while? Phew, so much to learn.

 

[taricha]

Looks like your kind was very susceptible to UV.
Nice. You will see some reappear as lights come back up. But huge reduction is always good.

 

[mdpitts]

Looks like your kind was very susceptible to UV.
Nice. You will see some reappear as lights come back up. But huge reduction is always good.

Thank goodness. I’m going to read up on lighting and feeding and try to keep the gunk away.

 

[UnnamedReef]

I recently knocked out my prorocentrum infestation and had a similar question: UV or not after a blackout?

I ran my UV for 5 days after the first blackout, still dosing MB7, NeoNitro, NeoPhos, and Phyto to outcompete and maintain P04 and N03. The dinos maintained their foothold after 5 days and crept back.

I shut down my UV after the second blackout, wondering if I was hurting bacteria and phyto competition just as much as dinos. Same dosing strategy. The second attempt saw GHA and bacteria win out over the dinos and I went back to full lighting in 5 days.

That's only one data point and my second blackout could have been more effective than the first but when I STOPPED UV after the blackout I was successful. When I left it on after blackout I was not. Food for thought

 

[bradreef]

I recently knocked out my prorocentrum infestation and had a similar question: UV or not after a blackout?

I ran my UV for 5 days after the first blackout, still dosing MB7, NeoNitro, NeoPhos, and Phyto to outcompete and maintain P04 and N03. The dinos maintained their foothold after 5 days and crept back.

I shut down my UV after the second blackout, wondering if I was hurting bacteria and phyto competition just as much as dinos. Same dosing strategy. The second attempt saw GHA and bacteria win out over the dinos and I went back to full lighting in 5 days.

That's only one data point and my second blackout could have been more effective than the first but when I STOPPED UV after the blackout I was successful. When I left it on after blackout I was not. Food for thought

Procentrum is a strain that uv is very ineffective on. The best option for Procentrum is dosing silicates.