Cyano or Dino?

[drew2007]

It's an ongoing battle with gha and cyano. Now this seems like Dino. It's stringy. Brown in color. I'm so frustrated with this tank. I just can't seem to get anything under control. I run gfo and biopellets 24/7. I just don't get it! I'm contemplating getting out of this hobby.

[Fishmommy]

I feel your pain! I have a new tank with I think dino and it's super frustrating.

[drew2007]

Sorry forgot pic

[phillrodrigo]

I hate to say it pretty sure thats dinos. They suck ive battled them. It started with cyano then dinos then diatoms and I think it looks like cyano is back which ill do a cartwheel if its cyano now instead of dinos. Alot of people will tell you dont do peroxide dosing with a 72 hour blackout but when your tank is being smothered and everything starts to die you will feel like you have nothing to lose so mine as well try it now before it gets worse. Procedure 1ml of peroxide for every 10 gallons once a day along with a 3 full day blackout. Skim wet and run carbon with a poly pad or something to catch the melting dinos. After 72 hours siphon the heck out of your substrate along with a water change. Continue peroxide for the week. I had a few corals that were dying off and made a full come back within 3 days. Ive been told sps doesnt do well the few I had browned for a few days but came back. Im not sure if this is coincidence but me and a friend lost a fish a week after the process but it was only 1 in each of our tanks. My fish was a damsel his I think was a clown the 2 hardiest fish

[phillrodrigo]

Actually step one would be to confirm dinos. Im pretty sure it is but not gonna say 100%. Also afterwards run your light less power for a few weeks.

[drew2007]

Well I have no coral and only one fish right now. Had an ich outbreak back in august. Wiped out all but one. This one is healthy and shows no sign of it. Should I go the peroxide route or just break it down and start over? I really hate the thought of killing over a $1000 worth of live rock. I am so frustrated at this point. Honestly I just feel like giving up.

[phillrodrigo]

Shut that light off for a week then. See if you can put your fish in a qt and do a double dose or triple dose. I definitely wouldnt trash the rock. Look up cooking rock instead of throwing it away. It will give you phosphate free rock.

[drew2007]

I've done that also. I'm going to do it again. No lights for a week and see what that does. If it comes back, tank gets broken down, Rock gets left outside for a week and then I start over. New sand and what will be dead rock after a week or 2.

[Calappidae]

Use chemipure elite super charged carbon.. strips the algae of it's food source..

Food source you may be wondering? Phosphates and nitrates.. From? Over feeding, tap water, not enough water changes.. it's down to starving the algae.

My one spot foxface also hurt it but didn't do much compared to the additional carbon.

And yes that is dinos.. had em, hated em..

Also are you running a protien skimmer? That makes a difference to life in a reef tank in general and helps with these problems long term to some degree.


Are you using Bioballs or refugium for filtration? Bioballs collect dirt and keep nitrates at a problematic level. Refugiums work like the tank above and you have your sandsifters/cleanup crew to manage it.

[nlgill13]

As Calappidae said, you want something that will strip the dinos of there food source.

Another thing to do is spray fresh RODI water on them with a turkey baster...I have had good luck with this as they have trouble with the rapid change in SG. If this does work turn off all powerheads and start getting after it...the dinos should float to the surface where you can pick them off with a fish net.

BTW dinos love water changes as it gives them a fresh food source...so by no means should you do a water change while fighting them.

Good luck

[drew2007]

No refugium. No bio balls. Just a sump. Skimmer. I run gfo and biopellets 24/7. I feed 3-4 days a week. Half a cube of mega marine. I use rodi water. I filter myself. I'm pretty good with water changes. Every 2 weeks 20 gallons gets changed. Haven't changed anything in 3 weeks now.

[bif24701]

After my wife overdosed my tank with pellets I was having the same issues. I clean my overflows, sand, scrubbed the rock, siphoned out the sump, changed socks often, ran carbon and changed it often. However the one thing that finally helped the issue was dosing carbon (vinegar). Started with 10ml and worked up to about 150ml in three weeks. Kept dosing for another 2 months with wet skimming and things improved quickly and dramatically. You need and a good skimmer and skin some what wet. Your skimmer will start to skim better than ever as the bacteria go to town. You will still need to physically removed the unsightly stuff but a good carbon dosing regiment should prevent it from growing back.

I know your running bio pellets, but I like vinegar much better, though you could try running more bio pellets of you want.

[drew2007]

So I've decided to break down my tank and it's possible I may just take the opportunity to upgrade to a 120g. I figure if I'm breaking down why the hell not! Lol I've want a 120g for a long time now. I want that 24" depth. What do you guys and gals suggest I do with the live rock at this point? Cook? Leave it outside for a few weeks? Bleach?

Thanks to everyone who posted some suggestions up to this point. I really appreciate it.

[jdstank]

I would give it a quick scrub using a nylon bristle brush while in RODI water then right back into saltwater where it can reside with a heater, water circulation and a light to keep it good until you get your new setup done.

Scrub it well enough to knock the junk off, might need several fresh buckets of RODI depending on how much rock you have.

[drew2007]

Originally Posted by jdstank

I would give it a quick scrub using a nylon bristle brush while in RODI water then right back into saltwater where it can reside with a heater, water circulation and a light to keep it good until you get your new setup done.

Scrub it well enough to knock the junk off, might need several fresh buckets of RODI depending on how much rock you have.

I think the issues I have are gonna take a lot more than just scrubbing.

[dh350twin]

+1 on lights out then peroxide for 3 days

[drew2007]

Originally Posted by dh350twin

+1 on lights out then peroxide for 3 days

So just straight peroxide. Like I get from the pharmacy right? I'll give it a try.

[dh350twin]

Yep that is the stuff. It worked for me. But do the lights out first then start treating for 3-4 days.

[drew2007]

Lights been out for 3 days already. I'm gonna dose some now.

[drew2007]

Ok so I dosed too much peroxide by accident and now my tank is stinking up my living room. I'm retarded lol

[MarksReef]

How much is too much?

[drew2007]

Originally Posted by MarksReef

How much is too much?

80ml instead of 8ml. I'm retarded. Stupid stupid error on my part

[drew2007]

Cleaned out skimmer cup added carbon and the smell isn't nearly as bad.

[skinsfan1]

Did the overdose hurt anything??

[drew2007]

Originally Posted by skinsfan1

Did the overdose hurt anything??

Nope. Nothing. Fish is fine. I ended up removing about 30 lbs of live rock anyway. Still have some gha. Don't see any Dino's right now. Then again I had nothing in there but live Rock and 1 fish.