dinoflagelettes problem

john baker · 07/15/2008, 11:33 PM

I am having trouble with dinoflagelettes in my 75 gallon reef tank, water parameters are ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 10ppm, phosphate 0.01ppm, salinity 1.026 and ph 8.4-8.6. The ph is being keep up with a saturated kalkwasser mix (3 tablespoons per gallon) top off water. The problem is it is still will not disappear. I am using NSW, 20% every 2 weeks. Any suggestions, tank is 3.5 years old always with good parameters and stock health.

Hop · 07/16/2008, 12:24 AM

I wasn't able to get rid of them until I quit doing water changes and reduced the lighting period in half for 6 weeks. They nearly disappeared at that point and then I did one water change and slowly brought the lighting period back up for a few additional weeks. I also kept pH up and then skimmed very wet.

There is something that seems to fuel their growth in the salt mix, so water changes only increase the amount in the tank. I have to admit that once I got rid of them, I really didn't keep up reading on the matter. I do recall a few positive demise posts surrounding the 3 day black out and running po4 media in a reactor.

Not sure that is a big help, but hopefully a step in the right direction

TomRep · 07/16/2008, 05:37 AM

What salt brand are you using?
tom

Diatome · 07/16/2008, 06:52 AM

Every water change will just feed it. I made the same mistake but once I stopped water changes my efforts were rewarded with a quick turnaround. I did raise the PF and cut my lights back, just as Hop describes, but you will need to run carbon and run twice the amount you normally would. I had to rinse the bags of carbon every two days, to keep water flowing through them, and changed them out every 7-10 days.

You should find most things will be healthy unless you have astreas which will probably fall off the glass and my zoas closed up for a very long time but I didn't lose any of them. Just five or six snails.

JRechcygl · 07/16/2008, 08:10 AM

Raise the kH, run carbon, increase water flow just let it go
http://www.wisconsinreefsociety.org/...ighlight=cyano
It looks like you are using sea water? Where are you collecting it? Near people, lagoonal, or reef area? Closer you can get to the fore reef or the like the "cleaner" the water.
Also its hard to tell is the 360L tank your tank now? 15 fish might be pushing it, seems like a fair bio load, I have 13 in a 180 gal(675L) and they are all under 3"(7.5cm)

07/15/2008, 11:33 PM	#1
john baker Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: australia Posts: 46	dinoflagelettes problem I am having trouble with dinoflagelettes in my 75 gallon reef tank, water parameters are ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 10ppm, phosphate 0.01ppm, salinity 1.026 and ph 8.4-8.6. The ph is being keep up with a saturated kalkwasser mix (3 tablespoons per gallon) top off water. The problem is it is still will not disappear. I am using NSW, 20% every 2 weeks. Any suggestions, tank is 3.5 years old always with good parameters and stock health.

07/16/2008, 12:24 AM	#2
Hop Carpe Noctem!!! Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Western Colorado Posts: 8,548	I wasn't able to get rid of them until I quit doing water changes and reduced the lighting period in half for 6 weeks. They nearly disappeared at that point and then I did one water change and slowly brought the lighting period back up for a few additional weeks. I also kept pH up and then skimmed very wet. There is something that seems to fuel their growth in the salt mix, so water changes only increase the amount in the tank. I have to admit that once I got rid of them, I really didn't keep up reading on the matter. I do recall a few positive demise posts surrounding the 3 day black out and running po4 media in a reactor. Not sure that is a big help, but hopefully a step in the right direction __________________ Hop Current Tank Info: 300-gallon in-wall system (mixed reef)

07/16/2008, 05:37 AM	#3
TomRep Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Fleetwood, PA 19522 Posts: 1,219	What salt brand are you using? tom __________________ "I got me a big wave, ride me a big wave, got me a big..WAVE!" Ed Vedder It's a reef thing, you wouldn't understand! Current Tank Info: 50 breeder w/o sump mixed reef, sps dominant. NEP T5 fixture with no stock bulbs, Bermuda Rogue HOB skimmer, canister filter, DIY hang on fuge, 2x modded MJ400's, Tunze Osmolator ATO, Randy's 2 part dosed with and Aquamedic twin

07/16/2008, 08:10 AM	#5
JRechcygl Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Somewhere playing with lamps Posts: 449	Raise the kH, run carbon, increase water flow just let it go http://www.wisconsinreefsociety.org/...ighlight=cyano It looks like you are using sea water? Where are you collecting it? Near people, lagoonal, or reef area? Closer you can get to the fore reef or the like the "cleaner" the water. Also its hard to tell is the 360L tank your tank now? 15 fish might be pushing it, seems like a fair bio load, I have 13 in a 180 gal(675L) and they are all under 3"(7.5cm) __________________ Rechcygl...Yeah only one vowel AKA Dr.Fragenstein Big Glass tank lit by thin glass bulbs Current Tank Info: Propane, 180 reef

07/16/2008, 06:52 AM	#4
Diatome Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Gainesville, Florida Posts: 215	Every water change will just feed it. I made the same mistake but once I stopped water changes my efforts were rewarded with a quick turnaround. I did raise the PF and cut my lights back, just as Hop describes, but you will need to run carbon and run twice the amount you normally would. I had to rinse the bags of carbon every two days, to keep water flowing through them, and changed them out every 7-10 days. You should find most things will be healthy unless you have astreas which will probably fall off the glass and my zoas closed up for a very long time but I didn't lose any of them. Just five or six snails.