Help with dinos please?

MyReef 2b Great · 05/07/2010, 08:32 AM

I am having a problem with dinos. My lights have been out for 48 hrs now. I can already see the stuff dying off. Should I scrub the rocks with a toothbrush and ad some phosban to my fuge. Also the dinos killed most of my chaeto. Should I go buy some more to help eat the nitrates and phosphate?
How to I truly get rid of these things? Before I knew what they were I would just turn the light off for a day and they would disapear off my sandbed. I dont have a deep sand bed. Then they would reappear in the next 1-2 hours or so. No w that I know I've decided to do lights out for three days. and not do a water change. 've been trying to effective get rid of my nitrates and phosphates. the levels were really high like 60 ppm for nitrate and idk about phosphates. Since Ive had my hang on the back fuge running with no sand just chaeto. My levels are down at about 6-8 ppm nitrates. My dog got to my test kit so I cant test phos now. I was thinking of putting a deep sandbed in the fuge and doing magroves instead of the chaeto. The fuge also has a litlle built in protein skimmer which actually does a great job once I tinker with it enough. But I've recently detached it because the way the protein skimmer is built, breaks the water pump.

Any help will be appreciated.

returnofsid · 05/07/2010, 09:18 AM

Don't scrub the rock!! Leave your lights out for a total of 5 days. I know this sounds scary, if you have corals, but they'll be just fine. I've done this in a predominately SPS/Clam tank. Dinos never came back. On day 6, turn lights on for 4 hours. Every 2 days, add an hour to the light schedule, until you're at your full photo period.

Dinos are BAD, and can wipe out your entire tank. They're toxic to herbivores that eat them. Also, when they die off, every night, they suck all the oxygen out of the water. If possible, keep your skimmer going, to help oxygenate the water.

There's another successful way to combat Dinos, but it's difficult. It involves raising your ph to 8.7 and keeping it there, for 2 weeks. This requires dosing with baking soda, several times, every day.

Also, it's been shown that, for some reason, water changes actually benefit Dinos, and fuel it, so NO water changes, until it's gone.

Blowing it off rocks will very quickly spread it, also.

MyReef 2b Great · 05/07/2010, 09:30 AM

Thanx for the help. I will leave my lights off for 5 days and slowly get them back on like you said. Is it okay to feed my fish during this time? They haven't eaten during this 2 day dark period so far.

MyReef 2b Great · 05/08/2010, 08:32 AM

Can anyone tell me if it's okay to feed my fish while im going lights out?

75gsalt · 05/08/2010, 08:39 AM

Yes it's fine to feed your fish with lights out.

returnofsid · 05/08/2010, 08:42 AM

Yes, it's fine to feed your fish.

MyReef 2b Great · 05/08/2010, 09:49 AM

Thanx a bunch.

05/07/2010, 08:32 AM	#1
MyReef 2b Great Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 83	Help with dinos please? I am having a problem with dinos. My lights have been out for 48 hrs now. I can already see the stuff dying off. Should I scrub the rocks with a toothbrush and ad some phosban to my fuge. Also the dinos killed most of my chaeto. Should I go buy some more to help eat the nitrates and phosphate? How to I truly get rid of these things? Before I knew what they were I would just turn the light off for a day and they would disapear off my sandbed. I dont have a deep sand bed. Then they would reappear in the next 1-2 hours or so. No w that I know I've decided to do lights out for three days. and not do a water change. 've been trying to effective get rid of my nitrates and phosphates. the levels were really high like 60 ppm for nitrate and idk about phosphates. Since Ive had my hang on the back fuge running with no sand just chaeto. My levels are down at about 6-8 ppm nitrates. My dog got to my test kit so I cant test phos now. I was thinking of putting a deep sandbed in the fuge and doing magroves instead of the chaeto. The fuge also has a litlle built in protein skimmer which actually does a great job once I tinker with it enough. But I've recently detached it because the way the protein skimmer is built, breaks the water pump. Any help will be appreciated.

05/08/2010, 08:39 AM	#5
75gsalt Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Southeast Kansas Posts: 286	Yes it's fine to feed your fish with lights out. __________________ 75 ga. reef 20 gal. sump corals GSP assorted Polyps Zoos PomPom Xenia Waving Hand Xenia Blue Mushroom Toadstool Leather Current Tank Info: 75g. reef 125 lbs. live rock 90lbs. live sand 1 Clown small Regal Tang 20 Nass. Snails Turbos hermit

05/07/2010, 09:18 AM	#2
returnofsid Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Spokane, WA Posts: 3,852	Don't scrub the rock!! Leave your lights out for a total of 5 days. I know this sounds scary, if you have corals, but they'll be just fine. I've done this in a predominately SPS/Clam tank. Dinos never came back. On day 6, turn lights on for 4 hours. Every 2 days, add an hour to the light schedule, until you're at your full photo period. Dinos are BAD, and can wipe out your entire tank. They're toxic to herbivores that eat them. Also, when they die off, every night, they suck all the oxygen out of the water. If possible, keep your skimmer going, to help oxygenate the water. There's another successful way to combat Dinos, but it's difficult. It involves raising your ph to 8.7 and keeping it there, for 2 weeks. This requires dosing with baking soda, several times, every day. Also, it's been shown that, for some reason, water changes actually benefit Dinos, and fuel it, so NO water changes, until it's gone. Blowing it off rocks will very quickly spread it, also.

05/07/2010, 09:30 AM	#3
MyReef 2b Great Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 83	Thanx for the help. I will leave my lights off for 5 days and slowly get them back on like you said. Is it okay to feed my fish during this time? They haven't eaten during this 2 day dark period so far.

05/08/2010, 08:32 AM	#4
MyReef 2b Great Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 83	Can anyone tell me if it's okay to feed my fish while im going lights out?

05/08/2010, 08:42 AM	#6
returnofsid Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Spokane, WA Posts: 3,852	Yes, it's fine to feed your fish.

05/08/2010, 09:49 AM	#7
MyReef 2b Great Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 83	Thanx a bunch.