Any good way to get rid of Diatoms---Make that---Dinoflagellates? - Page 3

dragonmaster544 · 03/09/2012, 10:03 AM

Ok I have read alot of stuff about running GFO, Carbon, Bio Pellets, and such. I just got 2 reactors from my buddy. He said run GFO in 1 and Carbon in the other 1. That is what he does. Is this good or is there something better out there? What do you guys recommend?

Sk8r · 03/09/2012, 10:21 AM

The gfo will handle the phosphate---may take a couple of months: also continue a once monthly lights-out; and the carbon will remove spare organics. This will be a good thing---but don't run them forever and ever. A tank needs a little of both. I found on my 54g that about 3 months took care of my phosphate excess. Always remember phosphate comes in 2 forms: free, which your test can read; and bound, which is part of the green stuff, algae, etc. If you have too much green you have too much phosphate, even if your tests don't read it. But to feed copepods and such you need some green.
And I hope the general improvement will solve the other problem.

GeorgeMonnatJr · 05/15/2012, 12:55 PM

Has anyone "won" their battles or been able to distinguish between dinoflagellates and calothrix? If so, how'd you beat it? If not, what didn't work?

lemmy_k · 05/15/2012, 01:36 PM

Tagging along on this thread. I am trying the 3 day lights out myself now. Started today.

SushiGirl · 05/15/2012, 04:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GeorgeMonnatJr

Has anyone "won" their battles or been able to distinguish between dinoflagellates and calothrix? If so, how'd you beat it? If not, what didn't work?

Quote:

Originally Posted by SushiGirl

We did the same thing (cut the light cycle in half). Sucked them up with a baster every day and squirted them into the overflow to be caught in the filter there. Couldn't get a handle on it until we skipped 2 water changes.

GeorgeMonnatJr · 05/15/2012, 06:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GeorgeMonnatJr

Has anyone "won" their battles or been able to distinguish between dinoflagellates and calothrix? If so, how'd you beat it? If not, what didn't work?

Quote:

Originally Posted by SushiGirl

We did the same thing. Sucked them up with a baster every day and squirted them into the overflow to be caught in the filter there. Couldn't get a handle on it until we skipped 2 water changes.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SushiGirl

Our turbos ate it, and lived.

If the turbo ate it without any ill effects, could it have been calothrix?

SushiGirl · 05/15/2012, 09:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GeorgeMonnatJr

If the turbo ate it without any ill effects, could it have been calothrix?

No idea.

GeorgeMonnatJr · 05/15/2012, 10:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SushiGirl

No idea.

I need a microscope and a marine biologist

SushiGirl · 05/16/2012, 07:16 PM

LOL true.

TucanSam007 · 05/18/2012, 05:39 PM

I have been battling some Dinos now for a few weeks. I'm pretty certain it's dinos, I was able to check them out under the scope at work. They are brown and stringy/snotty looking, but break up easily. Under the microscope they are small balls with a concave side, mine don't seem to have very large or noticeable flagella . They only grow on the glass but will stick to everything when I turkey bast them. I have 2 turbo snails and 6 ninja star snails and they seem to eat it and are still alive. It just go from clean glass to full nightmare within a day so they can't keep up. This is a 3month old tank full of sps so I'm going to keep my fingers crossed. I'm not sure what species they are but like I said my snails aren't suffering, my glass just looks aweful.
I'm going to try a three pronged attack:

1) Siphon out as many as possible and wet skim
2) Water change
3) Lights out

wish me luck!

03/09/2012, 10:21 AM	#52
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	The gfo will handle the phosphate---may take a couple of months: also continue a once monthly lights-out; and the carbon will remove spare organics. This will be a good thing---but don't run them forever and ever. A tank needs a little of both. I found on my 54g that about 3 months took care of my phosphate excess. Always remember phosphate comes in 2 forms: free, which your test can read; and bound, which is part of the green stuff, algae, etc. If you have too much green you have too much phosphate, even if your tests don't read it. But to feed copepods and such you need some green. And I hope the general improvement will solve the other problem. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

05/16/2012, 07:16 PM	#59
SushiGirl Premium Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Fort Worth, TX USA Posts: 8,267	LOL true. __________________ Visit my Homepage or "My Albums" (via Profile) for hitchhiker pics. Current Tank Info: 55g softy/LPS tank & 20L reef tank

05/18/2012, 05:39 PM	#60
TucanSam007 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Suffolk, Long Island Posts: 652	I have been battling some Dinos now for a few weeks. I'm pretty certain it's dinos, I was able to check them out under the scope at work. They are brown and stringy/snotty looking, but break up easily. Under the microscope they are small balls with a concave side, mine don't seem to have very large or noticeable flagella . They only grow on the glass but will stick to everything when I turkey bast them. I have 2 turbo snails and 6 ninja star snails and they seem to eat it and are still alive. It just go from clean glass to full nightmare within a day so they can't keep up. This is a 3month old tank full of sps so I'm going to keep my fingers crossed. I'm not sure what species they are but like I said my snails aren't suffering, my glass just looks aweful. I'm going to try a three pronged attack: 1) Siphon out as many as possible and wet skim 2) Water change 3) Lights out wish me luck! __________________ 65g sps tank, 20L sump, Apex, ATI Sunpower 6x39/Reef brite, SSA CS1, 2xMP10wes & 1 MP40wes, Eheim 1260, Tunze Osmolator, Two-part, GFO/Gac

03/09/2012, 10:03 AM	#51
dragonmaster544 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Flint, Michigan Posts: 53	Ok I have read alot of stuff about running GFO, Carbon, Bio Pellets, and such. I just got 2 reactors from my buddy. He said run GFO in 1 and Carbon in the other 1. That is what he does. Is this good or is there something better out there? What do you guys recommend?

05/15/2012, 12:55 PM	#53
GeorgeMonnatJr Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 281 Blog Entries: 3	Has anyone "won" their battles or been able to distinguish between dinoflagellates and calothrix? If so, how'd you beat it? If not, what didn't work?

05/15/2012, 01:36 PM	#54
lemmy_k Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Huntington Beach Posts: 262	Tagging along on this thread. I am trying the 3 day lights out myself now. Started today.