dinoflagellates?

an411 · 04/16/2008, 06:21 PM

Are dinoflagellates bad for my coral and fish? I am taking the necessary measures to get rid of them but just wanted to make sure that they are not gonna hurt my corals?

Aquarist007 · 04/16/2008, 07:25 PM

certain kinds are toxic to fish and to humans if they eat fish food where they have been consumed--the majority of them are just another souce of food

Aquarist007 · 04/16/2008, 07:26 PM

here is an info or fact sheet:

http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/protista/dinoflaglh.html

an411 · 04/16/2008, 08:24 PM

I thought that my problem was from low ph or alk but my water parameters are good except for a little bit of phosphates which is normal

cal 430
nitrate 0
mag 1290
alk 12.9
ph 8.1
phosphates 0.25

any ideas why this would happen or what i can do to get rid of it I read the reef chemistry article and it says higher the ph but isn't it at a good enough level already? any insight will be helpful.

Hop · 04/16/2008, 09:18 PM

I battled it a few years ago on my 450 and found that no (yes that is right), no water changes, reduced lighting, increased pH and siphoning as much out as possible eventually led to its demise. There is something, and I'm not sure anyone knows what it is yet, that seems to cause dinos to flourish right after a waterchange.

It took 6 weeks and I did lose some SPS

I hope there has been some additional info about this stuff and someone else will chime in for you. Since I got rid of it I tried to erase all memory of the stuff from my mind!
Good luck, it is a strong adversary!

an411 · 04/16/2008, 09:55 PM

interesting I am going to have to try and get most of it out manually if I can and try turn the lights completely off for a few days to stop the cycle of the photo period and I am hoping that maybe that will help. Does anyone know what this is caused by and why this would happen all of the sudden it seems like this came out of nowhere? Anybody else recommend anything that sucessfully worked for them to eliminate this ?

cloak · 04/17/2008, 11:58 AM

Here's a couple articles on dinoflagellates.

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-05/eb/index.php

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-11/rhf/index.php

shred5 · 04/17/2008, 12:28 PM

Dinoflagellates are toxic to most herbivores. So any algae eating fish, crabs, and snails. All other fish will be fine. It should not affect corals unless it over grows them, Zooxanthellae are dinoflagellates.

Dave

04/16/2008, 06:21 PM	#1
an411 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Derby CT Posts: 2,861	dinoflagellates? Are dinoflagellates bad for my coral and fish? I am taking the necessary measures to get rid of them but just wanted to make sure that they are not gonna hurt my corals?

04/16/2008, 07:25 PM	#2
Aquarist007 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Hamilton, Canada Posts: 28,240 Blog Entries: 1	certain kinds are toxic to fish and to humans if they eat fish food where they have been consumed--the majority of them are just another souce of food __________________ I prefer my substrates stirred but not shaken Current Tank Info: 150gal long mixed reef, 90gal sump, 60 gal refugium with 200 lbs live rock

04/16/2008, 07:26 PM	#3
Aquarist007 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Hamilton, Canada Posts: 28,240 Blog Entries: 1	here is an info or fact sheet: http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/protista/dinoflaglh.html __________________ I prefer my substrates stirred but not shaken Current Tank Info: 150gal long mixed reef, 90gal sump, 60 gal refugium with 200 lbs live rock

04/16/2008, 09:18 PM	#5
Hop Carpe Noctem!!! Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Western Colorado Posts: 8,548	I battled it a few years ago on my 450 and found that no (yes that is right), no water changes, reduced lighting, increased pH and siphoning as much out as possible eventually led to its demise. There is something, and I'm not sure anyone knows what it is yet, that seems to cause dinos to flourish right after a waterchange. It took 6 weeks and I did lose some SPS I hope there has been some additional info about this stuff and someone else will chime in for you. Since I got rid of it I tried to erase all memory of the stuff from my mind! Good luck, it is a strong adversary! __________________ Hop Current Tank Info: 300-gallon in-wall system (mixed reef)

04/16/2008, 08:24 PM	#4
an411 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Derby CT Posts: 2,861	I thought that my problem was from low ph or alk but my water parameters are good except for a little bit of phosphates which is normal cal 430 nitrate 0 mag 1290 alk 12.9 ph 8.1 phosphates 0.25 any ideas why this would happen or what i can do to get rid of it I read the reef chemistry article and it says higher the ph but isn't it at a good enough level already? any insight will be helpful.

04/16/2008, 09:55 PM	#6
an411 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Derby CT Posts: 2,861	interesting I am going to have to try and get most of it out manually if I can and try turn the lights completely off for a few days to stop the cycle of the photo period and I am hoping that maybe that will help. Does anyone know what this is caused by and why this would happen all of the sudden it seems like this came out of nowhere? Anybody else recommend anything that sucessfully worked for them to eliminate this ?

04/17/2008, 11:58 AM	#7
cloak Moved On Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Stockton, CA Posts: 14,854	Here's a couple articles on dinoflagellates. http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-05/eb/index.php http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-11/rhf/index.php

04/17/2008, 12:28 PM	#8
shred5 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: Waukesha , WI Posts: 4,998	Dinoflagellates are toxic to most herbivores. So any algae eating fish, crabs, and snails. All other fish will be fine. It should not affect corals unless it over grows them, Zooxanthellae are dinoflagellates. Dave