Dinoflagellates - The documented journey

[Triggerjay]

Thanks.. It took some time. I had cyano issues at the same time as well. My tank today is the cleanest it has ever been. I only have to clean the glass about once a week, and it has hardly anything on it....

Jason

[althea2you]

im actually seeing something that reminded me of this thread so i came to check it out...here is a pic of what i JUST today started seeing.... is this dino? and cause there are only a few strands can i nip it in the bud do you think?

[Triggerjay]

uh oh...

Really though, it appears to be, but it may also be cyano strands dying off.. Kinda early to tell,.... but it does look familiar. If it is, you will know it within the next week.. Wait a couple days, and post another photo.

Jason

[althea2you]

dang... im looking at pics of it.. and it looks VERY similar... i mean i only have bitty little strand popping up, and this was all with in today.. nothing yesterday... and wouldnt you know, i changed my top off water (in the process of setting up my ro/di unit) to a different fish store... im going to have to test their water.. wth... should i test for phosphates?

[Triggerjay]

I would start by testing your topoff water for both phosphates, and TDS. It does look like dino....but I would be jumping the gun if I tried to ID it in this early stage.

Jason

[JWarren]

You got micro bubbles in your water column or are you running a stone? Is there anything introducing micro bubbles in the tank? New skimmer maybe?

What are your parameters?

It kinda looks like the bubbles have an algae covering them which could be dino or they are just stuck to something on the rock. Take a small pump or a turkey baster and blow them off and see if they return. Point a power head toward the surface and get some surface agitation going on.

Also like Jason said check your source water.

[althea2you]

ok, i definitly have phosphates in my tap... its either .25 or .5 as for TDS i dont know, i dont have one of those meter yet... i have stuff to order and am waiting to order the TDS with it....do they have TDS meters at home depot and such? if so i will go pick one up there. but this stuff jjust showed up after i used the first bucket of fresh water from this differeent store... so i have to assume its them.... wtf.. can i do something now? to get rid of it before it becomes a full out recognizable for sure case of dinos?

yes at the moment i did have micro bubble in the tank because my top off needed to be added.. i was gone all day... you think maube it was just that? the mubbles attaching to the algae? i hope so.. but it sure doe look like some of the pics i have seen of dinos... not that im wanting this to be it, but if it is, i dont want to sit by ignorantly while it developes this nastyness

[Triggerjay]

I am wondering the quality of the water you got from the "different" store.. Once you get a TDS meter, and check phosphates of that water, then we may have something to go on. Could be bad water from the LFS... Could be overfeeding,... there are several factors that can come into play when dino is present.

Jason

[althea2you]

Originally Posted by Triggerjay

I am wondering the quality of the water you got from the "different" store.. Once you get a TDS meter, and check phosphates of that water, then we may have something to go on. Could be bad water from the LFS... Could be overfeeding,... there are several factors that can come into play when dino is present.

Jason

ok, the tds meter probably wont be here for over a week or more... so on that, but i did mention up abovr that the phosphates are in between .25 and .5 on the :different stores freshwater:..... so thats something... also, with feeding.. i dont have fish and minimal coral....so i will throw a teeny tiny pinch of flake food in for the 2 shrimp i have one time a week and a drop of coral food in once a week....thats all the feeding i do. other than that, toping off everyday and cleaning the glass maybe 1-2 times a week, that is all i do to the tank.. (well besides waterchanges once every week, to a week and a half...) also.. my tank was done cycling about a month and a half ago... just trying to give all details on the tank..

[JWarren]

What are you cleaning the outside of the tank with? Just water I hope. No soaps or anything right?

[althea2you]

no soaps, but i do use a vinigar based windex... i spray it on a rag outside of the room and then wipe the tanks glass down. i dont spray anything inside by the tank.

should i be blowing the algae off the rocks? cause i have been doing this a couple times a day. should i be blowing the rocks off.. or suctioning it up?

ok, thanks

[althea2you]

ok, so i am going with NO photo period at all today... lights off...blinds shut... AND i got the phosban reactor today so i am running that hoping to starve the dinos out... should i keep it at no lights for a couple day? or a shortened time tomorrow... my leather looks like it hurting for some light as do my button polyps... also, how long should i run the phosban for?a week?? this is a 90 gallon... tia

[Triggerjay]

I run my phosban 24/7. I change the media out once a month. Your corals can go a couple days without light.. Kinda like a cloudy overcast day on the reef. Did the TDS meter come too?

Jason

[althea2you]

Originally Posted by Triggerjay

I run my phosban 24/7. I change the media out once a month. Your corals can go a couple days without light.. Kinda like a cloudy overcast day on the reef. Did the TDS meter come too?

Jason

no... soon thoughmaybe by friday... but i have to say if there is a reading over 0 i will be surprised... when i got the ro/di it was used.. so i took out all the filters and replaced them with all brand new... i let the unit run 10 gallons(2 buckets) of water through the system before i used any.

ok, i was hoping i wasnt going to kill my corals from no light... thanks... and ok on the reactor... you run yours 24/7? how come? ive heard you shouldnt do that... but thats just what i heard!! obviously it works for you... just wondering why!

[Triggerjay]

Dont really know why I run mine all the time.. lol.. just abnother timer I don't have to buy. I think most people run theirs all the time.. (or so I thought)

Jason