dinoflagellates

[BRINKSREEF]

Hello everyone. I beleive that I am having an dinoflagellate outbreak. It is a clear brown,slimy, stringy, algae with bubble all in it. I have read that raising the ph is the easiest way to get rid of this. My question is, what is the easiest and safest way to raise the ph to help with this outbreak? I do not have any pictures of this algae right now but I might be able to get some up tonight. Any help would greatly be appreciated.

 

[yote]

I'd try pointing a powerhead directly at it before I started messing around with the PH.You can also cut back on light and feedings.

What do you have as far as livestock?
Current parimeters?
How often and what types of food are you using?

 

[BRINKSREEF]

My tank is 46 gallon bowfront that consists of 1 occelaris clown, 3 green chromis, 1 strawberry pseudochromis, 1 crocea clam, 1 frogspawn w/ 2 heads, 1 small pink xenia, 1 rock with about 5 green shrooms, bta, zoa's. About 5 turbos, 5 nassarius, 3 small scarlet hermits, and maybe 5 small blue legged hermits. I feed once a day with either mixed frozen food or Hikari freezed dried tubifex worms or krill. About once a week I defrost silverside and cut it up to feed the BTA and Frogspawn. For circulation I have 4 mj 1200's but only 2 are running right now because even with 3 on everything blows around to much I think.

When I get home this afternoon I will post parameters. Also, starting today I set the timer for the MH's to only come on for 4 hours instead of 8 hours which is what it is usually set for.

 

[BRINKSREEF]

Parameters are:

ammonia - 0
nitrites - 0
nitrates - 0
dkh - 9
calcium - 460-480
ph - 8.2
salinity - 1.025

phosphates - not sure, when i test the result is light tan which isnt a color on my saltwater card, saltwater card starts with a greenish color and there is no tan. the freshwater card that came with the kit starts with a light tan color.

I changed 10 gallons of water 4 days ago and was going to change 10 more gallons tonight.

 

[yote]

Hmm,
You might try cutting back to feeding once every other day or even every third day.
Try leaving your lights off for a couple of days too.
You might want to have your LFS run a phosphate test also.And when you do your water change,siphon out as much of the dinos as possible.
Other than that,I have no idea.Hope something helps though.

 

[BRINKSREEF]

Thanks Yote,
I did the water change and sucked out quiet a bit. I think i will try feeding everyother day and shut off the lights for 24 hrs. Thanks for your help!

 

[yote]

Not a problem.


BTW,What part of Houston are you in?

 

[reeffreak]

I'm reading my new issue of FAMA right now and a reader is having a problem with dinoflagellate.

This is by Julian Sprung
I would first siphon as much out as possible
Since your perameters seems to be in check an addition of a refugiun with chaeto may help.The macroalgae may out compete with the microalgae.He also recommend the "vodka method" or the ''sugar method'' in extreme conditions.He didn't explain how to do it but warned the reader to research and be careful before trying it.You don't want to overdo it.

Good luck,sorry thats all I know.

 

[BRINKSREEF]

I'm in South Houston, Yote.

Thanks for the info Reeffreak, after the water change tonight and the fact that the mh's have only been on for 3 hrs now, the tank is looking a litter better. I will just keep my eye on it and see what happens.

Thanks again.

 

[Bifferwine]

The vodka or sugar method basically assumes that bacteria are limited by a carbon source, so you add a carbon source (vodka or sugar) to boost bacteria levels, which in turn reduces nitrates. The risk is creating a bacterial population so large that they use up all the oxygen and kill everything in your tank.

 

[reeffreak]

Biff have you ever tried it.I wonder if it works as well as some people say.
Why don't you try that experiment and give us some feedback.You do have cyano.

 

[Bifferwine]

I experimented with sugar about a year ago. Read up all I could on it. Started slow, per the directions that I'd read, and worked my way up. This was to combat the 150+ nitrates I had when a stupid sea cucumber decided to die and hide his own body. I never saw any difference whatsoever. But then again, my nitrates may have been so high that NOTHING was going to make a difference. Except AZNO3. Which did work. And killed my anemone :(.

 

[henryd]

Bifferwine,
You have me worried. I added a sea cucumber to my tank yesterday...he went into the rocks and I have not seen him since!!!

 

[Bifferwine]

Hahahahaha! Good luck with that!

 

[Bifferwine]

Just kidding. Thought I'd scare you a little bit. ;)

Sea cucumbers are sold as a part of a cleaner crew, and they do a good job, BUT they also are all sorts of nasty if they die. And they tend to bury themselves, so if one does die, you are not going to find it without tearing your whole tank down.

 

[yote]

Not to mention,If something in your tank picks on the cucumber it will expell its inside and poison the tank.

 

[henryd]

Well...thanks all......Now i just keep checking the tank for a dying slug of gooo!!