How can I battle dynoflagellates?

[Steve973]

I have dynoflagellates in my tank despite my strict maintenance schedule. I change about 20% of my water each week, I skim aggressively, and I run carbon in a reactor. What more can I do to get rid of this crap?

[lecher]

Might try adding a Phosban reactor and a no light for 3 days cycle once a month or so. They can be very tough to beat, but will usually cycle out eventually.

[JCTewks]

I had to do several 3 day off cycles about 2 weeks apart to get rid of mine, as well as several 50% water dhanges. Watch out...dino kills snails! For 3 months until I got rid of the dino, every time I got new snails I would acclimate them, put them in the tank...they would do fine crawling around on the glass, but as soon as they touched the sand or rock they turned upside down and died.

[landlord]

Mine cycled out after an agressive regime of turkey basting the heck out of it (On the rocks, glass, sand, etc) I also raised my MH lighting up 3 inches and cut the light cycle from 9 hrs to 6 hrs, started using Phosar HC (the whole containers worth 400 grams I think) and like you agressive wet skimming. It took about 3 weeks to get rid of it.

This was also during my initial tank cycling (about 3 weeks into it), so perhaps it would have gone away on its own accord. In any case it is gone and everything is back to the normal schedule (lighting wise) with no more dinoflagellates.

Good Luck --landlord

[LesMartin]

It's photosynthetic. You'll notice that its much less noticeable in the morning after the lights have been off overnight. As the day progresses (with the lights on ! ) it then starts to expand into the characteristic strings of snot.. Also, it doesn't like a high alkalinity. So, first thing I'd do is leave the lights off for 2-3 days. Then siphon out as much as you can of the remainder. Don't try to filter this water and return it to the tank. Top up with new water. During this period raise alk to 16 dkh. It will probably still make an appearance but in lesser and lesser amounts depending on how good you are at siphoning out the stragglers, but this method does work.

[bigScott]

hey LesMartin isent 16 dkh a lil high.. cuz im havin the same problem.. i have two 40 breeders on the same system its in one but not the other.. i mainly have softies with no skimmer..so should i do the3 days off an a major water change plus raise my ALK>?.. ITS AT 9..i just need a lil help.. thanks

scott

[Wryknow]

Raise the alkalinity (14-16 is good, but raise it slowly) and run a ferric-oxide phosphate remover. You can also reduce feeding quantities and lighting duration. DF also doesn't like strong current so consider moving powerheads around to reduce dead spots in your flow patterns.

[bigScott]

thanks ill give it a try..

[nismo driver]

lets see i ve been battling for a month or more now

reduced light cycle and the 3 day outtages

running carbon

blowing of with baster with a 100 micron pad in the sump replaced after water clears from blowing off.

phosban reactor

increased water flow

reduced feedings no suppliment dosing other then calcium and alk (no photoplankton, coral accell, trace elements ect.. )

my research i found that water changes can work against you by replenishing elements the algae can use for growth..

its just about gone.

[bigScott]

hey nismo driver ho9w often did you do the light changes..are you running MH if so what kind of bulb, like a 20k an so on..i have 250 MH running 20k on on side an thier no slime there.. the other side is about a 10k an its all over the place.. could it be the spectrum>/.. of the lights that causes it.. just courious.. id like to hear from you an other people what kind of lights an bulbs they are using.. thanks for the input..

scott

[nismo driver]

first i cut the halide off for 3 days with a normal actinic light cycle, then i started the halide with a split cycle of four hours each with a two hour break after a week of that i went to 1 - 6 hour period and after a week bumped up to 1 - 8 hour period and im leaving it at that for now.. this is a crappy current usa 10k bulb. i definately agree thats the 10k spectrum is more algae friendly then any of the bluer bulbs but with i 150w bulb over a 24 inch deep tank i need all the par i can get so im sticking with the 10k

im still getting the bulb filled slime in a few areas and the nuch brownish film on the back wall. but no more stringy stuff off the sps. im still pretty much convinced i either need to sell a few fish or get a bigger skimmer but one way or another my bio load is too high.

i also have a fair amount of calpurpa in various forms growing in the display, im having trouble eradicating it, some of the vine clings to the rocks and no matter how much i remove it grows back with in a week.. it is helping i guess but i dont want it to go sexual and nuke the tank.. knock on wood

[LesMartin]

bigScott
Sorry for the delay, I can't always get online. 16dkh is a little higher than I'd normaly keep mine but it will be ok for the purpose of defeating the Dino's. I think that billybeau1 over on the reef chemistry forum keeps his at aruond this level permanantly so it should be ok for a week or two.

[jimmyj7090]

Steady, High PH via 24/7 alk drip beat my dino problem a yr or two ago.