Problems with Dinoflagelletes

[Jecco]

Dr. Randy, I've got an extreme problem with Dino's. The advice I've been given to rid myself of this nuisance is raise the pH during the day to 8.4 - 8.6 not letting it fall during the night below 8.2. Reduce the photo period, and lower temperature of tank. Reduceing the photo period and lower the temp were easy and go hand in hand. Getting the pH to stay @ 8.4 is totally different. I've read your articles about raising the pH, I have enough aeration, and I'm topping off with Kalk. I lose about 1.5 - 2 gals a day due to evaporation. I am using a monitor to check ph, it has been calibrated correctly and is brand new. Any suggestion will help. Thanks

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

One can go to adding a lime slurry if the goal is to push to pH values above normal for short periods. Add about equal amounts of solid lime and fresh water, stir the sludge, and add it in small amounts to a high flow area, while monitoring pH. You may need a bunch of small additions this way.

[Jecco]

When the pH starts to drop, should you add more lime Slurpie? (ha, ha) I just need it to stay above normal until the bacteria implodes on itself, which I understand can take a couple of weeks.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

If you want to keep the pH up, yes, keep dosing. I've never treated for dinos, so I am not sure how high or how long is necessary.

[Martin Kuhn]

Dino's are a relatively common plague which is unfortunately often hard to deal with. I made some experiences by myself. That's what "i think" about

- Dino's are an infection of the system
- best if you identify by microscope (that you really have them, or not)
- it doesn't bring anything to wait that a system heals itself once it has a certain amount of Dino-population
- Dino's are doing harm to certain inhabitants, especially sea urchins but also to other animals living in the infected areas
- cleaning of infected areas (i.e. sucking away with water) is more bad than helpful. often the population then even increases
- Dino's are very tough. Measures like reducing light, increasing ph only slightly weaken them (i've tested 4 days without any light, alk + 4dKH, and ph-increase). if've stopped the treatment after 4 days, mainly because of the corals...there was a slight (~30%) reduction of the dino covering. 1 day later it was again like before.

- so i started a treat with "AlgenEx" it took ~6 weaks in total, and i stopped until NO Dinos where visible under the microscope. Whereof it took ~4 weeks until i had the first "visible" reduction.
- in the meatime (4 month) no more Dino's. Juhuuuh


I'm quite sure there is something like "AlgenEx" also in the US. Just not knowing the name.

best regards
...Martin

[shelburn61]

I have heard carbon will also help get rid of dinos. Small amounts changed daily.