Dino or Cyano?

[johnsonlee42]

Hey all,

Trying to identify a nuisance in my tank, which is starting to occupy the sandbed and some rockwork - I'm not sure if it's dino or cyano. I've gone back and forth - there is a bit of a stringy element which says dino to me, but there is a lack of bubbles. It also doesn't have quite the heavy mat-like structure of cyano, so I'm not sure.

I've tested with my API test kit (which I realize is not super precise), and my Ammonia/Nitrite/Nitrate levels (at least per the kit) or close to 0 (which makes me feel like it's possibly dino, due to nutrient deficiency). I tried a three day blackout with UV concurrently, but it came back after a day.

Any guidance would be appreciated!

 

[homegrowncichlid]

doesn't matter which, you want to get rid of it, do a 3 day black out, followed by probiotics. It'll get rid of it and prevent it from coming back.

 

[johnsonlee42]

So I actually did a full three day / 72 hour blackout, AND ran UV at the same time for the entire time period - it came back. After the blackout I immediately started dosing bacteria as well.

 

[nvladik]

Dinos. Blackout does not guarantee removal. You want nutrients in addition to your UV. P 0.08, N 10+. And yes a better testkit.

 

[homegrowncichlid]

I use Dr Tims "Refresh" and "Waste Away" package for dino removal. there is a specific schedule you need to follow for 2 weeks, and it works well, I just treated my tank again since I recontaminated it with dinos 2 weeks ago using my dried out, dino encrusted frag rack. It works well.
The problem is that once you destroy 99% of the dinos with black out, that last 1% will still explode in population once you turn the lights back on. That's what the probiotics are for. Unless you know how much bacteria to dose and for how long, it probably wont work in out competing the pests, So you can set up experiments to figure it out or follow this package's very specific instructions, which make getting rid of cyano or dinos pretty easy for me now.

As for skimming and UV, that won't help too much since the dinos are not circulating in the water, but colonizing your substrate.

80 gallon Dinoflagellate Treatment Bundle

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[nvladik]

probiotics will also lower N & P, further creating an environment where dino's thrive. And many species of dinos actually go into the water column when lights are off - that's why sandbed looks clean at night, and worst during the day.

 

[homegrowncichlid]

probiotics will also lower N & P, further creating an environment where dino's thrive. And many species of dinos actually go into the water column when lights are off - that's why sandbed looks clean at night, and worst during the day.

Actually, I disagree with your conclusion there, OK, probiotics lowing nutrient's, that's what they do, but the goal would not be creating an environment for dinos with crystal clear water. The probiotics need to go one step further and directly compete with dinos. I believe it would be all down to how much probiotics are used and it takes a lot . Rather then just adding a started culture and letting it grow in, there needs to be surplus added, so much so that it causes competition. In your situation, the dinos out competed the probiotics, on day 4, after the lights came back on.

The main thing that makes Dr Tim's interesting, is that the bacteria species in the culture are all planktonic, not on the substrate for colonizing live rock or sand. Then that planktonic biomass is skimmed out, or consumed by filter feeders.

 

[nvladik]

Actually, I disagree with your conclusion there, OK, probiotics lowing nutrient's, that's what they do, but the goal would not be creating an environment for dinos with crystal clear water. The probiotics need to go one step further and directly compete with dinos. I believe it would be all down to how much probiotics are used and it takes a lot . Rather then just adding a started culture and letting it grow in, there needs to be surplus added, so much so that it causes competition. In your situation, the dinos out competed the probiotics, on day 4, after the lights came back on.

The main thing that makes Dr Tim's interesting, is that the bacteria species in the culture are all planktonic, not on the substrate for colonizing live rock or sand. Then that planktonic biomass is skimmed out, or consumed by filter feeders.

That's fine, we can agree to disagree.