Red slime Vs. Dinoflaggelates (sp?)

[Delphinus]

Corals will be fine for 2-3 days but a week is pushing it. But dinos will likely survive 2-3 days lights-out. Try it first maybe, but don't be surprised if they come back, if they do, prepare for a longer period.

[fkshiu]

Moonlights will do zilch for coral photosynthesis. They would only be useful to see what's happening in the tank.

[Keri]

As long as they won't Help the dinos I'd like to leave them on at least at night, I feel bad for the fish!

[Reefer Rob]

I don't think the lights out treatment for 2-3 days will do anything for Dinoflagellates. You're going to have to starve them out. Very aggressive GFO will help a lot, along with filter socks, rinsing food well, reduced feeding, etc, etc.

Along with Phosphates, GFO also removes Silicates, so I would change it weekly for a month and see what happens. Have you checked your source water for Silicates?

BTW Dinoflagellates will have a whip tail under the microscope.

Rob

[Keri]

Originally Posted by Reefer Rob

I don't think the lights out treatment for 2-3 days will do anything for Dinoflagellates. You're going to have to starve them out. Very aggressive GFO will help a lot, along with filter socks, rinsing food well, reduced feeding, etc, etc.

Sorry, what's GFO?

Along with Phosphates, GFO also removes Silicates, so I would change it weekly for a month and see what happens. Have you checked your source water for Silicates?

The silicates test was negative. I have live rock and live sand (aragonite, caribsea) in there. What would other sources be? I use RO/DI water.

BTW Dinoflagellates will have a whip tail under the microscope.

Rob

Thank-you! I'll get drew to bring me a sample today and I will try to post pictures from under the scope.

[fkshiu]

GFO is granualar ferric oxide - used to control phosphates usually in a phosphate reactor. Sold under brandnames such as Phosban or Rowaphos or it can be purchased in bulk.

[Reefer Rob]

Test your RO/DI water for silicates as well. Apparently the DI resin is not the best for removing silicates.

IMO it's more of a phosphate issue anyway. Your tests won't show any phosphate (or silicate) because it's bound up in the Dynos (or algae, cyano etc.) The trick is to have something to absorb the phosphate as whatever your battling dies off.

A 2 to 3 day blackout will definitely help but it won't do the job on it's own. You need to get the chemicals out of the water. If you don't the dynos will just use them to start all over again.