UGGGGGG dinoflagellates
- Thread starter teresaq
- Start date
melypr1985
Member
Originally Posted by TeresaQ
http:///forum/post/3171250
I am pretty sure thats what I have in my seahorse tank. I need to figure out a plan of attack.
T
what's a dinoflagellates?
http:///forum/post/3171250
I am pretty sure thats what I have in my seahorse tank. I need to figure out a plan of attack.
T
what's a dinoflagellates?
S
shrimpy brains
Guest
Sorry, T! I've only read about them. Seems like they are not easy to get rid of.
Good luck! I know you can do it!
novahobbies
Well-Known Member
Get goin' on those water changes! They won't fix the problem completely, but they do help tremendously. Good luck!
cocoacf
Member
My LFS has had them longer than me, and they cannot get rid of them either. They directed me to just start over (offering that it was the easiest way to get rid of them). Which is also what they plan to do if they ever find time, but they have such a large [400g] tank they are dreading the thought..
yearofthenick
Active Member
Is it a reef tank? Can you incorporate a refugium somewhere? The macroalgae will compete for resources with the dinoflagellates in your tank, and ultimately win against it. Want a tank clean of microaglae? Throw a refugium with macroalgae in the mix.
teresaq
Active Member
well its is a reef, but also my seahorse tank. There are soft corals and gorgians in there. I do have a small fuge, just live rock and macros. I also have Cheato in the tank.
I have done one good water change so far, waiting for more to mix now, will prob get another one done tonight.
T
I have done one good water change so far, waiting for more to mix now, will prob get another one done tonight.
T
reefkprz
Active Member
Originally Posted by TeresaQ
http:///forum/post/3171343
Its a nasty type of algea - worse then cyno
dinoflagellates are eukaryotic algae (zooxanthellae is a dinoflagellate as well) this is why you wont find any reef safe quick kill for that group of life form.
your best bet is some serious skimming, waterchanges, and maybe even vodka dosing to reduce N and P. a more advance cleanup crew may assist too. like a heavier detritivore populationto reduce the influx, while you do your WC's to increase the export on the influx export scale.
http:///forum/post/3171343
Its a nasty type of algea - worse then cyno
dinoflagellates are eukaryotic algae (zooxanthellae is a dinoflagellate as well) this is why you wont find any reef safe quick kill for that group of life form.
your best bet is some serious skimming, waterchanges, and maybe even vodka dosing to reduce N and P. a more advance cleanup crew may assist too. like a heavier detritivore populationto reduce the influx, while you do your WC's to increase the export on the influx export scale.
reefkprz
Active Member
Originally Posted by melypr1985
http:///forum/post/3171294
what's a dinoflagellates?
a serious headache for the poor person who has to deal with them
http:///forum/post/3171294
what's a dinoflagellates?
a serious headache for the poor person who has to deal with them
reefkprz
Active Member
Originally Posted by Dive Girl
http:///forum/post/3174783
Would the addition of a sea hare help?
not for dinoflagellates.
http:///forum/post/3174783
Would the addition of a sea hare help?
not for dinoflagellates.
N
nyc joe
Guest
Just found this, thought it may help...
It is a quick snippet of an interesting article from a magazine that i happened to bump into just now. Please keep in mind this is a cut and paste, but i have found this interesting.
I wish you luck...
Google Dinoflagellates reefkeeping
Thanx
Reefkprz
Dinoflagellates are widespread in nature, and vary considerably in their habits. Some are free floating, photosynthetic organisms and are classic phytoplankton. Others can become symbiotic photosynthetic organisms living inside corals, clams and other marine organisms (i.e., zooxanthallae). Some dinoflagellates are parasites on fish; still others are predators. These are often larger than typical dinoflagellates (up to 2 mm long), and they move through the water consuming smaller organisms. Some dinoflagellates are bioluminescent, and others release toxins (e.g., red tide toxins) that can travel all the way up the food chain to humans.
It is a quick snippet of an interesting article from a magazine that i happened to bump into just now. Please keep in mind this is a cut and paste, but i have found this interesting.
I wish you luck...
Google Dinoflagellates reefkeeping
Thanx
Reefkprz
Dinoflagellates are widespread in nature, and vary considerably in their habits. Some are free floating, photosynthetic organisms and are classic phytoplankton. Others can become symbiotic photosynthetic organisms living inside corals, clams and other marine organisms (i.e., zooxanthallae). Some dinoflagellates are parasites on fish; still others are predators. These are often larger than typical dinoflagellates (up to 2 mm long), and they move through the water consuming smaller organisms. Some dinoflagellates are bioluminescent, and others release toxins (e.g., red tide toxins) that can travel all the way up the food chain to humans.
N
nyc joe
Guest
Dinoflagellates and Elevated pH
One of the ways that problem dinoflagellates have been treated is with elevated pH. The suggestion is often to raise the pH to 8.4 or higher. Later in this article I'll give specific suggestions about pH target levels and how to raise it. Before getting to that, however, it is worthwhile to consider how and why raising pH might impact dinoflagellates more than the aquarium's other organisms.
There are at least two possible reasons that problem dinoflagellates may respond to elevated pH. Because the exact species that become problematic in reef aquaria have not been identified, it can be difficult to look to the scientific literature on dinoflagellates for clues. Nevertheless, there are two clear possible reasons that problem dinoflagellates may respond to elevated pH when other organisms in the aquarium may not.
In one study that supports the general idea that some marine dinoflagellates may respond negatively to pH increases, Japanese scientists were investigating the effects of dumping steel-making slag into the ocean.1 The slag apparently contains substantial amounts of nutrients, and can drive the growth of organisms such as diatoms. In fact, in their studies the slag increased the growth of the diatom Skeletonema costatum considerably. The growth of the dinoflagellate Alexandrium tamarense, however, was reduced by the slag's addition and the researchers attributed this effect to the increased pH that came along with the slag.
It should be noted, however, that one species of dinoflagellate, the planktonic toxin producer Alexandrium catenella,2 was found to grow optimally at pH 8.5 in lab cultures. So raising pH is not a panacea for all dinoflagellate species that might be a problem.
In one study of the effect of pH (8.0 to 9.5) on a natural marine planktonic community of organisms that contained dinoflagellates,3 the initially collected dinoflagellates did not grow well at any pH, which the researchers attributed to low nutrients in the cultures. This result suggests that reducing nutrients may be a useful tactic, but does not bear on whether pH is a suitable method. In a second study,4 researchers noted a correlation between planktonic dinoflagellate blooms and high pH, suggesting that high pH does not inhibit these species of dinoflagellates.
One of the ways that problem dinoflagellates have been treated is with elevated pH. The suggestion is often to raise the pH to 8.4 or higher. Later in this article I'll give specific suggestions about pH target levels and how to raise it. Before getting to that, however, it is worthwhile to consider how and why raising pH might impact dinoflagellates more than the aquarium's other organisms.
There are at least two possible reasons that problem dinoflagellates may respond to elevated pH. Because the exact species that become problematic in reef aquaria have not been identified, it can be difficult to look to the scientific literature on dinoflagellates for clues. Nevertheless, there are two clear possible reasons that problem dinoflagellates may respond to elevated pH when other organisms in the aquarium may not.
In one study that supports the general idea that some marine dinoflagellates may respond negatively to pH increases, Japanese scientists were investigating the effects of dumping steel-making slag into the ocean.1 The slag apparently contains substantial amounts of nutrients, and can drive the growth of organisms such as diatoms. In fact, in their studies the slag increased the growth of the diatom Skeletonema costatum considerably. The growth of the dinoflagellate Alexandrium tamarense, however, was reduced by the slag's addition and the researchers attributed this effect to the increased pH that came along with the slag.
It should be noted, however, that one species of dinoflagellate, the planktonic toxin producer Alexandrium catenella,2 was found to grow optimally at pH 8.5 in lab cultures. So raising pH is not a panacea for all dinoflagellate species that might be a problem.
In one study of the effect of pH (8.0 to 9.5) on a natural marine planktonic community of organisms that contained dinoflagellates,3 the initially collected dinoflagellates did not grow well at any pH, which the researchers attributed to low nutrients in the cultures. This result suggests that reducing nutrients may be a useful tactic, but does not bear on whether pH is a suitable method. In a second study,4 researchers noted a correlation between planktonic dinoflagellate blooms and high pH, suggesting that high pH does not inhibit these species of dinoflagellates.
N
nyc joe
Guest
Elevated pH and Availability of Carbon Dioxide
The first possible mechanism whereby dinoflagellates may respond negatively to pH relates to their acquisition of carbon for photosynthesis. All photosynthesizing organisms need to take up carbon dioxide in some fashion in order to use it to make organic molecules. In a previous article I detailed many of these mechanisms, and they include a variety of different ways of taking carbon dioxide or bicarbonate/carbonate from the water and into the organism.
As the pH is raised at constant carbonate alkalinity, the amount of carbon dioxide in the water declines. A rise in pH of 0.3 units implies approximately a 50% reduction in the available carbon dioxide, but not a significant decrease in bicarbonate (or carbonate). Some organisms are known to suffer considerably from this loss in available carbon dioxide, particularly those that do not use bicarbonate or carbonate. Some species of macroalgae, for example, can photosynthesize only 18% as fast at pH 8.7 as they do at pH 8.1, while others do just as well at the higher pH.
So the question here is whether the problem dinoflagellates have this same response or not. As mentioned above, the exact species that are a problem in reef aquaria have not been identified, and even if identified, have probably not been studied with respect to their pH response. From the literature, some dinoflagellates can take up carbon dioxide only as carbon dioxide, while others can use bicarbonate.
Two marine dinoflagellates, Amphidinium carterae Hulburt and Heterocapsa oceanica Stein, demonstrate active uptake of carbon dioxide (or carbonic acid), but not bicarbonate. Because this mechanism is fundamentally limited in its effectiveness, it has been speculated that these organisms may be CO2-limited in their natural environment.5 These species would likely be stressed considerably if the pH of a reef aquarium containing them were raised substantially. On the other hand, three marine bloom-forming (red tide) dinoflagellates, Prorocentrum minimum, Heterocapsa triquetra and Ceratium lineatum,6 have been shown to take up bicarbonate directly, with bicarbonate accounting for approximately 80% of the carbon dioxide they use in photosynthesis. It is believed that these dinoflagellates are not carbon limited in photosynthesis due to their efficient direct bicarbonate uptake mechanisms, so they may not be overly stressed (by this mechanism) by raising the pH to levels achievable in a reef aquarium.
Dinoflagellates' Internal pH
Organisms typically have strong control of their internal pH regardless of small changes in the external pH. Internal cellular pH is often near pH 7. The green alga Chlorella saccharophila, for example, has an internal pH of 7.3 that does not change across the external pH range from pH 5 to pH 7.5. As the pH drops below 5, however, its internal pH begins to drop and falls to 6.4 when the external pH reaches 3.0.7
The reason that organisms control their internal pH so strongly is that the rate of many different biochemical processes depends on pH. Enzymes, for example, catalyze reactions, and their ability to do so nearly always depends on the pH. So, in order to ensure that the myriad chemical reactions taking place inside cells operate at desirable rates, organisms keep their internal pH from fluctuating. If their internal pH strayed significantly from "normal" for that organism, chemical imbalances are likely to arise and the organism can be significantly stressed.
As an aside, the primary reason that I believe that small sudden pH changes do not stress most reef aquarium organisms, as long as the pH does not move outside the normal pH range that is acceptable to them, is because of this strong internal pH control. For example, I do not believe that a sudden rise in pH from 8.1 to 8.4 is any more stressful for most marine organisms than is a stable continuous pH 8.1 or 8.4.
The first possible mechanism whereby dinoflagellates may respond negatively to pH relates to their acquisition of carbon for photosynthesis. All photosynthesizing organisms need to take up carbon dioxide in some fashion in order to use it to make organic molecules. In a previous article I detailed many of these mechanisms, and they include a variety of different ways of taking carbon dioxide or bicarbonate/carbonate from the water and into the organism.
As the pH is raised at constant carbonate alkalinity, the amount of carbon dioxide in the water declines. A rise in pH of 0.3 units implies approximately a 50% reduction in the available carbon dioxide, but not a significant decrease in bicarbonate (or carbonate). Some organisms are known to suffer considerably from this loss in available carbon dioxide, particularly those that do not use bicarbonate or carbonate. Some species of macroalgae, for example, can photosynthesize only 18% as fast at pH 8.7 as they do at pH 8.1, while others do just as well at the higher pH.
So the question here is whether the problem dinoflagellates have this same response or not. As mentioned above, the exact species that are a problem in reef aquaria have not been identified, and even if identified, have probably not been studied with respect to their pH response. From the literature, some dinoflagellates can take up carbon dioxide only as carbon dioxide, while others can use bicarbonate.
Two marine dinoflagellates, Amphidinium carterae Hulburt and Heterocapsa oceanica Stein, demonstrate active uptake of carbon dioxide (or carbonic acid), but not bicarbonate. Because this mechanism is fundamentally limited in its effectiveness, it has been speculated that these organisms may be CO2-limited in their natural environment.5 These species would likely be stressed considerably if the pH of a reef aquarium containing them were raised substantially. On the other hand, three marine bloom-forming (red tide) dinoflagellates, Prorocentrum minimum, Heterocapsa triquetra and Ceratium lineatum,6 have been shown to take up bicarbonate directly, with bicarbonate accounting for approximately 80% of the carbon dioxide they use in photosynthesis. It is believed that these dinoflagellates are not carbon limited in photosynthesis due to their efficient direct bicarbonate uptake mechanisms, so they may not be overly stressed (by this mechanism) by raising the pH to levels achievable in a reef aquarium.
Dinoflagellates' Internal pH
Organisms typically have strong control of their internal pH regardless of small changes in the external pH. Internal cellular pH is often near pH 7. The green alga Chlorella saccharophila, for example, has an internal pH of 7.3 that does not change across the external pH range from pH 5 to pH 7.5. As the pH drops below 5, however, its internal pH begins to drop and falls to 6.4 when the external pH reaches 3.0.7
The reason that organisms control their internal pH so strongly is that the rate of many different biochemical processes depends on pH. Enzymes, for example, catalyze reactions, and their ability to do so nearly always depends on the pH. So, in order to ensure that the myriad chemical reactions taking place inside cells operate at desirable rates, organisms keep their internal pH from fluctuating. If their internal pH strayed significantly from "normal" for that organism, chemical imbalances are likely to arise and the organism can be significantly stressed.
As an aside, the primary reason that I believe that small sudden pH changes do not stress most reef aquarium organisms, as long as the pH does not move outside the normal pH range that is acceptable to them, is because of this strong internal pH control. For example, I do not believe that a sudden rise in pH from 8.1 to 8.4 is any more stressful for most marine organisms than is a stable continuous pH 8.1 or 8.4.
N
nyc joe
Guest
So, back to dinoflagellates. A recent report in the literature suggests that at least one species has unusually poor internal pH control and consequently showed poor growth as the external pH changed from its "optimal" level.8 Two marine dinoflagellates, Amphidinium carterae Hulburt and Heterocapsa oceanica Stein, were shown to stop growing as the pH dropped from 8 to 7. When the external pH was reduced from 8 to 7, the internal pH of A. carterae dropped from 7.92 to 7.04 (H. oceanica's dropped from 8.14 to 7.22). The researchers attributed the change in internal pH as the cause of the reduced growth. While this experiment involves a pH reduction rather than an increase, and while it is not likely the same species that infests some reef aquaria, it does show that changes in dinoflagellates' internal pH may make them susceptible to changes in external pH that do not as strongly impact other types of organisms.
Does Raising the pH "Cure" Dinoflagellates?
Raising the pH appears to help in some cases of problem dinoflagellates. In some cases when the pH is raised quite a bit (e.g., 8.6-8.8 or higher), the effect can be dramatic and rapid (within a few days), but if the pH is later reduced to normal, the dinoflagellates can return.
I recently polled reef aquarists and found that most respondents either had never had dinoflagellates, or had them but never specifically treated for them (presumably most of these latter aquarists did not have severe outbreaks). Of those reporting that they had specifically treated for dinoflagellates, about half treated with elevated pH and half in other ways. Of those who did elect to treat with elevated pH, half of them described themselves as successful and half not (although the numbers in each case were small).
Is the variable result that aquarists observe due to different species of dinoflagellates? Or did some have organisms other than dinoflagellates? Did some not raise the pH high enough or for long enough? I don't know the answers. The reports on the usefulness of pH are mixed, and those who have problem dinoflagellates should consider trying it, but they may not find it successful in all cases. Patience may be an important factor, and combining the elevated pH with other methods (e.g., reduced nutrients, manual removal, etc.) may be the best bet.
Does High pH Reduce the Likelihood of Dinoflagellates?
If one way to treat problem dinoflagellates is to raise pH, then it stands to reason that such problems could be less likely to occur in reef aquaria whose pH is naturally high. Many reef aquarists who use limewater to supply calcium and alkalinity operate tanks with the pH on the high end of "normal" (i.e. 8.3 to 8.5). My system is a case in point. Other aquaria that use high pH two-part calcium and alkalinity additive systems (such as B-ionic or my DIY Recipe #1) may also have their usual pH on the high end of normal.
Do these aquaria have a lower incidence of dinoflagellate problems? I've never had such problems in more than 10 years, but that says little about whether pH was responsible. I recently surveyed 112 aquarists about their experiences with dinoflagellates, as well as the typical daily maximum pH that they encounter. The results are shown in Figure 3, which shows a slightly lower incidence of reported dinoflagellates at higher pH (above 8.2) than at lower pH (below 8.2). However, due to the difficulties in accurately measuring pH, and in identifying dinoflagellates relative to cyanobacteria and diatoms, I would not suggest that these data constitute strong evidence of such a relationship.
Figure 3. The fraction of respondents reporting dinoflagellate problems (black) and no dinoflagellate problems (red) in reef aquaria as a function of the daily maximum pH. The pH maximum and the incidence of dinoflagellates was self-reported by 112 aquarists who chose to respond. The results are normalized to add up to 1.0 for both cases.
Does Raising the pH "Cure" Dinoflagellates?
Raising the pH appears to help in some cases of problem dinoflagellates. In some cases when the pH is raised quite a bit (e.g., 8.6-8.8 or higher), the effect can be dramatic and rapid (within a few days), but if the pH is later reduced to normal, the dinoflagellates can return.
I recently polled reef aquarists and found that most respondents either had never had dinoflagellates, or had them but never specifically treated for them (presumably most of these latter aquarists did not have severe outbreaks). Of those reporting that they had specifically treated for dinoflagellates, about half treated with elevated pH and half in other ways. Of those who did elect to treat with elevated pH, half of them described themselves as successful and half not (although the numbers in each case were small).
Is the variable result that aquarists observe due to different species of dinoflagellates? Or did some have organisms other than dinoflagellates? Did some not raise the pH high enough or for long enough? I don't know the answers. The reports on the usefulness of pH are mixed, and those who have problem dinoflagellates should consider trying it, but they may not find it successful in all cases. Patience may be an important factor, and combining the elevated pH with other methods (e.g., reduced nutrients, manual removal, etc.) may be the best bet.
Does High pH Reduce the Likelihood of Dinoflagellates?
If one way to treat problem dinoflagellates is to raise pH, then it stands to reason that such problems could be less likely to occur in reef aquaria whose pH is naturally high. Many reef aquarists who use limewater to supply calcium and alkalinity operate tanks with the pH on the high end of "normal" (i.e. 8.3 to 8.5). My system is a case in point. Other aquaria that use high pH two-part calcium and alkalinity additive systems (such as B-ionic or my DIY Recipe #1) may also have their usual pH on the high end of normal.
Do these aquaria have a lower incidence of dinoflagellate problems? I've never had such problems in more than 10 years, but that says little about whether pH was responsible. I recently surveyed 112 aquarists about their experiences with dinoflagellates, as well as the typical daily maximum pH that they encounter. The results are shown in Figure 3, which shows a slightly lower incidence of reported dinoflagellates at higher pH (above 8.2) than at lower pH (below 8.2). However, due to the difficulties in accurately measuring pH, and in identifying dinoflagellates relative to cyanobacteria and diatoms, I would not suggest that these data constitute strong evidence of such a relationship.
Figure 3. The fraction of respondents reporting dinoflagellate problems (black) and no dinoflagellate problems (red) in reef aquaria as a function of the daily maximum pH. The pH maximum and the incidence of dinoflagellates was self-reported by 112 aquarists who chose to respond. The results are normalized to add up to 1.0 for both cases.
N
nyc joe
Guest
How to Treat Problem Dinoflagellates
Here's a series of actions besides raising pH that may help aquarists to deal with problem dinoflagellates.
1. Reduce available nutrients in the water. These include nitrate and especially phosphate. In a severe case, the concerns with driving phosphate too low may be minor compared to the dinoflagellates (and their toxins). In addition to the usual ways of reducing nutrients (skimming, growing macroalgae, deep sand beds, etc.), aquarists should consider very aggressive use of granular ferric oxide (GFO). Putting a larger than normally recommended amount into a canister filter or reactor, and changing it every few days, may help. Don't bother to measure the phosphate level, because the goal is to have it well below normally detectable levels (say, 0.02 ppm).
2. Reduce the photoperiod to four hours per day. This may help to keep the dinoflagellates under control, but by itself will not usually eradicate them.
3. Use more than normal amounts of activated carbon, and possibly ozone, to deal with toxins that the dinoflagellates may be releasing. This may allow snails and other organisms to survive while the dinoflagellates are still at nuisance levels.
4. Manually siphon out as much of the mass of dinoflagellates as possible. Daily removal would be preferable to keep populations at a reduced level.
How to Treat Problem Dinoflagellates: Elevated pH
In order to treat problem dinoflagellates with elevated pH, I'd recommend keeping the pH at 8.4 to 8.5 until they are gone. The pH can be as high as 8.6 without causing too much stress on anything else. The process may take weeks. In desperation (i.e. if nothing else works), allow the pH to go even higher.
pH is best raised by adding calcium hydroxide, either as limewater (kalkwasser; calcium hydroxide or "lime" dissolved in freshwater), or as a lime slurry. Bear in mind that aeration will tend to lower the pH, so if maintaining high pH is difficult, reducing aeration may help a bit. pH naturally drops at night, so be sure to measure pH in the early morning as well as later in the day.
As a general guideline, adding the equivalent of 1.25% of the tank's volume in saturated limewater will raise the pH by about 0.66 pH units. That increase may be more than desired all at once, but that volume, or more, spread out over the course of a day may be necessary to maintain high pH.
If you are limited by low evaporation and cannot add enough limewater, use a slurry of lime. For example, 1-2 level teaspoons of calcium hydroxide can be made into a slurry by mixing with one cup of RO/DI (reverse osmosis/deionized) water (not tank water). Stir it up and dump it into a high flow area away from delicate organisms. Adding one level teaspoon of solid lime this way into a 100-gallon aquarium will raise its pH by about 0.3 pH units. This process may need to be repeated several times a day to keep the pH high.
Don't worry about raising calcium or alkalinity with this method. The higher pH will accelerate calcification by organisms and abiotic precipitation. Beware that you may eventually clog pumps, impellers and intakes this way, and you might get white precipitates on surfaces (that is usually okay for a short term treatment and does not usually harm corals).
Summary
Dinoflagellates are a nasty problem that have driven some aquarists to consider leaving the hobby. Treatments often take a considerable period of time, and are not always effective. Nevertheless, the best known ways to treat problem dinoflagellates are to reduce nutrients and to raise pH, especially with limewater.
Here's a series of actions besides raising pH that may help aquarists to deal with problem dinoflagellates.
1. Reduce available nutrients in the water. These include nitrate and especially phosphate. In a severe case, the concerns with driving phosphate too low may be minor compared to the dinoflagellates (and their toxins). In addition to the usual ways of reducing nutrients (skimming, growing macroalgae, deep sand beds, etc.), aquarists should consider very aggressive use of granular ferric oxide (GFO). Putting a larger than normally recommended amount into a canister filter or reactor, and changing it every few days, may help. Don't bother to measure the phosphate level, because the goal is to have it well below normally detectable levels (say, 0.02 ppm).
2. Reduce the photoperiod to four hours per day. This may help to keep the dinoflagellates under control, but by itself will not usually eradicate them.
3. Use more than normal amounts of activated carbon, and possibly ozone, to deal with toxins that the dinoflagellates may be releasing. This may allow snails and other organisms to survive while the dinoflagellates are still at nuisance levels.
4. Manually siphon out as much of the mass of dinoflagellates as possible. Daily removal would be preferable to keep populations at a reduced level.
How to Treat Problem Dinoflagellates: Elevated pH
In order to treat problem dinoflagellates with elevated pH, I'd recommend keeping the pH at 8.4 to 8.5 until they are gone. The pH can be as high as 8.6 without causing too much stress on anything else. The process may take weeks. In desperation (i.e. if nothing else works), allow the pH to go even higher.
pH is best raised by adding calcium hydroxide, either as limewater (kalkwasser; calcium hydroxide or "lime" dissolved in freshwater), or as a lime slurry. Bear in mind that aeration will tend to lower the pH, so if maintaining high pH is difficult, reducing aeration may help a bit. pH naturally drops at night, so be sure to measure pH in the early morning as well as later in the day.
As a general guideline, adding the equivalent of 1.25% of the tank's volume in saturated limewater will raise the pH by about 0.66 pH units. That increase may be more than desired all at once, but that volume, or more, spread out over the course of a day may be necessary to maintain high pH.
If you are limited by low evaporation and cannot add enough limewater, use a slurry of lime. For example, 1-2 level teaspoons of calcium hydroxide can be made into a slurry by mixing with one cup of RO/DI (reverse osmosis/deionized) water (not tank water). Stir it up and dump it into a high flow area away from delicate organisms. Adding one level teaspoon of solid lime this way into a 100-gallon aquarium will raise its pH by about 0.3 pH units. This process may need to be repeated several times a day to keep the pH high.
Don't worry about raising calcium or alkalinity with this method. The higher pH will accelerate calcification by organisms and abiotic precipitation. Beware that you may eventually clog pumps, impellers and intakes this way, and you might get white precipitates on surfaces (that is usually okay for a short term treatment and does not usually harm corals).
Summary
Dinoflagellates are a nasty problem that have driven some aquarists to consider leaving the hobby. Treatments often take a considerable period of time, and are not always effective. Nevertheless, the best known ways to treat problem dinoflagellates are to reduce nutrients and to raise pH, especially with limewater.
reefkprz
Active Member
the article you cut and pasted is copyrighted joe. especially without citing the authors sources etc. its pretty much a blatant violation to cut and paste their entire article.
in a case like that your better off just saying "Found an interesting article on dino's google "Problem Dinoflagellates and pH" it offers some treatment options.
in a case like that your better off just saying "Found an interesting article on dino's google "Problem Dinoflagellates and pH" it offers some treatment options.
N
nyc joe
Guest
Oops, all fixed now.
sorry bout that...
sorry bout that...