removing sand - dinos

[DSMchad]

After 6 month of battling dinoflagellates, im still have problems.
i have tried everything ive read about, and have gone as far as leaving the lights off for 2 weeks with the tank wrapped in black plastic and they still come right back - starting from the sand. Ive also read removing the sand is the best way to help keep them at bay.
what is the best method of removing the sand without stirring up too much toxic crap at one time? i only have a 1-2" layer. there isnt much to kill in my tank right now, 3 fish and a few small corals.
should i slowly siphon it out over a few weeks time? or all at once with a good sized water change?
i think i like bare bottom look better anyway.

[reefqueef]

If you havn,t tried it I would try raising your ph to 8.4 or 8.5 sometimes it takes weeks but doing this shouldn't bother your fish also try reducing your airation just a little also reduce the amount of time your lights are on and suck out as much as you can manually do regular water changes and use carbon to reduce ntrients in your system hope this will help:)

[Aquarist007]

I've found the best way to remove sand is with a small shop vacuum and the best way to introduce it back to the tank is with a piece of 2 inch pvc with a funnel glued on one end.

[DSMchad]

What is the best way to raise PH anyway? i seem to have trouble getting it above 8.3

[Aquarist007]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15696244#post15696244 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by DSMchad
What is the best way to raise PH anyway? i seem to have trouble getting it above 8.3

I would not raise the pH until I measured my alkalinity. If the alkalinity is within 8-11 dkH and you want to raise the pH then use baking soda.

[DSMchad]

alk is about 9 right now. i have already tried everything for the dinos though. they dont grow on anything else but the sand to start unless i let it go a week then they will make their way to the rocks and glass, then snails stop moving again.
so i figure just get rid of the sand, do another week with no light and hope for the best. PH is 8.4 right now.
i am to the point of putting everything alive in a QT tank, and killing the rock, sand, boiling everything and starting over.

[Aquarist007]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15696320#post15696320 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by DSMchad
alk is about 9 right now. i have already tried everything for the dinos though. they dont grow on anything else but the sand to start unless i let it go a week then they will make their way to the rocks and glass, then snails stop moving again.
so i figure just get rid of the sand, do another week with no light and hope for the best. PH is 8.4 right now.
i am to the point of putting everything alive in a QT tank, and killing the rock, sand, boiling everything and starting over.

I would try removing just the sand for now by vacuuming it up with a shop vac.

[Aquarist007]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15696433#post15696433 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by capn_hylinur
I would try removing just the sand for now by vacuuming it up with a shop vac.

are you absolutely sure it is not cyano rather then dinos?
If not sure I would try a dose of red slime remover---if it is cyano it will be gone---but dinos are not touched with red slime remover

[reefqueef]

you can raise and maintain your ph and alk with a two part additive like b-ionic this will help to keep your water in balance.

[DSMchad]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15696442#post15696442 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by capn_hylinur
are you absolutely sure it is not cyano rather then dinos?
If not sure I would try a dose of red slime remover---if it is cyano it will be gone---but dinos are not touched with red slime remover

Yea its dinos, i get the air bubbles in it, inverts stop moving - especially certain snails. Its brown in color like cobwebs / snot across the sand. I have tried a dose of slime remover just to be sure and it didnt touch anything. A lower salinity seems to be helping keep it toned down. my autofill got stuck on a few weeks back and took SG from 1.025 to 1.021 and ran about 10 or 15 gallons of water on the floor and since then it has really died back, but its still there.
I just didnt wanna cause a crash from removing all of the sand at once, wasnt sure if that was a very good idea of if i should take some now and some later.

[reefqueef]

Hi dsmchad I'm sorry my replies were so short last night I didn't get a chance to explain my suggestions to you first of if your ph is 8.4 thats a great start try to keep it there it will help. the dinos need carbon dioxide to grow elevated ph reduces carbon dioxide in the water table reducing airation will also help keep your ph up just be carefull to make sure your fish can still breath. If your running a skimmer thats a great way to remove nutrients but it also produces alot of gas exchange witch can lower ph if it were my tank I would add a large amount of carbon to my sump or overflow this will help to remove alot of nutrients the dinos need to survive as well as removing the toxins they produce also find a way to remove phosfates thats another thing they like. reduce your lights to about four hours a day and do alot of large water changes if the dinos have no food they cant grow. You can also try to find some macro algea like cheato to put in your tank it will compete with the dinos for nutrents .

[DSMchad]

Thanks everyone for your replies and help.

I have a huge ball of chaeto in the sump, running phosban reactor, and some carbon, i will try adding more carbon. so far with all i have done the fish and coral have been good looking, my condi anemone has been looking pretty bad the past few weeks and ive had one turbo snail die and 2 more arent moving much at all.

[t5Nitro]

Looks like no light didn't work then. I have a small amount of it in my tank now and was told to reduce the light. I guess that makes no difference. I can try adding a phosban reactor again and add more carbon. Seems like it might turn into a real hassle.

Best of luck to you and I.

[DSMchad]

no light they disappear. but it has to be pitch black for 3 days. sometimes they return, sometimes not. in my case i cant keep them gone. theyre gone from my sump, but not from the DT.
Water changes seem to make it worse, from what ive read and experience.