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Unread 07/12/2015, 02:22 PM   #1259
Quiet_Ivy
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Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Canada
Posts: 390
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mikefromaz View Post
Blackouts do not deter dinos. You must keep in mind that dinos bevome water column swimmers at night. Night time activities appeal to them so it seems likely dark isn't much of a threat. How many times have I looked at my "clean" sandbed in the early morning thinking I was winning the battle? (Show of hands please) UV sterilizers properly applied, meaning as slow as possible water flow through your unit ifyou have one. Stay AWAY from marine algae killers! They do not discriminate between killing unwanted algae (HA in my case), and the micro critters which are keeping dinos in check by out competing them fir nutrients and/ or eating them? I also dosed with vodka to enhance nitrate removal. Essentially the object is to weaken the dinos as much as possible. As soon as you see signs that it takes longet for dinos to dirty up the glass and sandbed flood the tank with live phytoplankton, pods and whatever your LFS may offer along those lines. If you had a crash caused by marine algae killers repopulating the "good guy" micro plankton after weakening the dinos serms to work. It will also benefit your filter feeders.
I seem to have a toxic variety of dinos. The shrimp showed the same symptoms as my snail population..they slowed down, stopped doing the sexy shrimp 'dance', seemed 'stunned' then died. They were picking at the dinos on the glass. My toadstool might be putting out something that's irritating the frogspawn, it's at 'ground zero' and is the only coral that's covered in dinos.

As for blackouts not working, rats! And dang! And several other words! I don't actually *have* any (other) algae except the ball of Chaeto in my display. (Which isn't growing and actually gets covered in dinos.) Do you think adding the nastiest hair algae infested rock I can find locally would help? I'm serious. I added a cup of dry sand to the back of my display, hoping to get diatoms. Anything to outcompete the dinos. I suspect you and DNA are on to something with the theory about low biodiversity and 'very clean' systems. I started with dry rock and sand too. Infauna kits don't seem to be available in Canada.

I would rather have hair algae. At least it isn't toxic!
ivy


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