Not sure how I missed this thread for so long, luckily it seems Potsy and Jedimasterben have been passing on many of my thoughts.
I'm still identifying algae people mail me if any of you need help with the ID side of things. I'm also looking for "Guinea pigs" for an idea I want to try (especially if you have a microscope of your own).
I've been posting my photos and videos at algaeid.com and
youtube. I still don't have pictures of all 4 major groups of dinos I've found in marine aquaria. I'd also love to add other pest algae just to round out the site a bit.
I didn't see much discussion here about the toxins produced by these guys and wanted to make sure everyone is taking proper precautions.
Ostreopsis sp. makes palytoxin. This is a toxin all reefers should be familiar with as palythoas and zoanthids produce this toxin and there are stories every year of hobbyists nearly killing themselves by mishandling these corals.
Amphidinium isn't really thought of as highly toxic, but I've talked to too many reefers with
Amphidinium blooms who have experienced personal health effects when killing these that I think we should treat Amphidi
nium with respect as well.
The dinos won't release the toxin until they die, so before starting any eradication procedures you should make sure the area around the tank is well ventilated, and have carbon ready to run. It would be a good idea to keep everyone (including other pets) away from the tank and wear gloves and a mask if you are getting a lot of dino die off.
I know we as hobbyists often get pretty blasé about safety when working in our tanks, but please stay safe. These organisms can hurt and even kill you if you are killing enough of them at once.