Dinoflagellates.

[SoundUser]

Green algae in the display has almost all gone. But there are now small amounts of Dinoflagellates.
The scrubber screen is also covered in brown algae and Dinoflagellates.....

I think its before the redfield ratio is out of whack. There is almost no nitrate.

Should I start feeding more and change GFO, to try and get Nitrate:Phosphate back in balance?

Thank you

[Floyd R Turbo]

I had this problem in my tank once (when I was holding livestock for a customer with scrubber on top). Same scrubber in a sump system and no problems. Surface skimming might be part of the problem.

Also the scrubber was way oversized. Is yours? The reason for the brown growth might be related to size, lighting, flow, feeding...many possible factors.

Do the dinos 'accumulate' in a cyclic pattern that follows the scrubber cleaning cycle? That is, if you clean the scrubber, and do the dinos seem less present for the next few days, then as you get to say day 5 or 6 after cleaning, are they all over the place?

[SoundUser]

Dino is covering the green algae on the screen that has not been cleaned and completely over the other one. There isnt too much in the display. But I wanna get on top before it become a problem.

Id say my screen size was pretty close to the guide lines.
Ive just ordered some better test kits as im not convinced by my results.

[kerry]

I been fighting them lately as well, even have a touch of cyano as well, its all in the DT.

[Floyd R Turbo]

Yes if you are growing dinos then there is an issue, the larger scrubber I was using tended to grow dinos, dark slimy hair-thin strands and yes oh boy do they smell nasty. I grew them on my UAS for a couple weeks before the GHA took over.

My feeling on them is that they are a sign of not enough feeding or an oversized screen. But I will have to go a few weeks to confirm that. I just switch from a 16x6 screen lit by 4x24W T5HO to an L2 which has 4x6 screen and LEDs. It wasn't growing an over abundance of dinos before the switch, however the stink was still somewhat there (mostly yellow rubbery algae).

[SoundUser]

Ill post my params at when i get the tests. Im using an API nitrate test that says it 0, but only goes up in 5s. And a selifet phos kit that just changes to the slightest blue colour which looks less than the lowest one.

[Wopadobop]

Hanah checkers are your friend lol. Worth every penny considering you pay about 30 bucks for decent test kit anyway and they are digital .

[kerry]

Is this hanah checker ok or do you need the 200+ dollar one? http://www.marinedepot.com/Hanna_Ins...TEMOID-vi.html

[MorganAtlanta]

I have the Phosphate and Alk Checkers and like them.

[kerry]

Thats good to know, I would like to stay as cost effective as I can.