02/06/2022
Let’s talk dinos. No, not the scary rip-you-to-shreds kind. Not the big purple cuddly kind either. I’m talking about dinoflagellates. These dinos are tiny. Microscopic, even. But they can still be rather destructive and lay waste to your pristine well-kept aquarium very quickly.
These single-celled creatures encase themselves in a protective glass-like layer of silica and are found in all of the oceans of the world. Oh, but you have a FRESHWATER aquarium? Unfortunately, this leads directly to a couple of misconceptions about dinoflagellates that need to be addressed.
Dinoflagellates are only a problem in saltwater aquariums. WRONG! There are plenty of freshwater dinos and they are just as prevalent and problematic as their salty cousins. In the case of freshwater aquariums, most people who have them think they have a really annoying type of algae they just can’t get rid of.
Dinoflagellates love water with zero nitrates and phosphates. EXTREMELY WRONG! Dinoflagellates *require* nitrates and phosphates to live and multiply. This is a case of correlation ≠ causation. Yes, extended periods or no nitrates and phosphates, especially when removed via additives or reactor media, do correlate with an outbreak of dinoflagellates, it is important to understand what the actual cause is. When nitrates and phosphates remain low or non-existent for extended periods, the beneficial microbes that processes them die off since there is nothing for them to feed on. Now suppose your reactor media becomes less effective over time, you use less additives, feed slightly more than usual or change foods, or for any of a number of other reasons, your nitrates and phosphates increase. Your tank may not have enough of the beneficial microbes to process them. Typically, these microbes can out-compete dinoflagellates. But there aren’t enough of them now, and the dinos take advantage of that. They begin to multiply. Exponentially. Every 24 hours, their numbers will double. With this type of growth rate it doesn’t take long for them to go from barely noticeable to having overrun your entire tank and sump.
You need a UV sterilizer to get rid of dinoflagellates. NO! A UV sterilizer certainly will kill them, along with everything else exposed to it. This includes all the beneficial microbes such as nitrifying bacteria and beneficial phytoplankton. This can send your entire tank's microbiome out of whack, causing chaos in the nitrogen cycle, and end up making managing the issue far more complex.
You must kill all of the dinoflagellates as fast as possible. DANGEROUSLY WRONG. Dinoflagellates have a nasty little surprise. They are really good at producing and/or concentrating and storing toxins found in their environment. When they die, these toxins are released into the water and can have a devastating impact on all livestock in your tank. In nature, these are called red tides, and are known for causing massive fish kills due to oxygen depletion and toxin releases, the deadliest of which being maitotoxin. For perspective, it is 5 times more toxic than tetrodotoxin. Tetrodotoxin is the same stuff in puffer fish, including the legendary fugu- a Japanese delicacy that must be prepared by an expert or else consuming it will result in death. It is also found in some of the ocean’s other deadliest critters, such as the blue-ring octopus whose nearly-painless bite can cause death in as little as 3 minutes. Maitotoxin is 5-times MORE toxic that THAT. While each little dinoflagellate only has a teeny tiny bit of toxin in it, when they all die at once it could be enough to create a toxic environment for your fish, and begin killing off things in your tank.
OMG I have silicates in my water! I must remove them all! Again, NO. While an overabundance of silicates, particularly in a marine tank, can lead to issues promoting a breakout of dinos, you actually do want some silicates in your tank. There are plenty of *good* things that require silicates to grow- especially when it comes to beneficial phytoplankton. If you do have an overabundance of silicates and wish to reduce them, do not rely on a RODI water filtration system. They will get out some, yes, but even when it reads 0 TDS (total dissolved solids) there can still be silicates present. If you are dead-set on reducing them, a media reactor can do the trick.
So what does all this mean, and what can you do about dinoflagellates? Well, eliminating them completely is not a realistic goal. If you are experiencing an outbreak, they have probably been in your tank for a long time but conditions were never quite right for them to take over. There are various methods to deal with the dinos, but they all have the same end-goal, and that is to make the tank more suitable for the beneficial bacteria and phytoplankton and less ideal for the dinos. This will give the good things a leg up and help them outcompete the dinos, once again keeping them in check to the point that they aren’t even noticeable. What differs is HOW you achieve that end-goal, and there are multiple ways to do so. Some involve the addition of medications or water conditioners, some have blackouts, and others use slow and gradual changes to the water chemistry and addition of good bacteria and phytoplankton to outcompete the dinos. Which method you choose and what is best for the tank can be a difficult decision to make. We highly suggest you read up on different methods of dinoflagellate control from known and reputable sources, preferably published. If you are unsure of the best route to take for your tank, are concerned about doing it yourself, or simply don’t want to deal with the hassle, just pick up the phone and give us a call or send us a message or email. We will happily schedule an in-home consultation and design an action plan specific to your tank's needs and get started.
