Well, since I've become the latest victim of Dino's and still have all the books laying around with the pages marked that led us to the discovery of what my problem has been, I figured I would take it upon myself to document this evil (since there's nothing for me to do except wait :). I did search the archive which had a few vague references and one good reference courtesy Mr. Rice (which I hope you don't mind me being redundant :), the condition doesn't have a strong FAQ for identification and treatment. I think this is due to the fact that many of us fortunately haven't had it, will never see it and more so, won't ever have to deal with it. The fact that I posted about it 3 times and no one identified it (even though some of the best of us have had it... I think there are too many variations) is indicative of this in my opinon, and I want there to be some way to get as much information published for the next poor schmuck who get the pleasure of watching it's evil shroud run over their tank....

A little background...

From Microbiology - Principles and Applications, Jacquelyn G. Black pg 297
"The dinoflagellates usually have two flagella, one extending behind the organism like a tail, and the other lying in a transverse groove. They are small organisms that may or may not have a cell wall. Some have a theca, a tightly affixed secreted layer that often contains cellulose. Cellulose is an uncommon substance in protists, although it is abundant in plants. Although most dinoflagellates have chlorophyll and are capable of photosynthesis, others are colorless and are capable of photosynthesis, others are colorless and feed on organic matter. Several dinoflagellates exhibit bioluminescence."

The book also mentions the advent of tremendous blooms of toxic species in the wild known as "Red Tides". Those of us who live seaside may be very familiar with all the dead life that floats up with them. It mentions as well that animals as large as dolphins can be overcome by it and even humans with a sensitivity to it can have respiratory irritation from breathing the sea air. Yummy, huh?

Identification in the Marine Aquarium....

From The Reef Aquarium Vol 1, Delbeek and Sprung pg 270
"Dinoflagellates occasionally bloom in reef aquaria, and they can be toxic to invertebrates and fish. They form nearly colourless to rust brown {In my case, it was green} gelatinous mats and films that trap oxygen bubbles. They can also be present in large numbers in the water column and on the surface of the water during a bloom. They coat bare surfaces so quickly that it is futile to siphon them off."

TRA Vol 1, pg 326-327
"...the appearance of a mysterious slimy material coating both living and non-living surfaces in the aquarium. This material has the consistency of nasal mucus and it can be dark brown, light tan or nearly colourless. It usually develops as a light coating but soon entraps air and forms long strings that float up into the water."

"... blooms are toxic to aquarium inhabitants. Herbivorous snails may roll over, stop eating and die. Tangs that eat the dinoflagellates may stop feeding and starve to death. Sea urchins that eat them may loose their spines and die."

In my case, all the above was true besides that the color was green. Some fish flat out died while others were able to handle it to a degree, and with them, parasitism was prevelant.

Treatment...

TRA Vol 1 pg 327
"One effective control is photoperiod. Try leaving your lights off for a full day, thereafter maintaining a photoperiod of only four hours per day until the bloom dies. This is not in itself a cure, but keeps the bloom at a manageable level."

"Dinoflagellates have much of the same nutritional requirements as other microalgae.... ...The use of phosphate absorbing medium has resulted in their eradication... ....you should reduce additions of trace elements."

In my experience, we feel that a contaminant (rust... don't ask :) and the continual addition of fresh salt in a fish only system contributed greatly t o this bloom. However, I will note that testing for levels of phosphate and trace elements all came up at 0. This is most likely because the bloom was processing and utilizing it so quickly. Sanjay Joshi found that using an activated carbon bed in the filter helped emmensly as well controlling the bloom that devistated his tank. This would aide in removing anything they would utilize and thus starving them out.

And a final solution that Sprung and Delbeek offer...

"If you have a pH meter that is accurately calibrated, and you maintain the pH at 8.4 to 8.5 during the day and above 8.2 at night through the controlled dosed addition of a saturated solution of calcium hydroxide (kalkwasser), you might just tackle this problem."

The pH meter comes in very handy, and I would be concerned about using a titration (color comparison) to do this. In a 1200 gallon system, 10 gallons of saturated Kalk solution swung the pH from 8.25 to 8.55 in 1 hour. This may be the final straw for your animals that are still hanging on. I would use a liter bottle with airline hose running out a drilled hole aprox 2" from the bottom of the container with a dial valve in line with the hose to control the drip. And I would do it very slowly :)

Welp... That's dinos in a nutshell. I hope you never have to reference this message. Happy keeping!

Chech out this article by Ron Shimek , http://www.animalnetwork.com/fish/aqfm/1998/nov/wb/default.asp

It's the science guy's version of my post :)