Algae/Bacteria ID

[Bill Howard]

Not sure if this is algae or bacteria, but can someone help me ID this? It is sort of a rusty red in color and seems to brush off relatively easily. My gut feeling is it's some sort of cyano, but I never seen cyano get this long. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Ron Reefman]

Bill, I've never seen algae or bacteria that look like that, so I'm not much help. But if it brushes off easily, I'd be inclined to thinking it's bacteria. Do you dose any kind of carbon (vodka, sugar, ascorbic acid, etc) or run a carbon reactor?

 

[Paul Sands]

Looks like cyano to me.

 

[Bill Howard]

@Ron Reefman reefman thanks, but we are not carbon dosing right now but we are running GAC in a reactor. @Paul Sands, thanks, if this is cyano, any recommended treatment to get rid of it?

 

[Paul Sands]

@Ron Reefman reefman thanks, but we are not carbon dosing right now but we are running GAC in a reactor. @Paul Sands, thanks, if this is cyano, any recommended treatment to get rid of it?

Probably decrease phosphates and nitrates. What are your water parameters currently?

 

[Subsea]

Many differrent Cynabactetia. Yes, I have seen cyno long like that.

Cynobacteria are capable of scavenging both nitrate & phosphate independent of nutrients in water column. Low nutrients in water column favor Cynobacteria by eliminating competition from macro algae & coral.

 

[Bill Howard]

@Paul Sands I don't know the current NO3 and PO4 levels but will I will test an post them.
In the meantime I put some under a microscope and the pictures are below. Sorry for the quality, but this was the best I could do with my phone. Any idea what I'm looking at?

 

[Paul Sands]

Cynobacteria are capable of scavenging both nitrate & phosphate independent of nutrients in water column. Low nutrients in water column favor Cynobacteria by eliminating competition from macro algae & coral.

I think you have cyano and dino confused.

 

[dwest]

@Paul Sands I don't know the current NO3 and PO4 levels but will I will test an post them.
In the meantime I put some under a microscope and the pictures are below. Sorry for the quality, but this was the best I could do with my phone. Any idea what I'm looking at?

Dinos. @taricha can help you out with ID.

 

[dwest]

@Paul Sands I don't know the current NO3 and PO4 levels but will I will test an post them.
In the meantime I put some under a microscope and the pictures are below. Sorry for the quality, but this was the best I could do with my phone. Any idea what I'm looking at?

Can you post a video?

 

[Subsea]

I think you have cyano and dino confused.

I think not. Both of those nuisance algae’s favor low nutrients,

@Randy Holmes-Farley described a process in which Cynobacteria mat dissolved inorganic calcium phosphate and assimilated organic phosphate into its biomass.

http://cmore.soest.hawaii.edu/cruises/biolincs/microbes.htm
Nitrogen fixation by Cynobacteria converts Nitrogen gas into a nitrate molecule. This makes Earth a green planet.

MARINE BACTERIA
Marine bacteria are single-celled organisms that can be shaped like little spheres, rods, or (less commonly) spirals. The are often very small, with cell diameters of just a few microns (about 1/100th the width of a human hair). They perform all kinds of chemical processes in the open ocean, including most of the steps in nitrogen cycling.

Cyanobacteria are a large group of photosynthetic bacteria, some of which can “fix” nitrogen, converting nitrogen gas into more biologically useful compounds. Cyanobacteria live in all kinds of environments, but are especially important in open-ocean ecosystems. They were formerly known as “blue-green algae” but are now recognized as a type of bacteria, not a type of algae (algae are eukaryotes).

 

[Paul Sands]

I think not. Both of those nuisance algae’s favor low nutrients,

@Randy Holmes-Farley described a process in which Cynobacteria mat dissolved inorganic calcium phosphate and assimilated organic phosphate into its biomass.

http://cmore.soest.hawaii.edu/cruises/biolincs/microbes.htm
Nitrogen fixation by Cynobacteria converts Nitrogen gas into a nitrate molecule. This makes Earth a green planet.

MARINE BACTERIA
Marine bacteria are single-celled organisms that can be shaped like little spheres, rods, or (less commonly) spirals. The are often very small, with cell diameters of just a few microns (about 1/100th the width of a human hair). They perform all kinds of chemical processes in the open ocean, including most of the steps in nitrogen cycling.

Cyanobacteria are a large group of photosynthetic bacteria, some of which can “fix” nitrogen, converting nitrogen gas into more biologically useful compounds. Cyanobacteria live in all kinds of environments, but are especially important in open-ocean ecosystems. They were formerly known as “blue-green algae” but are now recognized as a type of bacteria, not a type of algae (algae are eukaryotes).

“Cyanobacteria are a large group of photosynthetic bacteria, some of which can “fix” nitrogen, converting nitrogen gas into more biologically useful compounds.”

Cyano can’t convert nitrogen if it’s in a low nitrogen system as that would mean there is now nitrogen to fix.

 

[Subsea]

“Cyanobacteria are a large group of photosynthetic bacteria, some of which can “fix” nitrogen, converting nitrogen gas into more biologically useful compounds.”

Cyano can’t convert nitrogen if it’s in a low nitrogen system as that would mean there is now nitrogen to fix.

Define low nitrogen system.

Cyno converts free nitrogen gas into a nitrate molecule and consumes it before it gets into the water column.

You should read the link fron University of Hawaii.

 

[Subsea]

http://cmore.soest.hawaii.edu/cruises/biolincs/microbes.htm

Heterocystus cyanobacteria are multi-celled organisms that form microscopic filaments and perform nitrogen fixation in the open ocean. The most common genus of heterocystus cyanobacteria in open-ocean areas is Richelia, which is almost always found living inside of diatoms, a type of microscopic marine algae.

 

[taricha]

In the meantime I put some under a microscope and the pictures are below. Sorry for the quality, but this was the best I could do with my phone. Any idea what I'm looking at?

Prorocentrum dinos.

 

[Bill Howard]

Prorocentrum dinos.

Any recommendation on a course of action to get rid of these?

 

[Subsea]

If it brushes off easily, then aggressively vacuume it out.