Algae Identification Help!!! Microscope Photo.... Dinos???

[bimmer88]

So I have a feeling these are dinoflagellates, but I'm not experienced identifying algae enough that I am sure. So about 2 months ago, I had a velvet outbreak that wiped out my tank. Had to go fallow with no fish. went through several different types of outbreaks including, diatoms, GHA, chrysophytes, Cyano, and now this.... I'm thinking it's dino's because my nitrates and phosphates hit 0 without fishes. It's very stringy and a dark brown(almost black) color, It's all over my sand bed and growing all over my acros... Doesn't seem to have many air bubbles in it other the on the growth over my flow pumps... When I blow it off my acros with a turkey baster, in half an hour it's already covered it again... On my sand, rocks, and glass, it's just growing VERY VERY STRINGY... some strands are like a foot long... I did the dino test where i gathered a sample with tank water, shook it in a bottle and filtered it through a paper towel into a glass. It formed back into a black clump in less than an hour. I'm still not quite sure if its dino though because, it doesn't disappear at night like dino usually does. It just stays there as if the light was still on. Also, my snails have been goin to town on it and none are dying(i know dino's are toxic and can kill CUC). Also, most pictures of dino's i see are a light brown color. These are a very dark brown and almost black. Can some with experience PLEASE help me identify what this is so that I know how to treat it? I've tried raising temperature to 83 degrees, UV Sterilizer, hydrogen peroxide, adding nitrates/phosphates via dosing, dosing microbacter clean. None of it seems to be working.... HELP!!!!!

 

[JCTReefer]

I’m gonna link you to this Dino ID. Looks kind of like Ostreopsis with the sesame seed shape and light colored end. I’m no expert though. Not sure what kind of movement they have. @taricha came up with this. It’s very handy. He could tell you really quickly what you’re dealing with.

 

[bimmer88]

I’m gonna link you to this Dino ID. Looks kind of like Ostreopsis with the sesame seed shape and light colored end. I’m no expert though. Not sure what kind of movement they have. @taricha came up with this. It’s very handy. He could tell you really quickly what your dealing with.

I actually looked at that pdf already. Looks kind of like ostreopsis. Only thing is the pdf says it migrates to the water column at night. This one doesn’t. It stays out right where it is after lights out. It also says that it’s highly toxic. My snails have all been going to town on it and no deaths yet. These two things make me think it might not be ostreopsis.

 

[JCTReefer]

I had Amphidinium and ostreopsis. Took a good while to get rid of. Adding a UV helped my ostreopsis situation. That and keeping nutrients up. Nitrates 5-10ppm range and Phosphates in the .07-.1ppm range. They disappeared after green hair algae got a foothold. Well, I say disappeared. They are no doubt still there. Just waiting for the right conditions to show their ugly head. Im guessing from your post, you’ve read through the main dino thread. Lol!!! That’s a long one.

 

[brian2kgt]

My vote is also Ostreopsis because of the shape and coloration like JCTReefer said. Do they also move like the Ostreopsis in this video? Notice how they appear to spin around a fixed point like they are anchored down.


I also had a case of Ostreopsis that did not enter the water column at night. I did some research and found that while most Ostreopsis will do so under a normal lighting schedule, that is not always the case. Sometimes they require a short blackout to move them into the water so the UV can kill them. So I covered the tank and gave this a try and after about 24 hours of total darkness they all finally entered the water column, after 48 hours(72 hours might be better but I got nervous) I turned my lights back on at a low intensity for a couple of hours a day for the first couple days and monitored the situation. Over about a week I slowly ramped my lights back up to the normal intensity and duration and I haven't seen them since. Before this I was also doing all the usual things you are supposed to do with dinos, dosed and maintained PO4 to 0.1ppm and nitrate to 10ppm, stopped skimming(removed cup), and stopped water changes. All these things probably helped but the real nail in the coffin was getting them into the water so the UV could kill them. I also didn't have any snail deaths with my strain of Ostreopsis but I can't say I ever saw them eating them.

 

[bimmer88]

Here's another video I just shot... Maybe I have more than 1 type of dinos??? In this video, the bigger ones pretty much remain stationary... there are a bunch of smaller ones moving around all over the place...

https://youtu.be/T8dBjihkLBw

 

[brian2kgt]

Yep, it isn't unusual to have two kinds at the same time. Not sure why the big ones are not moving but those definitely look like Ostreopsis. The other ones look like Small Cell Amphidinium judging by their size and the little hooked beak.

 

[bimmer88]

Yep, it isn't unusual to have two kinds at the same time. Not sure why the big ones are not moving but those definitely look like Ostreopsis. The other ones look like Small Cell Amphidinium judging by their size and the little hooked beak.

Going to try the blackout... hopefully that can get them into the water column

 

[Cory]

Whqts your uv size and tank size?

 

[bimmer88]

Whqts your uv size and tank size?

I’m using the green killing machine 24w UV. I placed it directly in display tank. Tank is a RSR 450. Net water volume is about 100 gallons.

 

[Cory]

I’m using the green killing machine 24w UV. I placed it directly in display tank. Tank is a RSR 450. Net water volume is about 100 gallons.

Okay. Ive tried that one it worked about 60% to clear up ostreopsis. It wasn't until i added a 90watt lifegard that made a huge difference. I got it flowing at 1100 gph and is a system of about 150 gallons.

 

[bimmer88]

Okay. Ive tried that one it worked about 60% to clear up ostreopsis. It wasn't until i added a 90watt lifegard that made a huge difference. I got it flowing at 1100 gph and is a system of about 150 gallons.

I think the probably was that at lights out, the Dino’s wouldn’t go in the water column. They would just stay on the sand, live rock and my acro frags in full glory. I’m trying blackout now. Hopefully that gets them into the water column like it did for Brian.

 

[Cory]

I think the probably was that at lights out, the Dino’s wouldn’t go in the water column. They would just stay on the sand, live rock and my acro frags in full glory. I’m trying blackout now. Hopefully that gets them into the water column like it did for Brian.

Did you put the uv in your display?

 

[bimmer88]

Did you put the uv in your display?

Yup

 

[taricha]

Here's another video I just shot... Maybe I have more than 1 type of dinos??? In this video, the bigger ones pretty much remain stationary... there are a bunch of smaller ones moving around all over the place...

https://youtu.be/T8dBjihkLBw

Ostreopsis (big ones) as mentioned earlier and small cell amphidinium.

 

[bimmer88]

Did a 3 day blackout and tank looks super clean now. No sign of Dino’s. I did lost a few acro frags though. I think the acros that died were already on the way out though from damage that Dino’s caused. Hopefully Dino’s don’t come back. I’m still dosing hydrogen peroxide and running UV for a bit just to make sure the stuff stays gone.

 

[Cbones1979]

Same thing I had 2 times when my nutrients were nuked
Uv
Microbacter 7 in the day
Hydrogen peroxide at night
Siphon out of the sand as much as possible

gone 2 weeks later