Diatoms? (microscope)

CloudReefer

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 1, 2023
Messages
207
Reaction score
80
Location
Colorado
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Hi all, have a bunch of icky crud on my sand and finally got a microscope. I thought I had dinos but now not so sure.

Are these diatoms? Both at 400x and under a coverslip. These were from a clump on my sandbed. The first is the edge of the clump and the second are some other organisms I saw off to the side that I thought offered a better image.

PXL_20240112_002142712.jpg PXL_20240112_002301065.jpg
 

taricha

5000 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
May 22, 2016
Messages
6,547
Reaction score
10,108
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Looks like there's a lot of diatoms in that mat, but I think I also see cyano in there holding it together as well.
 
OP
OP
C

CloudReefer

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 1, 2023
Messages
207
Reaction score
80
Location
Colorado
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Weird that I've got so many diatoms. I need to get a Si tester now. blergh.

This mat recedes a fair bit at night, and I found these guys too. Amphidinium of some sort? I got these samples as the mat was starting to recede so I wonder if during the day when it's thicker it's full of dinos, and in the evening they go into the sand and leave behind just the diatoms.

Also found some round pod looking things and worms moving around eating stuff. Wonder what those are too.



PXL_20240112_005817785.jpg PXL_20240112_010114940.jpg PXL_20240112_010237823.jpg PXL_20240112_010411800.jpg
 

Reefing threads: Do you wear gear from reef brands?

  • I wear reef gear everywhere.

    Votes: 23 14.1%
  • I wear reef gear primarily at fish events and my LFS.

    Votes: 11 6.7%
  • I wear reef gear primarily for water changes and tank maintenance.

    Votes: 1 0.6%
  • I wear reef gear primarily to relax where I live.

    Votes: 23 14.1%
  • I don’t wear gear from reef brands.

    Votes: 94 57.7%
  • Other.

    Votes: 11 6.7%
Back
Top