Microbe ID needed?

[Micro-Reefs Aquarium]

Are these guys Uronema ciliates and if so are they dangerous to have in our reefs?

Found them with my microscope in my 12 gallon AIO refugium.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Are these guys Uronema ciliates and if so are they dangerous to have in our reefs?

Found them with my microscope in my 12 gallon AIO refugium.

Identifying ciliates is tough for me. When I say "Uronema" I'm really saying "Uronema-like". If I isolate a ciliate from the muscle tissue of a fish, then I'll be more sure of its ID. That said, these seem too motile to me.

Uronema is ubiquitous - it is found in most mature aquariums if you look hard enough. I've hung dead smelt in a tank and gotten Uronema on it the next day in many tanks. Uronema normally feeds on bacteria, it only becomes a fish pathogen under certain circumstances; particular species (Green chromis, yellow wrasse, anthias, etc.) and usually when you first get them. Uronema infections also show up during hyposalinity treatments. Otherwise, I don't recall ever seeing an infection from them in an established tank.

Jay

 

[Micro-Reefs Aquarium]

Identifying ciliates is tough for me. When I say "Uronema" I'm really saying "Uronema-like". If I isolate a ciliate from the muscle tissue of a fish, then I'll be more sure of its ID. That said, these seem too motile to me.

Uronema is ubiquitous - it is found in most mature aquariums if you look hard enough. I've hung dead smelt in a tank and gotten Uronema on it the next day in many tanks. Uronema normally feeds on bacteria, it only becomes a fish pathogen under certain circumstances; particular species (Green chromis, yellow wrasse, anthias, etc.) and usually when you first get them. Uronema infections also show up during hyposalinity treatments. Otherwise, I don't recall ever seeing an infection from them in an established tank.

Jay

Thanks for wonderful insight!