Need help to identify DINO? WHT IS THIS?!

[Tux]

Not sure what this is. It covers my glass in an hour or two. Even after a water change. My sand seem clean and white. Fish seem healthy. Some say SCA and to ME it looks really small. Almost like Prynesium Parvum? In these videos it only shows the small Little creature but when I was looking earlier and taking some samples it had some bigger boys in there. But now its all this. This is what is on my glass. Videos are forma cheap microscope at 200x? it says? 250? So is this SCA with bad magnification? Idk i need help.

 

[EnterName]

OP provided more photos in another thread and this thread is still marked as unanswered, so I put together everything I found here:

(Image provided by OP)
​

I pointed out the gap between (what I'm assuming to be) the epicone and hypocone (black arrowheads in the images below). This is a good indication that we're dealing with dinoflagellates, at least for the large cells:

(visible gap between epicone and hypocone)
​

The small cells are harder to identify due to the lack of resolution. Their movement fits small cell Amphidinium spp., but it's possible that these cells aren't dinoflagellates at all.

 

[Tux]

OP provided more photos in another thread and this thread is still marked as unanswered, so I put together everything I found here:

(Image provided by OP)
​

I pointed out the gap between (what I'm assuming to be) the epicone and hypocone (black arrowheads in the images below). This is a good indication that we're dealing with dinoflagellates, at least for the large cells:

(visible gap between epicone and hypocone)
​

The small cells are harder to identify due to the lack of resolution. Their movement fits small cell Amphidinium spp., but it's possible that these cells aren't dinoflagellates at all.

View attachment 4535522

I’ll be doing a little more testing tonight to see if I can get any more information

 

[Tux]

OP provided more photos in another thread and this thread is still marked as unanswered, so I put together everything I found here:

(Image provided by OP)
​

I pointed out the gap between (what I'm assuming to be) the epicone and hypocone (black arrowheads in the images below). This is a good indication that we're dealing with dinoflagellates, at least for the large cells:

(visible gap between epicone and hypocone)
​

The small cells are harder to identify due to the lack of resolution. Their movement fits small cell Amphidinium spp., but it's possible that these cells aren't dinoflagellates at all.

View attachment 4535522

I’ll be doing a little more testing tonight to see if I can get any more information

Well I got another video. Not BETTER. Just another. Like I am limited in the microscope department. These things are SMALL. Whatever they are.

 

[Tux]

OP provided more photos in another thread and this thread is still marked as unanswered, so I put together everything I found here:

(Image provided by OP)
​

I pointed out the gap between (what I'm assuming to be) the epicone and hypocone (black arrowheads in the images below). This is a good indication that we're dealing with dinoflagellates, at least for the large cells:

(visible gap between epicone and hypocone)
​

The small cells are harder to identify due to the lack of resolution. Their movement fits small cell Amphidinium spp., but it's possible that these cells aren't dinoflagellates at all.

View attachment 4535522

I’ll be doing a little more testing tonight to see if I can get any more information

Well I got another video. Not BETTER. Just another. Like I am limited in the microscope department. These things are SMALL. Whatever they are.

View attachment 4535600

 

[risiy]

OP provided more photos in another thread and this thread is still marked as unanswered, so I put together everything I found here:

(Image provided by OP)
​

I pointed out the gap between (what I'm assuming to be) the epicone and hypocone (black arrowheads in the images below). This is a good indication that we're dealing with dinoflagellates, at least for the large cells:

(visible gap between epicone and hypocone)
​

The small cells are harder to identify due to the lack of resolution. Their movement fits small cell Amphidinium spp., but it's possible that these cells aren't dinoflagellates at all.

I’ve always found psychopath riddles interesting because they challenge you to think beyond the obvious answer. The best ones use misleading details and unexpected logic, making you question your first assumption before revealing the solution.

I’d say it’s more likely some type of dinoflagellate or other microalgae, but I wouldn’t try to identify the exact species from a 200–250× video alone. The rapid regrowth on the glass is definitely consistent with a bloom. I’d get a clearer microscope video if possible, especially showing how the organisms move, and post your nitrate and phosphate levels as well. I wouldn’t start dosing for dinos until you’re reasonably sure that’s what you’re dealing with.

 

[EnterName]

I’d say it’s more likely some type of dinoflagellate or other microalgae, but I wouldn’t try to identify the exact species from a 200–250× video alone.

Species-level identification wouldn't be possible anyway without electron microscope which might slightly be outside OP's budget

Genus level works quite often with visual clues but the magnification is too low. For me it was more important to identify if it's really a dinoflagellate issue or something else so I compared the morphology to those dinoflagellates that are commonly found in reef tanks.

I wouldn’t start dosing for dinos until you’re reasonably sure that’s what you’re dealing with.

Silicate dosing should be fine as long as the small cells aren't Chrysophytes (there was a video showing their rapid movement so Chrysophytes seem less likely). OP already started so I think neither continuing nor stopping would hurt much.