Microscope ID

So, I've had this algae pop up from time to time over the last several years. It grows like dinoflagellates. Looks snotty, stringy and golden brown. However, it turns out it isn't. After getting a microscope hooked up, it is lots of small green algae cells, no flagella and non-motile. My second guess was cyano, as there are cyano species that grow as single cells, and it has gone away significantly after adding a second powerhead. However, it appearst that the cells are too big. Last time it popped up was after I actidently dumped a cup of skimmate into the tank. It doesn't seemed too phased by low nutrients though.

Anyways, my DSLR died, but believe me, it looks like dinos LOL.

Here are some microscope pics and for those with no idea, a cool pic of an arthropod just because it's a cool pic ;D

 

Algae in dinos? Great shots

 

awesome pics! That's a sweet microscope you got there!

 

So you should see flagella and an organism that is motile if it's dino?

Lets see a macro image of the offending organism please.

There seems to be an increased incidence of forum threads that report this brown stringy, snotty like growth. It is really Cyano and we are advising that it be treated like Dino?

Do bubbles form on the growth?
Does it increase in size and intensity during the photoperiod?

 

Thank, but no Dino's anywhere. Well, I shouldn't say that I found a cell or two elsewhere. They are easy to see, as they move around and have "wiggle tails" (flagella).

Thanks. don't know how I lived without it, there is so much going on behind the scenes in our tanks.

Yes Dino's are very easy to see, they move pretty quickly and have little tails.
I'll try to get a macro image, my DSLR battery won't charge anymore though. I,m not sure if my phone camera is food enough, but I'll try when the halide comes on.

Down't seem to change over the course of the photoperiod and is still there at night. Definitely stringy and full of bubbles. A turkey Baxter or powerhead blows it off the rocks easily. I've calibrated my microscope though and the measurement key in the upper left should be accurate. From what I understand, it seems to be about 4x 'isn't too big to be single celled cyano.

 

I'm on my phone by the way, so, it's tough to post a like, but there are lot of dino videos on YouTube.

 

So you think it is possible to be algae and they release a mucus like substance?

 

It would seem that way, or could be a cyano, but dosn't match any cyano I've found very well.

Here are two macro shots, I took with my iPad. They came out okay. Lukily, it has been going away, esspecially since I've started vinager dosing again. So, there are only a few small patches left. After the skimmer overflow, there were lots of bubbles and bubbly strings. Now, not so many bubbles. Also, the halide hasn't come on yet, so, maybe there will be more latter in the day, I don't think the algae increases with photoperiod, but the bubbles do. I had the microscope, just not the camera, shortly after, so, it is the same stuff, I just couldn't take a picture at the time.

 

Bump for the new year.

 

Periodically I get this brown string appearance since rebooting my tank, usually it's just one to two isolated strands. Initially I feared Dino but it appears and disappears. Currently I am experiencing an issue with cyano but I kind of expected that after the redo.