Aquarium microscopy findings (vids + pics). Pls identify..

[SaltwaterGuruNeeded]

In the videos:

#1 is probably a copepodite, but could be a rotifer
#2 Is similar to Vorticella - usually found in freshwater, but sometimes marine
#3 possible ciliate (Euplotes?)
#4 Copepodite? Larval copepod.
#5 IDK


Jay

Wouldn't #3 be a flagellate? Being that is has 2 flagella?

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Wouldn't #3 be a flagellate? Being that is has 2 flagella?

Yes - that is a flagellate - I couldn't see the flagella in the video, but I watched it to the end, and you can see it moving left to right and suddenly it sort of gets stuck on something - that's the flagella stuck to the bit of detritus behind it.

Jay

 

[SaltwaterGuruNeeded]

Update: Sun, Sept 12th

1. (Tentacle thing in middle) Didn't seem to move.

2. (Big spikey thing) I might have saw movement on very far ends.

3. (Circle thing) (Was moving, see video)

3(a).

 

[SaltwaterGuruNeeded]

Update: Mon, Sept 13th

This was some white stuff off my power head. Tank is really cloudy.
what the heck?

Video of worm below @ 400x:

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This is what I took a sample of:

This is how cloudy my tank looks from the side:

Guessing a diatom explosion somehow.

Ammonia: Undetectable
Nitrate: 5ppm

- This tank has been fallowing for about 1.5 weeks at around 81.5 - 82 degrees F.

- added a 1/4 of a bottle of biospira to this display tank because it was left over from seeding my qt. Thought it wouldn't hurt.

- Uv broke just before fallow.

- No water changes since the start of fallow.

- Only feed my 1 Coral.Banded shrimp about every 3 days in my DT.

- Have 1 CBS and 10 Cerith snails in the DT.

@Jay Hemdal @DrZoidburg @vetteguy53081

I appreciate your help, thank you.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Wire algae
Time to soak powerhead or at least cage for impeller
Makes sense as it’s right under the light

 

[BadSquishy]

I am loving this thread! I think it’s great to document and eventually have a good reference of common things we might find, and be able to easily distinguish harmless vs harmful critters!

 

[Miami Reef]

@SaltwaterGuruNeeded How old is your tank again?

Did you dose any carbon/Nopox?

If you didn’t dose anything. Seems like a bacterial bloom. Normal in new tanks. UV sterilizer not needed. It will clear up on it’s own. You’d tank looks young. You’ll have many different stages of life starting soon.

Usually Cyanobacteria, then diatoms, then hair algae. All natural and VERY beneficial. Your tank will soon have a stable ecosystem!

 

[DrZoidburg]

The top right on question mark in picture almost looks like a insoluble salt crystal. The circled thing definitely some sort of nematode/trematode. Just below question mark on right that does look like some sort of silica based diatom. The elongated football shaped ones. All the rest is to cluttered to say.

 

[DrZoidburg]

Important to realize though not all of these nematodes are a problem. This one looks like maybe a harmless one just eating micro detritus. You can see his guts are filled with it.

Edit: the tentacle looking thing could be a mycobacteria, or mycelium strands of some sort. The big spiky thing looks maybe a sort of worm larvae swam by.

 

[SaltwaterGuruNeeded]

@SaltwaterGuruNeeded How old is your tank again?

Did you dose any carbon/Nopox?

If you didn’t dose anything. Seems like a bacterial bloom. Normal in new tanks. UV sterilizer not needed. It will clear up on it’s own. You’d tank looks young. You’ll have many different stages of life starting soon.

Usually Cyanobacteria, then diatoms, then hair algae. All natural and VERY beneficial. Your tank will soon have a stable ecosystem!

4-5 months. Nothing dosed. Had a dino outbreak a little while ago. Small cell amphidinium dinoflagellates. But they cleared up.

 

[SaltwaterGuruNeeded]

Thanks for all your replies!

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Thanks for all your replies!

The nematode is almost assuredly free-living, I only seen parasitic ones during necropsy or in poop after medicating fish.

Re; the possible salt crystals - could there have been some reaction that precipitated some component of the salt like calcium? That would account for the white cloudy water and the presence of crystals. I've only seen that when mixing saturated brine solutions, but you aren't dosing with purple up or something? Just speculating here.....

Jay

 

[DrZoidburg]

The nematode is almost assuredly free-living, I only seen parasitic ones during necropsy or in poop after medicating fish.

Re; the possible salt crystals - could there have been some reaction that precipitated some component of the salt like calcium? That would account for the white cloudy water and the presence of crystals. I've only seen that when mixing saturated brine solutions, but you aren't dosing with purple up or something? Just speculating here.....

Jay

I had a feeling it was calcium sulfate or phosphate crystals. Looks a lot like some gypsum crystal forms, also some phosphates. Can only really see these in2D. It could be a number of insolubles that have look alike crystal forms. Yes it can happen in a chemical reaction mixing salts. I doubt it would make the hole tank that foggy though. Just starting randomly on a already set up tank that is. If one had actually mixed fresh water in tank could possibly see these in places. It would eventually settle/filter out.

 

[SaltwaterGuruNeeded]

The nematode is almost assuredly free-living, I only seen parasitic ones during necropsy or in poop after medicating fish.

Re; the possible salt crystals - could there have been some reaction that precipitated some component of the salt like calcium? That would account for the white cloudy water and the presence of crystals. I've only seen that when mixing saturated brine solutions, but you aren't dosing with purple up or something? Just speculating here.....

Jay

No, just the biospira I mentioned.

 

[SaltwaterGuruNeeded]

Here's a link to my cloudy fallowing tank thread. It's just getting worse. Like way worse.

Tank cloudy during fallow?

Why would my fallowing tank of about 1 - 1.5 weeks be cloudy? Should this be of concern? I have a microscope if you'd like me to take a sample. Tank is 4 months old, fallowing for diseases for 1.5 weeks so far.

www.reef2reef.com

 

[SaltwaterGuruNeeded]

I finally found a copepod! After a month of searching!

100x with 2x phone zoom.

 

[SaltwaterGuruNeeded]

Just some of this white algae I spotted a few days ago...

 

[SaltwaterGuruNeeded]

Found some Blue Algae? Possibly hair algae?

This is from the skimmer I am collecting from my bacterial bloom. This stuff is really disgusting! I'm hoping this is bacteria and not dust from cover slip.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I once found some odd colored strands in a sample - turned out to be fabric from somebody's clothes (grin).

Jay

 

[SaltwaterGuruNeeded]

I once found some odd colored strands in a sample - turned out to be fabric from somebody's clothes (grin).

Jay

Lol I thought the same thing. But I wasn't wearing blue! I was wearing all grey! Well...It's definitely possible that it's a strand of clothing. But it seems my coralline is loving the bacterial bloom.