Can someone identify under microscope? Diatoms? Dinos?

[ryshark]

Unfortunately 250x is the most I can get with my sons microscope. I think it is diatoms by the naked eye, but the tank is 8-months old. Thanks

 

[ryshark]

Here are some more

 

[ryshark]

Under 100x

 

[Seek&Reef]

It’s really hard to tell exactly what it is. But I see some diatoms. Unfortunately most of the small circles are probably dinos. There’s a group on Facebook. Mack reef dinoflagellates support. Great community, help me beat small cell amphidinium dinos. They will need a better image to positively id type (if it is dinos) and that will determine best treatment method. Not all are the same.

 

[Seek&Reef]

Are they moving a lot and really fast?

 

[Harold999]

Unfortunately most of the small circles are probably dinos.

They are more pillow shaped. I don't know a dino with this shape.

 

[Seek&Reef]

They are more pillow shaped. I don't know a dino with this shape.

I agree, however it’s hard to tell what they are period. But there’s not a lot of organisms that brown dust the sand bed. Like diatoms and amphidinium

 

[Lavey29]

If you bottomed out your nitrates and phosphate you open the door for dinos.

 

[ryshark]

Phosphates did bottom out for a couple of days because I was dosing Nitrates not knowing that they can lower Phosphates. I got them up pretty quickly, then I got more fish and started feeding way more. The issue started a couple weeks after my nutrients bottomed out. The issue started after I started feeding super heavy, pellets 4x a day on autofeeder and also frozen.

I've been weekly dosing MB7 for awhile, trying to avoid dinos.

 

[ryshark]

Now I'm at 2 NO3 and .08 PO4. Not sure if I need to lower PO4 and do a water change to beat algae/diatoms or do the opposite, if it is dinos...
Of course they have exact opposite plans of attack.

 

[Seek&Reef]

Diatoms typically disappear after silicates have been exhausted in a system. Unless adding water that has silicates in it. If I was you I’d buy this scope. If it turns out to be nothing to worry about, great peace of mind. If it turns out to be dinos then you can get started with a treatment before they gain a strong foothold.

AmScope M150C-I 40X-1000X All-Metal Optical Glass Lenses Cordless LED Student Biological Compound Microscope https://a.co/d/2FrQmf6
I’ve used it to ID dinos, diatoms, ostracods, different algaes. It’s a whole other world. Here’s a few pics from my scope

above: some diatoms and other life
Below: my small cell amphidinium dinos (now under control)

 

[ryshark]

Diatoms typically disappear after silicates have been exhausted in a system. Unless adding water that has silicates in it. If I was you I’d buy this scope. If it turns out to be nothing to worry about, great peace of mind. If it turns out to be dinos then you can get started with a treatment before they gain a strong foothold.

AmScope M150C-I 40X-1000X All-Metal Optical Glass Lenses Cordless LED Student Biological Compound Microscope https://a.co/d/2FrQmf6
I’ve used it to ID dinos, diatoms, ostracods, different algaes. It’s a whole other world. Here’s a few pics from my scope

above: some diatoms and other life
Below: my small cell amphidinium dinos (now under control)

Thanks. I'll look into getting that scope, I defintely could use better/closer pictures. It's weird how whatever I have is in a pair in the pictures above, like kidneys.

 

[Harold999]

Do these pillow shaped creatures move and how? Or not at all?

 

[ryshark]

Do these pillow shaped creatures move and how? Or not at all?

I think they did at first. I’ll try again later today.
I put the sample in-between the 2-glass slides on the microscope. Is that the correct way?

 

[Harold999]

I think they did at first. I’ll try again later today.
I put the sample in-between the 2-glass slides on the microscope. Is that the correct way?

Yes, but that second little glass to cover the sample isn't even necessary.

 

[ryshark]

Yes, but that second little glass to cover the sample isn't even necessary.

Thanks. I’ll skip that tonight and see if I can get a video.

 

[ryshark]

Hopefully this .mov will play

 

[ryshark]

Hopefully this .mov will play

I can see the .mov on my PC but not my phone.

 

[Harold999]

Now that i see your movie i think i was wrong with saying that a second glass isn't necessary because in this case i see different species swimming in different "dimensions"/layers, so they go in and out of focus. A second glass will keep them in one layer and in focus if you know what i mean.

 

[ryshark]

I’m atru

Now that i see your movie i think i was wrong with saying that a second glass isn't necessary because in this case i see different species swimming in different "dimensions"/layers, so they go in and out of focus. A second glass will keep them in one layer and in focus if you know what i mean.

I’m struggling to line my iPhone to the 25x eyepiece which is small. And the 40x scope part is broken. So I’m going 25x eyepiece with 10x scope.