Cyano or Dino? How do you tell the difference?

[TheoScapes]

Hey all,

I don't have a microscope.
Just want to know of there's a way to tell the difference between cyano and Dinos without one.

The video attached is what I have in my tank currently.

T

 

[FishDaddy]

cyano isn't nearly as long and stringy, and doesn't have as many gas bubbles. It's usually more reddish in color. Chemiclean works great against cyano. I've dosed in a large system following instructions full of expensive livestock including corals, inverts, and fish. There's lots of debate on how to kill dinos. I won a battle after overdosing chemiclean, but I think the overdose and no big water change after impacted my sps. Dinos were killed off though.

Cyano:

Is this cyanobacteria?

I've been trying to get rid of this for the last two months. Ive been doing 20% water changes weekly for about a month and half. I have also tried using the red slime remover which slowed it down but as soon as I stopped dosing it the cyanobacteria came back. My nitrates are at 2.5 ppm and my...

www.reef2reef.com

Dinos:

Is This the Dinoflagellate Treatment We’ve all been Hoping for? | Reef Builders | The Reef and Saltwater Aquarium Blog

Being a reef aquarists, means dealing with nuisance algae, parasites, and other pests… Cyanobacteria, AEFW, Red Bugs, and who here remembers that pink cotton candy algae (Callithamnion)?

reefbuilders.com

 

[TheoScapes]

Here's a white light video too:

 

[TheoScapes]

Interesting how raising the temperature could be a cure. Gas anyone tried this?

(Also, I'd be heartbroken if it were true as I just spent a small fortune on a chiller due to the fact that I live in a tropical country...)

 

[Koh23]

Tried, didnt work in my case. But, also without microscope, i really dont know what (type) i have.

So far, only thing that seems to work for now is leave it alone.... It slowly (very) goes away, for how long....still remain to be seen...

 

[TheoScapes]

Best of luck!!

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hey all,

I don't have a microscope.
Just want to know of there's a way to tell the difference between cyano and Dinos without one.

The video attached is what I have in my tank currently.

T

one thing for sure besides appearance-
Cyano generally associated with elevated nitrate and phosphate whereas Dino is associated with very Low to zero nitrate and phosphate.
Both are photosynthetic and love light for growth.
Dino is a flagellate and cyano is a bacterial algae

 

[taricha]

Here's a white light video too:

that color is more typical of dino than cyano.

 

[FishDaddy]

Interesting how raising the temperature could be a cure. Gas anyone tried this?

(Also, I'd be heartbroken if it were true as I just spent a small fortune on a chiller due to the fact that I live in a tropical country...)

Yeah there's all kinds of things that are "cures". I killed off dinos in a large system by double dosing chemiclean. Others that tried didn't have the same luck though.