Dino or Diatoms?

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Nikko

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I will try to cut to the chase here...
Reef tank - 215 gallon (6 months)
40 gallon refugium (mesh socks, skimmer, chaeto with established pod colony)
Parameters:
PH 8.0 - 8.1
SG 1.025
ALK 7.7
MAG 1290
CAL 400
AM: 0
NITRITE: 0
NITRATE: 0.25
PHO: 0

Recently had a red slime attack. Dosed ChemiClean. 20% water change after 72 hours. Tank looked great.

Few days later, started to get several brown dots on the substrate. Look like diatoms, plus I got the powdery brown patches on my glass. Well, I really hope it's diatoms...

Side note, the completely disappears at night, takes a few hours to start showing up after the lights go on

Questions..
Does this video suggest this is diatoms or dinoflagellates?

Is it normal for there to be a diatom bloom after ChemiClean is run and the cyano dies?

Thanks to all!!
 

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Can't say for sure. I don't like guessing anymore from a visual.

It looks like what I have, which was confirmed by a microscope. Dinoflagellates.

Now, the best way to ID it is to put it under a microscope and see. Diatoms and certain dinoflagellates looks similar to the necked eye. Diatoms typically don't disappear when lights go off, certain dinoflagellates will as they release from the sand bed with lights off and swim in the water column.
 
Can't say for sure. I don't like guessing anymore from a visual.

It looks like what I have, which was confirmed by a microscope. Dinoflagellates.

Now, the best way to ID it is to put it under a microscope and see. Diatoms and certain dinoflagellates looks similar to the necked eye. Diatoms typically don't disappear when lights go off, certain dinoflagellates will as they release from the sand bed with lights off and swim in the water column.
Thank you for taking the time to respond and give me your thoughts, much appreciated! I will have to get a microscope it seems, likely a good investment at this point
 
@Flippers4pups one last quick question.. I have a lot of brown powdery algae on my glass this morning. I know that this is common with diatoms, but do you have any idea if there's instances where dinos would have a similar symptom?
 
@Flippers4pups one last quick question.. I have a lot of brown powdery algae on my glass this morning. I know that this is common with diatoms, but do you have any idea if there's instances where dinos would have a similar symptom?

Could be one or the other.
 

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