Dinoflagellate Type?

[Alyssalaurente]

Hello reef friends and experts!

I was wondering if anyone could help me identify this type of dinoflagellate. On the sand bed, it looks more like diatoms. No appearance of stringy/snotty bubbles, just brown patches that appear during the day and vanish at night. Under the microscope they are not spinning.

Parameters:
Cal: 420
Alk 8.5-9
Phos: now bumped up to 0.04 ppm from 0.00 ppm
Nitrate: 5-10 ppm from undetectable
Test kit used: Hanna Checkers for Cal, Alk, Phos and API for nitrate

 

[P-Dub]

Great microscope shot! Looks actually like Diatoms to me.

 

[Alyssalaurente]

Oh really? I thought diatoms have some spear structures extending from them? And that's so strange if they are diatoms because I noticed them pop up when my nitrates and phosphates were undetectable. Aren't diatoms caused from higher nutrient levels??

 

[P-Dub]

Oh really? I thought diatoms have some spear structures extending from them? And that's so strange if they are diatoms because I noticed them pop up when my nitrates and phosphates were undetectable. Aren't diatoms caused from higher nutrient levels??

Pennate diatoms, actually. The primary source of nutrition is silicates and light.
Good reading here. https://www.differencebetween.com/difference-between-diatoms-and-dinoflagellates/

 

[Alyssalaurente]

Pennate diatoms, actually. The primary source of nutrition is silicates and light.
Good reading here. https://www.differencebetween.com/difference-between-diatoms-and-dinoflagellates/

Ah interesting. That does look closer to what I'm looking at in the microscope. I'll try to siphon it out through filter sock first and see if that helps at all. But do diatoms have the characteristic of disappearing at night? I've been reading that dinos are the ones to do that. I just want to try my best to know exactly what it is so I can treat it without any casualties in my tank haha. Thank you for your help by the way! I appreciate it.

 

[P-Dub]

Ah interesting. That does look closer to what I'm looking at in the microscope. I'll try to siphon it out through filter sock first and see if that helps at all. But do diatoms have the characteristic of disappearing at night? I've been reading that dinos are the ones to do that. I just want to try my best to know exactly what it is so I can treat it without any casualties in my tank haha. Thank you for your help by the way! I appreciate it.

Treat em the same. They are both "Phytoplankton". They are both photosynthetic as well, so....