Dinos or diatoms? What’s the difference?

[Pete Hammersley]

Hi,
I’ve had persistent nuisance growth over my rock, a new (4 months) tank so to be expected. I initially thought it was algae, then learnt more about rooted hair algae, But most of the green has passed and stringy hairy messy brown growth has come in its place. Some patches, particularly on under hanging faces of the rock are white or transparent whisky strands. Through a lot of my research, the two culprits seem to be dinos (dinoflagilants) and diatoms. Are these things similar in appearance, or are they just confused because they sound similar? What are the differences? And are they treated for in the same way?

Look forward to hearing other people’s thoughts on this subject. Thanks.

 

[saltyhog]

Does your nuisance algae blow off easily with a turkey baster? Is there any on the bottom glass? What are your current parameters...especially PO4 and NO3?

There are a ton of differences in dinos and diatoms, though they sometimes appear similar. What I'm able to see on your rocks looks like neither. Dinos usually have air bubbles from the stringy stuff, especially late in the lighting cycle. Diatoms look like brown sugar coatings on your rock or sand if you had it.

To me this looks like a hair algae...either a different species from what you had earlier or the same but dead or dying. The white whispy strands on the underside of rock is likely bacterial and not related to what you see on the lighted surfaces of your rock. Let's see if other squad members can chime in.

#reefsquad

 

[Pete Hammersley]

Does your nuisance algae blow off easily with a turkey baster? Is there any on the bottom glass? What are your current parameters...especially PO4 and NO3?

There are a ton of differences in dinos and diatoms, though they sometimes appear similar. What I'm able to see on your rocks looks like neither. Dinos usually have air bubbles from the stringy stuff, especially late in the lighting cycle. Diatoms look like brown sugar coatings on your rock or sand if you had it.

To me this looks like a hair algae...either a different species from what you had earlier or the same but dead or dying. The white whispy strands on the underside of rock is likely bacterial and not related to what you see on the lighted surfaces of your rock. Let's see if other squad members can chime in.

#reefsquad

hi, thanks for the reply. Yes it does blow off pretty easy with a blaster, not all but a good amount of it. Nothing has attached to the bare bottom, just a slight green algae covering, no hair or stringing though.
I do go over my rock with a pan scrubber (giant toothbrush) a couple of times a week to get the worst off, hoping my filter sock can capture a good amount of it before it settlesand reattached somewhere else.
I had a really bad case of what I think was a bacterial infection in the fish at about 10 weeks into my tank. It wiped out 9 fish in 2 weeks. For this reason I’ve been medicating daily with Melafix and peroxide salts, so not been able to skim or water change for 20 days. Last test phosphate was 0.03, nitrate 3 ish. Probably gone up since because the skimmer has been offline.

 

[Pete Hammersley]

Does your nuisance algae blow off easily with a turkey baster? Is there any on the bottom glass? What are your current parameters...especially PO4 and NO3?

There are a ton of differences in dinos and diatoms, though they sometimes appear similar. What I'm able to see on your rocks looks like neither. Dinos usually have air bubbles from the stringy stuff, especially late in the lighting cycle. Diatoms look like brown sugar coatings on your rock or sand if you had it.

To me this looks like a hair algae...either a different species from what you had earlier or the same but dead or dying. The white whispy strands on the underside of rock is likely bacterial and not related to what you see on the lighted surfaces of your rock. Let's see if other squad members can chime in.

#reefsquad

hi, thanks for the reply. Yes it does blow off pretty easy with a blaster, not all but a good amount of it. Nothing has attached to the bare bottom, just a slight green algae covering, no hair or stringing though.
I do go over my rock with a pan scrubber (giant toothbrush) a couple of times a week to get the worst off, hoping my filter sock can capture a good amount of it before it settlesand reattached somewhere else.
I had a really bad case of what I think was a bacterial infection in the fish at about 10 weeks into my tank. It wiped out 9 fish in 2 weeks. For this reason I’ve been medicating daily with Melafix and peroxide salts, so not been able to skim or water change for 20 days. Last test phosphate was 0.03, nitrate 3 ish. Probably gone up since because the skimmer has been offline.

 

[saltyhog]

That does raise the possibility of dinos a little. The best way to be sure is to get a sample under the microscope. If you have access to one that would be the ideal thing to do.

If you want to get one, they aren't expensive. This is the one I have.
But this one would be adequate to tell as well.

 

[Idoc]

That does raise the possibility of dinos a little. The best way to be sure is to get a sample under the microscope. If you have access to one that would be the ideal thing to do.

If you want to get one, they aren't expensive. This is the one I have.
But this one would be adequate to tell as well.

I have the Amscope M150C and it is very good with excellent, clear views!

I don't recommend that second kit option....I initially purchased that one and returned it. The views were horrible and "smeared" due to the poor optics.

 

[saltyhog]

I have the Amscope M150C and it is very good with excellent, clear views!

I don't recommend that second kit option....I initially purchased that one and returned it. The views were horrible and "smeared" due to the poor optics.

Thanks for the review @Idoc, that's what I love about this community...so many avid reefers and willing to share their experiences.

Here's some pictures with the scope Idoc is talking about.
A sample of biofilm on the glass during an ostreopsis (dino) out break. You can also see lots of diatoms, bacteria and algae

Cyanobacteria, amphidinium (dino) and a worm of some kind.