Phytoplankton id

Johnny bass07 · Apr 22, 2022

Can anyone id this phytoplankton? It was sold to ne as tetraselmis but is doesn't move and doesn't look anything like it.

taricha · Apr 23, 2022

That looks to me like maybe a cyanobacteria, the way it is attached in short segments like that.

J1a · Apr 23, 2022

It look like some colonial diatom to me. They tend to link up in a chain-like shape.

Can't see clearly to ID, It could be Thalassiosira sp.

@taricha, perhaps a bit too "bumpy" for cyano?

BanjoBandito · Apr 23, 2022

Johnny bass07 said:
Can anyone id this phytoplankton? It was sold to ne as tetraselmis but is doesn't move and doesn't look anything like it.

Where did you buy this that they told you it was tetra?

taricha · Apr 23, 2022

J1a said:
It look like some colonial diatom to me. They tend to link up in a chain-like shape.

@taricha, perhaps a bit too "bumpy" for cyano?

Could be diatom strings too.

I was thinking something like this,

Redirect Notice

a few of the cells in strings in the OP picture might be differentiated.

(Not near enough detail in the pics to be confident)

Johnny bass07 · Apr 23, 2022

BanjoBandito said:
Where did you buy this that they told you it was tetra?

I'd rather not bash anyone but yes was sold as tetra

BanjoBandito · Apr 24, 2022

Johnny bass07 said:
I'd rather not bash anyone but yes was sold as tetra

What I should have asked is why are you specifically searching out tetra and is this someone without names that you trusted?

Johnny bass07 · Apr 24, 2022

BanjoBandito said:
What I should have asked is why are you specifically searching out tetra and is this someone without names that you trusted?

Tetra was suppose to be a forgiving culture to start. It's a small home business that I seen used on line before. They might just had a contamination. I showed them I they seemed concerned also. I also bought some before him that came from mercer of montana and it arrived dead. It's been 2 weeks and after several voice-mails they have yet to respond.

Microcosm Reefer · Apr 24, 2022

looks similar to my Thalassiosira sp culture... kinda has a T-Iso color but gets a thick head on it like beer from the diatoms collecting at the top.

Johnny bass07 · Apr 24, 2022

Microcosm Reefer said:
looks similar to my Thalassiosira sp culture... kinda has a T-Iso color but gets a thick head on it like beer from the diatoms collecting at the top.

He said he didn't dose silicate.