Microscope for Dinos

[tribbitt]

I recommend blackout or raising temperature for a few weeks before any chemical cures or expensive equipment

For me, raising temperature has resolved 3/3 dinoflagellate blooms I've had occur in my tank - I didn't even get to ID them before they were gone

 

[Alexander1312]

I recommend blackout or raising temperature for a few weeks before any chemical cures or expensive equipment

For me, raising temperature has resolved 3/3 dinoflagellate blooms I've had occur in my tank - I didn't even get to ID them before they were gone

This is meant as a semi-joke, but the fact that you had 3 blooms in your tank is probably because you only did a blackout and did not ID them.

But, agree with not using chemical cures for that.

 

[tribbitt]

This is meant as a semi-joke, but the fact that you had 3 blooms in your tank is probably because you only did a blackout and did not ID them.

But, agree with not using chemical cures for that.

No, it's cause I made dumb mistakes 3 times in a row. I never ran blackout on my personal tank, but on other tanks

1st time I used so much peroxide to kill algae that the whole benthos was messed up, way back when
2nd time I scrubbed scrubbed scrubbed the filter too clean
3rd time I scrubbed the filter again, and then ran fluconazole for bryopsis.

Now when I clean the filter I only clean one component and I do it gently lol

 

[Alexander1312]

No, it's cause I made dumb mistakes 3 times in a row. I never ran blackout on my personal tank, but on other tanks

1st time I used so much peroxide to kill algae that the whole benthos was messed up, way back when
2nd time I scrubbed scrubbed scrubbed the filter too clean
3rd time I scrubbed the filter again, and then ran fluconazole for bryopsis.

Now when I clean the filter I only clean one component and I do it gently lol

I am being triggered, reading peroxide, fluconazole….oh boy. I guess I call it a day…..

But on dinos I cannot help to state that blackouts should not be the recommended method, even if they work for some (potentially more established) tanks. Younger tanks cannot recover so quickly after the blackout eliminated the main chunk of the dinos (also depending on which type) and need to built a stronger foundation first to avoid reoccurrence.

I strongly recommend to follow the advice of the one and only facebook group I know of (other than the car mechanics group …), which provide the best advice on how to fight dinos systematically (posted this many times here already).

 

[thephoreefer]

 

[thephoreefer]

Currently dealing with dinos in my tank. 3 days with uv then no uv when lights back on. dosing phyto and live bacteria, lower light intensity (blue) no white. After e days notice no dinos forming and see visible dead (gray mass) which I took out. ostreopsis dinos. Under microscope it spins in place and tear shaped

 

[Alexander1312]

View attachment 73925View attachment 73926

Honestly, I am not seeing much on this picture. I would not recommend this microscope tbh .

 

[thephoreefer]

Of course pic taken with phone going be trash lol, hard to picture it for documentation but works great for its intended purpose. Pic is 100x. With this can see the 3 common type of Dinos easily when use with eye not picture by phone. Works just like my $200+ microscope. Even with expensive microscope taking videos and pictures hard without buying a phone holder for microscope being costly. Can’t beat the price of $10 and the purpose of the scope.

 

[thephoreefer]

Ostreopsis confirmed, thanks for the microsoce @popper. It could be clearing up on it's own maybe? Was much worse a couple weeks ago. I'll up my phosphate dosing and see what happens.

Maybe get one of these cheap small UVs in case that doesn't work:

AA GKM3W Mini Internal UV,Black,AAUV3W-B

Amazon.com

hygger Aquarium U-V Light with Timer, 360° Protective Shield Clean Light for Green Water and Algae Clean, Mini Algae Control Lamp for Freshwater and Saltwater Tank (5W for 13-40 Gallon)

Amazon.com

Ostreopsis swimming:

New video · Friday, Sep 19, 2025 ð¬

Tap to view!

photos.app.goo.gl

View attachment 73260

This what I see with max zoom on my Amazon scope. Can see the opening with different dinos type like amphidinium and Ostreopsis. Ostreopsis spins while amphibian has opening and seem like it slides

 

[psidriven]

@thephoreefer anytips on getting taking pix with phone camera? I just got the tencco you used and it’s works great for the price but not to familiar taking pictures. Anyway to lock the specimen slide from moving when I adjust the focus?

 

[thephoreefer]

@thephoreefer anytips on getting taking pix with phone camera? I just got the tencco you used and it’s works great for the price but not to familiar taking pictures. Anyway to lock the specimen slide from moving when I adjust the focus?

Hold down microscope then Steady hand take picture or I would make a video and take screen shots because able to slow down.

 

[Alexander1312]

Taking pictures (or videos) with these standard microscopes drove me nuts when I had dinos and wanted to share how my sandbed looks like with others. I admire everyone’s patience doing this. I went with a (slightly) different setup from Bresser with their digital camera / MikroOkular HD camera and love the pictures (and videos) it produces (I am glad I do not need to do this right now).