How To Tell The Difference

[heinze]

I'm back again with the same old questions but a good reply to this might help me solve my problem..
So how can you tell the difference between cyanobacteria and dinoflagellates because i've been told by so many different people that i've got one thing and somthing else by the other. And the treatments for two seem completly different.

[Reefland]

Cyanobacteria is typically maroon in color and grows in a matting form.

[heinze]

is there anyway of being 100% certain of what i've got.....

[zhenya]

Lets begin by learning what dinoglagellates really are first.
Introduction to the Dinoflagellata
Dinoflagellates Through the SEM
Dinoflagellates

And now, since we learned about dinoflagellates, lets look at the Cyanobacteria.
Cyanobacteria
And a great site for anything cyanobacteria, including images and such. ;)
Cyanosite for Cyanobacteria, Blue-green Algae, and Prochlorophytes
Hopefully this will help you in identifying what exactly you have.
Cyanobacteria

In short, Cyanobacteria is part of any healthy, or unhealthy reef aquarium. It;s just is. Once in a while it will bloom and dominate the aquarium when conditions are "just right" for this. Those conditions could be excessive nutrients build up, perhaps seasonal blooms, or maybe both.