algae?

[haleybeth30]

Hi doing wc after bb =) what is this in my tank? looks like 2 different kinds, a dark thread like kind and brownish yellow kind on plants and divider. Do I just sponge it iff w tap water and put it back in? thanks!

 

[Fishfur]

Brownish stuff is likely diatoms.. soft, not too hard to remove. Relished by Nerite snails, who eat it as fast as they can.

Hair or thread like stuff is a pain, as few critters will eat it. Try reducing the length of time the lights are on, or turn them off for a few days to starve it. It can be because of too much phosphate in water, or just high nutrient levels in general.

If there is not too much of it, you can try pulling off as much as you can and then turn out the lights for a few days.

Algae is often self limiting, more plants will compete with it for food, so that may help.

 

[haleybeth30]

thanks, very helpful. =)

 

[Rivercats]

What you have on pictures 3 and 4 is cyanobacteria. It's not algae even tho many call it blue-green algae. You need to treat your tank for 5 days with Erythromycin. Erythromycin won't affect the beneficial bacteria in your tank but you can get a slight ammonia spike as the bacteria begins to die. Be sure to treat your tank the full 5 days. Many people use Maracyn but any Erythromycin for fish will work.

Diatoms are self limiting and will go away on their own as soon as they use the excess silicates in the tank water. Limiting lighting to 6 hours daily will slow the amount that grows. If you have a fish only (no plants) tank you can use a phosphate remover such as PhosGuard since phosphate removers also remove silicates in the water.

 

[haleybeth30]

thanks for your input, pictures 3 and 4 are of different looking stuff.. nothing is blue/green looking.. pic 3 is greyish hair like stuff, pic 4 is brownish yellow and both growing on fake plants. However there are real plants in the tank. I tried searching images of cyanobacteria but didn't come up with anything yet

 

[Rivercats]

The hairy stuff looks like a type of fuzz algae. On the others I must be seeing the different color mixed on the fake plants. Here's a good link on different algae... James' Planted Tank - Algae Guide.

Also how long do you run your lights daily? When algae is an issue lowering photoperiod to 6 hours daily will really help. What is your nitrate level?

 

[haleybeth30]

about 10 hrs. a day, I will shorten the time to 6 after leaving them off a few days. nitrate is between 5 and 10 closer to 5, I think. I change 1x a week, 50% and is due a wc now, going to wc later today. Thanks for your help

 

[haleybeth30]

looks like black brush and algae and is growing in a spot of high circulation. Looks like I need CO2 /more circulation around my plants. Says usually caused by co2 fluctuation. Will that harm my fish? thanks for the link

 

[haleybeth30]

here's the set up. I don't add anything to water right now ecxept prime

 

[Thumper828]

I like your tank! It looks....natural. Sorry about your unwanted growth.

 

[haleybeth30]

I like your tank! It looks....natural. Sorry about your unwanted growth.

thanks! =) can't wait until my oscar gets a little bigger, then I can lose the divider, it's not so pretty

 

[Rivercats]

BBA likes light, especially long photoperiods of it. That is one of the biggest reasons for it. Any time a tank gets algae it's due to an imbalance between lights/CO2-liquid carbon/ferts. Once you get those dialed algae just can't get a foot hold.