weird algae

[QTOFFER]

My 29 gal, and ONLY my 29 gal, has been plagued with a weird algae.
I've been battling it for several months now. I think it came in on a piece of store-bought driftwood.

It grows in a thick sheet that covers everything - back glass, filter intake/output, substrate, driftwood, rocks, and plants. I've since removed the driftwood and rocks.

Before you all say bluegreen algae, consider this:

It's dark purplish brown,
It doesn't smell at all,
It has a smooth rubbery velvety feel to it
It rubs off (in sheets) from plants and surfaces
There are no bubbles and it only grows only on flat smoooth surfaces
It doesn't grow fast - takes two weeks to recover cleaned surfaces
Five day blackouts have no effect on it except to slow its growth
It's not diatoms - at least not like any I've seen

I've had a big die-off in this tank in the last few months (5 tiger barbs, 4 rasboras, and 4 cory cats have mysteriously went missing). Not sure if this is related to the algae.

This week, I rinsed the filter media thoroughly in tank water (from an unaffected tank) and did three 100% water changes with thorough gravel vacs. I rubbed off as much as I could from the plants and severely pruned them.

I would rather not tear down the tank and nuke it with bleach, but that's my next course of action if this crap returns. Any insights or ideas?

Tank info: 29 gal with very light bioload (3 tiger barbs, 2 brilliant rasboras, 2 cory cats)
Water parameters (0 NH3, 0 NO2, 15ppm NO3, pH 6.7) My water is extremely soft.
I have 1.2 WPG NO fluorescent lighting running 8 hours/day. Plants include Amazon swords and a couple of Java fern species. I don't fertilize this tank at all. 50% water changes are done every two weeks.

 

[Mudfrog]

No idea but I'd like to see pics..

 

[joannde]

Yikes QTO .... sounds like a hugh battle you've been waging. I'd post pics here and in the planted tanks forum - I think they've seen every sort of algae imaginable there.
Tank teardowns are ... well - NOT FUN - and in a 29G would be nearly nightmarish, I hope someone can shed some light so it doesn't come to that

 

[BrianNY]

There are so many types of algae Andy. Does it come off easily in sheets?

Algae proliferation is caused by something being out of balance. Perhaps excess iron in the water column. Perhaps not enough trace elements. Perhaps a low CO2 level. If this is a type of BBA, the CO2 might be the problem. I would experiment with a DIY CO2 system before I broke the tank down. Just a thought.

 

[Jchillin]

I found This page for you, since I love a mystery as well. It may produce an answer for you. If it doesn't, you should cut off a sheet and have it analysed...who knows, you may have been cultivating another life-form without knowing it.