What algae is this? Sword plant

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RackinRocky

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High Desert, S. California
I can't seem to rub this stuff off. Is it diatoms? Another type of algae? It isn't hairy, so I know it's not brush algae. I've got it on my java ferns too, although it doesn't show up in pics. How to get rid of this? It looks terrible.

001.jpg
 
Probably diatoms, often called brown algae, though they aren't actually algae. I never had that much trouble removing them but I only removed them from filter tubing.. the rest I let snails handle.

A snail would do a nice job on them, especially a Nerite. They seem to really love diatoms.. and you can always sell or trade the snail later if you don't want one permanently.

If you are patient they will go away eventually as their nutrients are used up. They need silicates, phosphates and low light to thrive. Silicates do get used up with time.. and if you can, up the lighting a bit, it may help.
 
If it's a new amazon they do die back and new growth starts, you may be better nipping that leaf off at the bottom, to start new growth or you could spot check it with excel it's amazing stuff
 
+1on the diatoms and from the strange pattern on the leaf it looks like someone's already working at it.

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Okay, thank you. I've had it before, and as Fishfur said, it went away, but now, six months later, it's back. The sword isn't new--it's been in the tank about eight months now. Will my angelfish hurt a nerite, if I get one? I have rainbowfish too, but those are the only ones that are big enough, I think, to hurt a nerite. How many netrites should I get? Just one? It's a 55 gal. tank. And I do have low light, Fishfur, so I'm sure that's not helping.
 
Nerites don't have long antennae, so they're usually not bothered by most fish, unless they are a species known to like eating snails. Angels and rainbows are not snail eaters.

For a tank that big I'd get a few at least. They're not very large, but they do work pretty much non stop munching away. Zebras or Tire Tracks or Olives would do nicely. If you get females, they do lay eggs, but the eggs are not able to hatch in fresh water. Not too hard to remove from most surfaces with a scraper.. but not everyone is pleased with the appearance of the eggs on wood pieces. Old eggs do fade away over some time, but then new ones take their place.

I've never minded how they appear, but some certainly don't care for them. In that case, I'd get a Mystery snail. They do have long antennae but will probably be ok anyway. I've had them with Angel fish and they were not harmed. They'll eat diatoms too, but they lay eggs above water, which makes it very easy to control whether you get babies or not. If not, remove the clutch and crush, burn or drown it before disposal in the trash.

Both species have sexes so eggs aren't a for sure thing, but telling sexes apart is difficult, to impossible, from the exterior.
 
Probably diatoms, often called brown algae, though they aren't actually algae. I never had that much trouble removing them but I only removed them from filter tubing.. the rest I let snails handle.

A snail would do a nice job on them, especially a Nerite. They seem to really love diatoms.. and you can always sell or trade the snail later if you don't want one permanently.

If you are patient they will go away eventually as their nutrients are used up. They need silicates, phosphates and low light to thrive. Silicates do get used up with time.. and if you can, up the lighting a bit, it may help.
Not sure where you heard diatoms aren't algae.. but they definitely are.

http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/~louisab/sedpage/bio.html

Do you add root tabs under that sword?
 
I'm beginning to really hate spellcheck.. not only does it change some words, it sometimes seems to skip them altogether when I'm typing faster than usual.

I didn't catch that I'd missed some words until you pointed out my error.. I meant to say that they aren't like GREEN algaes.

Yes, of course, they are a form of algae.. sorry 'bout the mistake.
 
Yes, Mebbid, there is one Seachem Flourish tab under the sword. It needs to be replaced probably--its been nearly 4 months. But I do have more. Can I get both a mystery snail and a few nerites?
 
Yes, Mebbid, there is one Seachem Flourish tab under the sword. It needs to be replaced probably--its been nearly 4 months. But I do have more. Can I get both a mystery snail and a few nerites?
Those seachem tabs are pretty crappy. But yes it needs to be replaced monthly.

It wouldnt hurt to add a few more snails.
 
I found that the diatoms that were "brand new" and only just appearing were harder to remove then the slightly older stuff. Keep at it, it will come off ?


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