What type of algae is this?

[AJ_117]

So this is an established tank, but I've recently changed the filter (from another established tank) and am going to change the gravel (basically redoing the entire tank). This stuff is growing on my filter and is all stringy and everywhere.

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[libertybelle]

honestly that looks almost like a fungus. or some kind of hair algae? can't really tell. What's your lighting situation

 

[AJ_117]

Finnex planted+, but this stuff has been present before the new lights (old lights were stock topfin 10g kit leds)

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[libertybelle]

hmm, well like I said I can't really tell from the picture but algae issues of this scale usually mean you have a pretty massive imbalance of light, carbon or nutrients. Ex too much light not enough carbon/ferts or something like that.

Changing the gravel/filter won't do much except risk a mini cycle in the long run unless you figure out what the imbalance is.

 

[AJ_117]

hmm, well like I said I can't really tell from the picture but algae issues of this scale usually mean you have a pretty massive imbalance of light, carbon or nutrients. Ex too much light not enough carbon/ferts or something like that.

Changing the gravel/filter won't do much except risk a mini cycle in the long run unless you figure out what the imbalance is.

I was planning to change the gravel anyways, not because of the algae, but because I'm completely redoing the tank. But if that's the case then there's DEFINITELY an imbalance, since I am not dosing co2 or ferts right now because there's nothing living in it.

Once I get the new substrate I will add plants and livestock (the new filter is from an established tank so I don't think it should have to cycle, but I'll look for a mini cycle though before adding anything).

But as far as the algae, do you think once I have plants using up the nutrients and livestock to add co2, it will go away or at least be subdued?

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[libertybelle]

assuming your lighting is not too strong/ on for too long, yes. (sorry I got confused and thought you had plants in there)

With nothing living in it right now there is probably organic material from past residents and light but nothing to use it up. Which is a recipe for algae.

I find algae is much easier to control in a planted tank because the plants compete with algae, but you do have to learn a bit about how to balance it.

 

[AJ_117]

I've limited it for about 6 hours a day, but I can shorten that if need be.

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[libertybelle]

well if there is nothing living in it right now you may want to just cut off the lights while you clean it up and change it how you like it. So you're not feeding the algae in the meantime

 

[AJ_117]

well if there is nothing living in it right now you may want to just cut off the lights while you clean it up and change it how you like it. So you're not feeding the algae in the meantime

Good idea. The BB doesn't need any light to stay alive?

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[libertybelle]

nope. But they do need food to stay alive. and that comes from fish producing ammonia. If there is nothing living in it right now your BB are starving and the filter won't still be cycled when you need it again. That may not matter much to you if you're bringing over another filter from another established tank though

 

[libertybelle]

this is all assuming that it is indeed some kind of algae and isn't a fungus from build up of organics in the substrate.

 

[AJ_117]

nope. But they do need food to stay alive. and that comes from fish producing ammonia. If there is nothing living in it right now your BB are starving and the filter won't still be cycled when you need it again. That may not matter much to you if you're bringing over another filter from another established tank though

That changes a lot then.... would some decaying food do the trick or does it have to come from fish waste?

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[libertybelle]

It can absolutely come from fish food, but with all that algae (or whatever) I would wonder how much organics are already in that substrate. Honestly if it were me and I was already planning on redoing the tank... I would go ahead and pull it all out and get it all cleaned up while there are no residents.

If you're bringing over another filter from another tank you could even just bleach the thing and start fresh because the BB will be supplied from the filter you are bringing over. Is the filter you are planning on moving over running on a tank with current residents?

 

[AJ_117]

The filter has already been moved over, it was in my 29g for several months (I bought a larger filter for the larger tank and ran it simultaneously with the smaller one until it had enough BB grown in it)

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[libertybelle]

Maybe we need to take a step back here. So a filter is only 'cycled' insofar as if has enough beneficial bacteria on it to digest the ammonia being produced by the biological load it's given. But just like any other living organism, bacteria need food (in this case ammonia) to survive. So a filter running on an empty tank is not cycling. Its bacteria are dying off just like fish would if you left it indefinitely without food.

So as long as this filter is running on an empty tank, it probably has some beneficial bacteria on it but they have died off to a population that will support the food they have right now. When you add fish to the tank the tank will experience a mini cycle until the bacteria grow enough to consume the new level of food (ammonia) in the tank.

 

[AJ_117]

Maybe we need to take a step back here. So a filter is only 'cycled' insofar as if has enough beneficial bacteria on it to digest the ammonia being produced by the biological load it's given. But just like any other living organism, bacteria need food (in this case ammonia) to survive. So a filter running on an empty tank is not cycling. It's bacteria are dying off just like fish would if you left it indefinitely without food.

So as long as this filter is running on an empty tank, it probably has some beneficial bacteria on it but they have died off to a population that will support the food they have right now. When you add fish to the tank the tank will experience a mini cycle until the bacteria grow enough to consume the new level of food (ammonia) in the tank.

Thank you for clarifying that, because once I set up the substrate I was gonna order some fish online and that would not be good at all if they died to a mini cycle. I added some fish food to the tank just now so hopefully that should add some ammonia to the mix for the BB

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