Algae

[Lifeoffroad]

Is this algae bad? It looks harmfull

 

[Lifeoffroad]

Sorry picture failed the first time

 

[Wroberson]

It looks like a thread or hair algae of some type. The danger involve is in cutting off the waterway and water flow should it bloom out of control. It is caused by silicates, phosphates and strong current. Thread algae is s generic term but it does look green. I've never had anything like that in my tanks. The link I was going to provide is bad for some reason.

I can only say remove as much as you can by hand. Removed and clean all hard surfaces like wood rocks decorations including tubing under water filters. I've never had luck cleaning plants.

You can see pictures of algae at yahoo images to help ID it.

Good luck hope it helps.

 

[Wroberson]

I got that link for you.

Algae Research / Department of Botany, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution

The silicate form of hair algae tends to be brown so that's a good thing. Phosphates are part of the food chain in plant life and we as people wouldn't be here without it. As for the current, not much information was found. I'm not sure if it means oxygen, electric.

I would also start keeping a list of stuff that you might put in your tank. Concentration amounts and the date. It might help to locate the source. I do use light trace minerals for the plants. The concentrations elements in plant foods are listed on the bottles.

 

[Rivercats]

Here's a link with pic's that might help: James' Planted Tank - Algae Guide

 

[Lifeoffroad]

I got that link for you.

Algae Research / Department of Botany, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution

The silicate form of hair algae tends to be brown so that's a good thing. Phosphates are part of the food chain in plant life and we as people wouldn't be here without it. As for the current, not much information was found. I'm not sure if it means oxygen, electric.

I would also start keeping a list of stuff that you might put in your tank. Concentration amounts and the date. It might help to locate the source. I do use light trace minerals for the plants. The concentrations elements in plant foods are listed on the bottles.

Great thank you. Its not out of control i just wanted to know if it was vad for the fish since i have never seen black algae. I maintain the tank pretty well so it never really gets out of control.

Thanks again this is good stuff.

 

[Lifeoffroad]

Here's a link with pic's that might help: James' Planted Tank - Algae Guide

This is great stuff. I like the pictures. Helps me identify what i have.

 

[Wroberson]

I was also just reading about barley straw to control algae growth. It looks good.

From: SKAPA

When barley straw is put into water, it starts to rot and during this process a chemical is released which inhibits the growth of algae. Rotting is a microbial process and is temperature dependent, being faster in summer than in winter. As a rough guide, it may take 6-8 weeks for straw to become active when water temperatures are below 10oC but only 1-2 weeks when the water is above 20oC. During this period, algal growth will continue unchecked. Once the straw has started to release the chemical it will remain active until it has almost completely decomposed. The duration of this period varies with the temperature and the form in which the straw is applied and this will be discussed in more detail later; However, as a generalization, straw is likely to remain active for approximately six months, after which its activity gradually decreases.

Algae Control in Garden Ponds

 

[Rivercats]

You know we tried using the barley straw and pellet in the smaller 400+ gallon pond a couple summers and for some reason it just didn't seem to make a difference.

 

[Lifeoffroad]

You know we tried using the barley straw and pellet in the smaller 400+ gallon pond a couple summers and for some reason it just didn't seem to make a difference.

Isnt a uw sterilizer the most effective way to keep algae under control....especially for ponds.

 

[Rivercats]

Long ago we used UVS on the smaller pond but I don't think it really made much of a difference. I did just recently put a UV on the 220g tank. Not for algae but for water clarity. Makes the water almost sparkle and it's supposedly improves water quality by raising redox potential.

 

[Lifeoffroad]

Long ago we used UVS on the smaller pond but I don't think it really made much of a difference. I did just recently put a UV on the 220g tank. Not for algae but for water clarity. Makes the water almost sparkle and it's supposedly improves water quality by raising redox potential.

Yeah, I want to buy one myself. Supposes to kill some harmful organisms as well. I read an article that talked about it having a negative effect on beneficial bacteria, however, I don't believe there was any scientific proof.

 

[aqua_chem]

UV light shouldn't raise the redox potential. It does pretty much the same thing that it does to humans when exposed to it: damages DNA of microbes in the water. The algae, heterotrophic bacteria, spores, and whatever else in the water dies when it passes by the UV bulb.

What does that mean for us?

Free floating microbes, such as euglena (the "algae" responsible for green water) and heteretrophs (cloudy water) are effective eradicated in short order. Algae species attached to something (BBA, GDA, GSA, etc) are less affected.

So UVS will help some algae, but not most.

BTW, looks like you've got BBA. Increasing CO2/decreasing light is standard operating procedure for planted tanks. In non-PT, I would recommend upping your WC schedule.

 

[Lifeoffroad]

UV light shouldn't raise the redox potential. It does pretty much the same thing that it does to humans when exposed to it: damages DNA of microbes in the water. The algae, heterotrophic bacteria, spores, and whatever else in the water dies when it passes by the UV bulb.

What does that mean for us?

Free floating microbes, such as euglena (the "algae" responsible for green water) and heteretrophs (cloudy water) are effective eradicated in short order. Algae species attached to something (BBA, GDA, GSA, etc) are less affected.

So UVS will help some algae, but not most.

BTW, looks like you've got BBA. Increasing CO2/decreasing light is standard operating procedure for planted tanks. In non-PT, I would recommend upping your WC schedule.

Who are you directing this to? And what are the abreviations for BBA

 

[aqua_chem]

Part of it was explaining why UVS wasn't a great idea. The latter part was directed at the OP. BBA stands for Black Beard(or brush) Algae

 

[Lifeoffroad]

Part of it was explaining why UVS wasn't a great idea. The latter part was directed at the OP. BBA stands for Black Beard(or brush) Algae

Aaaaa, got it. Thanks.