Can someone tell me what this is?

[FishN00b83]

This is spreading all over my tank and I have no idea what it is or how to get rid of it.

0 ammonia
0 nitrite
5 - 10 nitrate
3* kh
30 ppm co2
86* temp

lighting
2x39w for 5 hours
4x39w for 2 hours
I have 2x 6400k and 2x 10000k

I've been treating a little fin rot with melafix for the past 6 days and it seems to be working well, tomorrow is the last day. I have been feeding all the fish everyday, only what they can eat before anything sits on the substrate.

 

[Vircomore]

Is the driftwood new? Driftwood will grow this type of slime / fungus when it is still "adjusting" to being in your tank. You can scrape it off for awhile and it will eventually stop coming back eventually.

 

[Vircomore]

Also, are you doing some kind of heat treatment on the tank? Keeping a tank at 86*F is pretty extreme for normal conditions, and may be contributing to the mold/fungus.

 

[LyndaB]

I agree that 86 is too high, depending of course on which species you're keeping.

I had that on wood branches I found outside that I placed in my tank. I never got it on "real" driftwood. The fry and amano shrimp loved eating it but it did go away eventually.

 

[CleverBs]

Cut down your lighting no need for all 4 bulbs being on especially if your tank isn't heavily planted. If you Arnt using co2 your plants wont need that much light and even if you are that's to much light for to long.

 

[FishN00b83]

Is the driftwood new? Driftwood will grow this type of slime / fungus when it is still "adjusting" to being in your tank. You can scrape it off for awhile and it will eventually stop coming back eventually.

It's been in the tank from the beginning, so I would say about 2-2 1/2 months. It's spreading through to my java moss now.

Also, are you doing some kind of heat treatment on the tank? Keeping a tank at 86*F is pretty extreme for normal conditions, and may be contributing to the mold/fungus.

I have GBRs in the tank with neon tetras. The rams like to be in water from 84-86. I know I'm on the high end, but ever since I turned up the heater they have been really active and one pair is actually breeding.

Cut down your lighting no need for all 4 bulbs being on especially if your tank isn't heavily planted. If you Arnt using co2 your plants wont need that much light and even if you are that's to much light for to long.

My tank is pretty heavily planted. I have a pressurized Co2 system keeping around 30ppm. I just bought some flourish, phosphate, and phosphorus and I'm going to start dosing this coming weekend with the water changes.

 

[CleverBs]

you water temp is fine but will promote some gung more, however I think what would help you most is Cutting down the lights I think it will help the most, also what really really helps my tank is Oto's the things are algea eating fools, I have 8 in my 75 gallon tank with Serpae tetras, Blue Rams, Pearl Goumries, Cardinal Tetras.

 

[FishN00b83]

Now this stuff is all over the glass, java moss, the hair grass, and every where else. it looks like brown/red cotton.

I cut back my lighting to only 5 hours a day (with only all 4 bulbs on for one hour). What else can I do to make this stuff go away. It looks gross right now.

 

[FishN00b83]

My tank needs help!!!

 

[mfdrookie516]

It kind of looks like diatoms, not the typical brown, rusty looking kind.

 

[jetajockey]

What size tank is this again? I've only seen this kind of algae growth with an issue that is light related.

 

[FishN00b83]

What size tank is this again? I've only seen this kind of algae growth with an issue that is light related.

It's a 40b. I cut my lighting down to 4 hours a day 2 bulbs + 1 hour blast with all 4 bulbs. I'm also keeping what looks like 30ppm co2 according to the drop checker.

 

[mfdrookie516]

4x39w on a 40b is very very hard to keep under control. I've been there, done that. Somehow, I've found the middle ground, without co2 or ferts... but even back when I was injecting co2 and ferts, I had a major algae issue. Why the 'blast' of the 2 extra bulbs? 2x39w will grow anything you want... 4x just makes things harder IMO.

 

[FishN00b83]

4x39w on a 40b is very very hard to keep under control. I've been there, done that. Somehow, I've found the middle ground, without co2 or ferts... but even back when I was injecting co2 and ferts, I had a major algae issue. Why the 'blast' of the 2 extra bulbs? 2x39w will grow anything you want... 4x just makes things harder IMO.

The guy at the LFS sold me on it. I didn't think the 4 bulb blast for an hour would be such a huge deal. What do you think I should do?

 

[FishN00b83]

I've been reading a little bit online (probably not the best thing), but one website said that a blackout of a few days could kill most of the algae. Would this be a good thing to try, or is it a bad idea?

 

[jetajockey]

It won't hurt, I would start with a blackout and greatly reduce the light intensity, and then slowly work it back up till you start having issues again. Don't even think about the 4 bulb burst until you get things under control again.

For a comparison, my heavily planted 40b shrimp tank has a single bulb t5ho over it and the plants do fine, they don't grow super fast, but I don't have any algae problems whatsoever, or a great demand for ferts or co2.

40b's are really shallow so even a decent 2 bulb fixture can be hard to manage.

 

[FishN00b83]

It won't hurt, I would start with a blackout and greatly reduce the light intensity, and then slowly work it back up till you start having issues again. Don't even think about the 4 bulb burst until you get things under control again.

For a comparison, my heavily planted 40b shrimp tank has a single bulb t5ho over it and the plants do fine, they don't grow super fast, but I don't have any algae problems whatsoever, or a great demand for ferts or co2.

40b's are really shallow so even a decent 2 bulb fixture can be hard to manage.

Sounds like a plan to me. Ill blackout starting tomorrow till Sunday, then start with 2 bulbs 2 hours a day for a week. Then I guess every week bump it up an hour until the algae starts to show again? Then I'll know how much my tank can handle if I'm following you.

Should I still run the Co2 everyday and dose the ferts after water changes?

 

[FishN00b83]

well the blackout worked for the most part. I still have some left, but its a lot better then before. I now have 2x39 for 2 hours a day, so hopefully it stays under control. I'm going to dose the ferts tomorrow and leave it for the rest of the week.

I read in a few places that after a blackout you should clean your canister filter. Is this something I should do, or its not a big deal?

 

[jetajockey]

I think they recommend it because as the algae dies off it gets caught in the filter, so it's not a bad idea.