If not an algae, what is it?

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beto

Aquarium Advice Newbie
Joined
Mar 12, 2004
Messages
4
Location
Garden Grove, CA
I have begun to have a problem with this new type of growth in my tank. It is a bright colored green but doesn't look like any algae I have ever seen. It is very annoying. It grows like crazy. It just turns everything green. I clean the tank and do a water change and after a week or so it is back. What could it be. I am in the process of getting a digital camera to take a picture of this to post. Does anyone have any ideas what this could be?
 
Its important to figure out what type of algae you have. Blue green algae is actually cynobacteria, and not a true algae. See if this article helps: http://www.plantgeek.net/article_viewer.php?id=9

Btw, QT, I decided the weirdo algae in the 25g isn't cynobacteria. Know how I know? I have a virulent case of it in the 15g now LOL so it gives me something to compare to LOL
 
Does the tank or the algae smell awful? Does the algae appear slimy or to grow in sheets? These are hallmarks of bluegreen algae or cyanobacteria. Getting rid of this is a pain.

If its bright green and slightly fuzzy, then it' could be fuzz algae or hair algae. I have it covering one of my rocks and if it stays there, I'm alright with it. This type of algae is eaten by otocinclus catfish and some snails.
 
Wow, Alli, so now you have the same weird algae in two tanks.... :?
Do you suppose it came in on a plant?

You gotta admit, the color is nice - too bad it won't stay put in one corner.
 
LOL Not the same; whatever is in the 25g is very different from the obvious BGA in the 15g. And funny enough, the weird algae in the 25g IS just in that corner...hasn't spread any further (yet LOL).

Thats why trying to determine what sort of algae you have is important beto. Some can be dealt with easily, others are more problematic.
 
Cyanobacteria is tricky to get rid of, but the most definitive way is to treat with antibiotics, since it is a bacteria.

I have a case of this in my ARLC, but though it looks exactly like cyanobacteria (deep, dark bluish green with a velvety look to it, growing in sheets) the mollies were very interested in it, when they were in there, and were constantly picking at it, so I don't know. Cyanobacteria is not something that is eaten by fish or inverts, as it is toxic.
 
I had a small amount of it growing in my 29Gallon a while ago. Vacuumed it out once or twice (it actually grew on top of the staghorn algae that was on a plant and not on the plant itself). It grew back...I had a fungus on a fish as well at the same time so I decided to hit the whole tank with maracyn and maroxy. Cyano hasn't been back since but my nitrite eating bacteria took a hit (ammonia was fine).
 
my nitrite eating bacteria took a hit (ammonia was fine).
That is what I am afraid of, and is holding me back from treating it. It seems light enough to vacuum up, except that it sticks to the grains of sand substrate, and that makes it too haevy to go up through the syphon tube.
 
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