Thread / String Algae

[SeanMurphy]

This is probably going to sound weird to folks who battle algae all the time, but I was wondering if there were any way to encourage stringy/thready algae to grow on my driftwood. I find that the driftwood looks like someone just stuck a clean piece of driftwood under water (which I did) instead of something that's part of a natural environment. I suspect that eventually the wood will build up the light slime coat of bacteria that everything else in the tank has, but I would almost like a bit of a stringy green growth on various items in the tank.

I've got over 2WPG lighting and no CO2, though I do keep a bubblewand running most of the day because the fish like playing in it and I figure it keeps the CO2 near atmospheric levels, keeping a total dropout from happening.

I've never seen so much as a speck of green algae on anything in my tank, though I did get the red-brownish diatom sludge on some surfaces when I first set it up about two years ago. Since that's gone away, I assume either the common pleco keeps it clean or I simply don't have very much algae growth.

Any suggestions on improving the look of the wood? The LFS has no plants that have the look I'm hoping for, but if I had a plant name, they might be able to order it for me.


EDIT:Looking around, Java moss might be what I'm looking for. I'll check the stores again, next time I'm out. Anyone have any tips on growing java moss on driftwood?

 

[Billsgate]

Java moss is a good option, you can tie it to the driftwood with a piece of fishing line (just take a bunch and tie it down, if you see the line in the beginning don't worry, it will grow over it). You can also use Anubias Nana Petite if you want something to grow on your driftwood. I cram a piece of the rhizome into small crevices in the wood, and also had succes stapling the rhizome to the wood.

HTH

 

[SeanMurphy]

What about those marimo ball things? (russian moss ball). Can you pull those apart and stick bits on things and have it regrow, or would that destroy it?

 

[Purrbox]

I vote for going with mosses, anubias, and/or java ferns. Less chance of encouraging algae to grow in places you don't want it at the same time.