reefman
Aquarium Advice Regular
Hi, I just notice that in my tank I have a reef decor and it has like some mold and also in the back of my tank. Any Ideas why is that? I just cleaned with the magnet thing. NEED SOME HELP PLEASE!!
Something Weird In My Tank
- Thread starter reefman
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pirateshake
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
I just looked at your pictures you have. Looks like normal green algae to me. Do you have any type of algae eater in the tank? How long are your lights on for, and is there light from a window hitting the tank? Also how long ago did you cycle the tank? All of these could help figure out whats wrong : ) Can you provide pics ??
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reefman
Aquarium Advice Regular
I have a little light comming from the windows and also the light I turn it on in the morning and turn it off at night, my tank been set up for a month all ready.
What color is the "mold"? White? Green? Brown? If we know what color it is we might be able to point you in the right direction on cleaning it up and preventing it from coming back.
If it is a brownish algae most likely it is diatoms. It is fairly common in newly setup tanks and it will go away with time. It should clean off easily with a new, never-used toothbrush.
If it is a brownish algae most likely it is diatoms. It is fairly common in newly setup tanks and it will go away with time. It should clean off easily with a new, never-used toothbrush.
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reefman
Aquarium Advice Regular
The Mold is Brown. I just clean it off with the magnet the one in the back glass, but the one in the reef decor still there.
If it is brown, it is almost certainly diatoms (which are commonly, though incorrectly, called "brown algae"). They are perfectly normal, especially in a new tank setup, and are harmless though they can be unsightly.
You can clean them off manually, or the other option is to pick up a few otos (otocinclus catfish). They love eating the stuff, are perfectly peaceful, and grow to only a little over 1" long so they add very little to the bioload. One oto per 10 gal or so of tank you have should be enough to keep the diatoms in check, or 2-3 otos per 10 gal would probably eliminate the problem entirely.
Note that otos aren't the hardiest of fish in the world, and often pet store ones aren't in the greatest shape. That means you can often experience more deaths with otos than with a lot of other common fish from a pet store. If you are buying otos, look for ones who are stuck on to the glass or to leaves/driftwood (not sitting on the substrate), and whose tummys have a healthy roundness to them. Otos sitting on the substrate is a bad sign, they are often sick, and an oto with a sunken stomach usually means it is either sick or else nearly starved to death and probably in a weakened state.
Note that virtually all of the other "algae-eating" fish out there avoid eating diatoms entirely. Otos are the only species I have encountered that like eating the stuff.
You can clean them off manually, or the other option is to pick up a few otos (otocinclus catfish). They love eating the stuff, are perfectly peaceful, and grow to only a little over 1" long so they add very little to the bioload. One oto per 10 gal or so of tank you have should be enough to keep the diatoms in check, or 2-3 otos per 10 gal would probably eliminate the problem entirely.
Note that otos aren't the hardiest of fish in the world, and often pet store ones aren't in the greatest shape. That means you can often experience more deaths with otos than with a lot of other common fish from a pet store. If you are buying otos, look for ones who are stuck on to the glass or to leaves/driftwood (not sitting on the substrate), and whose tummys have a healthy roundness to them. Otos sitting on the substrate is a bad sign, they are often sick, and an oto with a sunken stomach usually means it is either sick or else nearly starved to death and probably in a weakened state.
Note that virtually all of the other "algae-eating" fish out there avoid eating diatoms entirely. Otos are the only species I have encountered that like eating the stuff.
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reefman
Aquarium Advice Regular
Thanks guys for your advise, I was about to freak out. But now Im cool.
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