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What kind of algae is this?

2K views 10 replies 5 participants last post by  Brian041 
#1 ·
I've been trying to figure it out. It kinda looks like hair algae, but it only let out strands on my wisteria (which most of the lower leaves have died off from being choked out). Sorry about the poor quality my camera has been acting weird and all the pictures I seem to take get corrupted.
 
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#3 ·
Have you looked in the sticky at the top of this forum? There are several sites with really good pictures of algae to compare yours to.

There are more than one species of most of the algae that grow in our tanks, so the picture may not look exactly like yours. Many of those descriptions also include the conditions under which the algae grows best.
 
#4 ·
Thanks for the replies everyone. Looking through some of links, Rhizoclonium seems to be what it is. I just put a Top Fin 50 Powerhead about 2 days ago because I read without one nutrients sometimes don't get spread to all the plants. So hopefully this will help. I dose API's liquid Co2 so that seems to help somewhat. Any other suggestions on how to get rid of it?
 
#7 · (Edited)
Here is a link with pics and explanations according to "James". Maybe it will help.

http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/algae.htm

Ultra-Violet light. When using a canister filter you plumb them in the output hose and turn it on for an hour or so after water changes. The UV light radiates what is in the water and kills it before it grows.

As for snails, I have had several types in my tanks and have never had a problem with them eating my plants. I have had the common snail "ramshorn" i believe, MTS, Malaysian trumpet snail, which in small numbers are preferred by some hobbyists as they are supposedly good for stirring up the substrate for aeration. I actually bought a mystery snail at petsmart one dumb day. it's actually kinda nice to watch him creep around the tank. Very peaceful and tranquil as apposed to a zippy, busy looking tank like an African Cichlid tank. Don't get me wrong here. I love my africans too.

I had a redtail black shark in my planted tank every since time began but he was too much of an idiot so he resides in my African tank. once i took him out i had an out break of hair algae. which was more of a coincidence but still a factor. I got a new batch of plants that had some hair stowed away in it i didn't catch. I now have 4 oto's in there and things are looking good again. As for the SAE's i have no 1st hand experience with them. They have been reported as getting to big for my size tank and have a rep for being belligerent towards tank mates. So i have avoided them. no clue how much of that is true as they personally don't appeal to me anyway. Check into oto's. they only get about 1.5", are pretty easy going, affordable, readily available (in my area anyway) and school.

Good luck
 
#8 ·
Ottis aren't much for thread type algaes. The SAEs love the stuff. Yeah, they get a bit big for a 20 and they get big fast. I have 3 in a 30. As for belligerent... I don't know. I have them in with threadfin rainbows and glass catfish. You would think there would be an issue with the threads if they were bad. Only thing I have ever seen is a large chunk of my grandpa glass cat's tail missing. I have noted he no longer hangs out in the cave with the SAEs. I have my suspicions but no proof. They do an amazing job on the plants though. Maybe a little too good. I think they have stripped every leaf from my hydrocotle. The nerites that breed in salt water reportedly have a serious thing for algae, and don't eat plants (or breed in fresh water), hence the mention of them as an option.

UV makes a good adjunct, but a poor primary treatment for existing algae. It will help prevent it, and prevent the spread. It's good for green water, but by itself it won't get rid of this.
 
#9 · (Edited)
All of that algae is gone now. I'm back to green spot algae on the glass and plants as well as thick almost black algae covering my DHG and the edges of my wisteria. The green spot algae has completely choked out one of my really nice plants too. I've started using DIY CO2 and I've noticed the green spot receding a bit on some of my alternanthera reineckii though, so maybe it's starting to get better and just being slow about it?




 
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