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Help with algae ID on DWG & Rotala (pics)

2K views 5 replies 2 participants last post by  alkatraz 
#1 ·
I've checked http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/algae.htm and would love some 2nd opinions!



Here's the DWG:

algea1

It looks almost like a dust ball.. I have 3 amano shrimp but they just hide all day behind a rock. Maybe they are snacking on it at night but it doesn't clear up on its own. I use a toothbrush to rake it out.

I'm thinking its Rhizoclonium, Hair, Thread, Fuzz, or Staghorn?


Here's the rotala:


algea2

I think this is just brown diatoms. Covers the lower growth... my Otto's try to eat it but they are too big and I think they are bending the leaves at the tips.

Thanks!
 
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#4 ·
Update:

Algae 2 - Standard brown algae and it's pretty much gone. Not sure if it's just time (tank has now been up for 3 months) or if it's because I did a big clean and changed my dosing formula.

Algae 1 - Still undiagnosed. I did a massive trimming, down to 2mm, on the hairgrass in order to get rid of this stuff as it was choking up the area between the blades. It's much reduced at the moment but it's still there. I've since added ~15 cherry shrimp and just added 6 more amanos yesterday for a total of 9.

Here are some high res pics from just after the trimming:




For clarification, it's the stuff at the base of the dwarf hair grass that I'm concerned with.

Talking with a LFS I described what I was seeing and he thought it might be fungus. (But I didn't have any pictures on me)

Ideas? Thanks!
 
#5 ·
I think it looks like some kind of hair algae, i'm not an expert on that but I do have a possible solution....
get some sand and kind of dribble it on the algae, so that it acts as a mulch and smothers it. My theory is that in a natural habitat in a stream silt is dropped smothering the algae but the other plants can recover and grow up quicker. I have used this technique to control algae in moss!
 
#6 ·
I just tested my parameters as a I figured someone might ask,

PH: 6.4
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 10-20 ppm
Temp: 73-75f
Lighting: Two 13w fluval lights (bought an extra) on for 4 hrs on, 3hrs off, 4hrs on
CO2: Pressurized, on 1hr before lighting and off 30m before lighting goes off.


I dunno about hair algae, wouldn't the amano's eat that?

I appreciate the idea but I don't want to introduce sand into the tank unless absolutely necessary.
 
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