Mystery Algae

[kreblak]

Like everyone else, I have had my share of diatoms/brown algae and green hair algae. Snails have rid me of the diatoms, and my cleaner shrimp has knocked out the hair algae 100%. Now, there is something new in the tank that nothing will eat, and when I clean the glass, it doesn't budge!

The new algae is light green in color (same as the pulp of a lime). It grows in patches the size of a shirt button, clumped closely together. It seems to have a down sloped quality to it, like it's growing towards the floor. Vigorous scraping doesn't seem to affect it in the least.

What is it, and how do I get rid of it?

[FISH WHISPERER]

Is it thick? Calcerous algae can be green - many shades of it. A pic might be helpful... Coraline algae is one of the toughest to scrape off, and that's what it sounds like the way you described it.

[Beth]

I use a razor blade to scrape the glass every month or so to get rid of the green algae that accumulates. I do it just before a water change and siphon up the stuff I scrape off. It also gets on my filter intake tube, heater, rocks, driftwood, etc. I give those a good scrubbing every now and then but they are still pretty green...especially the driftwood and rocks. I'm okay with that and justify it by thinking it looks more natural that way.:D

[kreblak]

It is not thick. In fact, that's the reason I can't post a pic. All of the pictures I have taken don't show the algae. Usually all you can see is my refelction in the glass or the rock behind it.

If it is corraline algae, isn't that a good thing? Besides the uglyness, it means that tank conditions are good, right?

Oh, Monty, my cleaner shrimp and two of my hermits molted again yesterday, and I'm not dosing iodine. Anecdotal evidence, I know, but my inverts are molting like crazy and I'm not supplementing iodine in any way.