ID this algae, please?

[irishspy]

Hi all,

Attached below is a picture of some algae I've noticed in the last few days. (Sorry for the blur. I should have shut the filter off.) It like a grey hair or fuzz, but I don't recall seeing algae like it before. Any idea what it is, what causes it, and how to get rid of it? (It seems localized to that cluster of leaves, so I'm tempted to cut the branch off.)

Recent water parameters: PH 7, KH3, GH 11, Amm/Nitrite/Nitrate 0/0/0, phosphate .5. (All with API liquid tests.) :read:

Thanks much! :clap:

[Bk718]

could hardly see anything.. but maybe its staghorn?

[Fordtrannyman]

Staghorn http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/algae/staghorn1-thumb.jpg (http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/algae/staghorn1.jpg) http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/algae/staghorn2-thumb.jpg (http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/algae/staghorn2.jpg) http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/algae/staghorn3-thumb.jpg (http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/algae/staghorn3.jpg)
Description Grows in strands that branches out. Looks a bit like deer antler. Black to grey/green in colour and sometimes has a red tint.
Cause Low CO2 and/or poor water circulation. A tank with overfed fish and accumulated mulm. Dirty filter. Also disturbing dirty substrates without doing water change afterwards.
Removal Check CO2 levels and make sure you have good water circulation. Reduce feeding, vacuum the substrate and remove mulm. Overdosing Flourish Excel usually helps.

[A. Nonymous]

Hair algae I think.

[irishspy]

BK, it's the greyish mass in the center. Thanks for the tips, folks.

[Bk718]

is there anyway you can get a clearer picture??

from what it looks like its staghorn and i would follow what fordtrannyman has said on a way to deal with it.

Does the algae appear on the edges of the plants??

also are you dosing the tank? Nitrate in a planted tank should be a few numbers up.

[irishspy]

is there anyway you can get a clearer picture??

I'll see if I can get a shot tomorrow. Turning the filter off should help.


from what it looks like its staghorn and i would follow what fordtrannyman has said on a way to deal with it.

Does the algae appear on the edges of the plants??

Looking at Plant Geek and doing a bit of research on elsewhere, I think it's staghorn, too. Funny thing is, it's appearing nowhere that one would expect, according to PG: it's in the lone high-flow area of the tank, it's not near the surface, and it's not on equipment. Weird. :confused:

It does seem to grow from the edges.


also are you dosing the tank? Nitrate in a planted tank should be a few numbers up.

I agree, but I've been told near-zero nitrates are common in a heavily planted tank. Currently, I'm just using what's listed in the .sig, below, but I've started reading sites (like Rex Grigg's) to get a better handle on what I need to do. For starters, as of today I'm dosing Excel once a day (1 ml) as opposed to every other day. (It was listed as a way to fight staghorn.) I think I need to start adding nitrogen somehow, perhaps via Flourish Nitrogen. (I don't think the expense will be too much with such a small tank. Once the larger tank is up and I know more, I'll probably switch to dry ferts.)

thanks for the help, :clap:

[Bk718]

For my 10g i dose .75ml Nitrogen, 1.25ml Phosphate and 2ml Potassium 2x a week. The bottles being 250mls they should really last you forever on a tank that size.

Also, if you will dose nitrogen then might as well dose phosphate and potassium. That way everything will be at a balance.

Heres a good link i use to refer to algae: LINKY (http://www.irishfishforum.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=79)

Why dont you try dosing co2 via yeast/sugar mix?? Can do that and some addition excel every now and then

[Fordtrannyman]

One other thing I didn't mention was PWC-the most obvious.

If you dose nitro, add flourish too.
Plants need the presence of FE to be able to uptake NO3.

[Sammie7]

I would definitely remove the affected leaves for the time being, so that it won't spread as easily. Perhaps even trim the tops of the stems off so that new stems can sprout. The leaves/new stems will grow back and it will help remove the infestation. :)

[irishspy]

I would definitely remove the affected leaves for the time being, so that it won't spread as easily.

That's what I was thinking: thanks for the confirmation. :)


Perhaps even trim the tops of the stems off so that new stems can sprout. The leaves/new stems will grow back and it will help remove the infestation. :)

Yep. The Wisteria and the bacopa are both getting trimmed this weekend. *snip!* :thm: