View Full Version : How do I keep this stuff off my plants?
Jag1980
10-28-2008, 9:12 PM
This stuff seems to be always on my plants, I try to fluff some of it off but it always seems to come back.. If I leave in on long enough it seems to turn into BBA.
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f192/Picturesfrom2006/CIMG2891.jpg
MrGoodbytes
10-28-2008, 10:16 PM
Is that in a low-current area? It looks like detritus with a bit of algae that more flow might help prevent.
Is that in a low-current area? It looks like detritus with a bit of algae that more flow might help prevent.
I think thats a good call... maybe add a powerhead?
Jag1980
10-29-2008, 3:22 AM
I got a Fluval 1 plus at the surface. Sometimes at night I will run my EMP-400 and I have a power head diffuser on the right side center of my tank that is always running. The plants have movement and they sway in the under water current, do I need more movement?
What causes it? It makes my plants look really bad, some I have thrown away because of it.
Bk718
10-29-2008, 10:13 AM
Did you disturb the substrate recently??
Looks like the mulm was picked up and the plants caught it.
Do a few water changes/gravel vacs and it should slowly go away.
Jag1980
10-29-2008, 6:06 PM
I do water changes and vac the sand but it's always there. Seems to more after I do a water change and gravel vac...
Is there anything that will eat or pick it off my plants?
It's stuck on the leaves to much to just fluff it off without causes damage or uprooting them out of the ground.
James0816
10-29-2008, 6:21 PM
I was actually gettting ready to post a thread on this myself. In one of my tanks I have this growing like wild. It does not appear to be brush algae as it is fairly "flat" on the leaves of the plants. It is especially bad looking on the moneywort, wisteria and java fen. They have some leaves that are pretty black looking.
In this tank, it shares lighting with a 10g (2x T8 32w). I dose Flourish twice a week (2mils) and it is sand substrate.
Thoughts?
Jag1980
10-29-2008, 6:25 PM
Maybe some of the problem is that the stuff can't settle in the substrate because it is sand?
Bubbles2112
10-29-2008, 6:32 PM
I have the same problem in my tank with sand. It won't go away. My tank is relatively new so I thought perhaps it would go away when it matures. At least that is what I am hoping.
as i said it looks like mulm.. wave around the tank with your hand so the flow would get the junk off the plants and will be sucked into the gravel vac.. Snails might eat it since they are known to eat mulm
Jag1980
10-29-2008, 6:44 PM
That doesn't work is why I made a post about it.
Only way that will work is if I move the water around so much that all my plants will pull out of the sand. Sand doesn't hold the plants down in the ground that well on stem plants. My plants seem to be a mulm magnet...
What about shrimp?
Jag1980
10-29-2008, 7:01 PM
These are the plants that are hard to keep clean..
I got a little stick I try to knock the stuff off with but it's stuck to the plants pretty good.
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f192/Picturesfrom2006/CIMG2901.jpg
James0816
10-29-2008, 7:07 PM
Well...if it can be removed by swishing, then it definately would be mulm. For me on the other hand...it can only be removed by scraping it off or tearing the leaf off.
I think I'll have to make my post after all.