algae

[betty]

Hi

I have small fuzzy tufts of very dark green algae in my tank. On decorations and live plants. It is nearly black but poosibly only very dark green. Is this good or bad algae? It is very difficult to remove as it adheres to things and I can's get it off.

Thanks.

[TKOS]

There really is no good algae, just alage you can live with. However, algae is generally a sign that there are things out of balance in the tank. This is nothing to worry about as I assume the tank is fairly new setup. This happens a lot in the first few months. If the leaves of the plant are easy to grow back then I suggest cutting them off and doing a water change. The water change should be done after the clipping to get rid of the relesaed spores.

Algae needs food to grow to it probably means that there is excess food in your tank. I would do a test for nitrates and if they are high then you need to do more water changes. I find taht 20% a week helps my 10 gallon planted tank a lot.

What are the lights like on your tanka nd how long are they left on?

[Silent xXx Rage]

Originally posted by TKOS
There really is no good algae, just alage you can live with. However, algae is generally a sign that there are things out of balance in the tank.


Ehhh, depending on your thinking. I love the algae in my tanks. I have one tank in which the side of the tank has algae that is almost 3inches in length and is right under a bubble wall so it moves like seaweed. Looks really nice.

And there are different typesof algae. Each kind thrives from different toxins or nutrients in your tank. So red, brown, green, black etc. all have pro and cons.

Best way to prevent algae is dont introduce plants, dont overfeed and dont use natural lights. Also many lights out there prevent algae growth, might be helpfull along with frequent water changes and an algae eater.

[ScottoMacD]

It sounds like Black beard algae.

Does it look like this?
http://www.dupla.com/pics/e025_5.jpg

If so it is one tough customer to get rid of.
What size is your tank?

Rosey barbs will keep it in check they are one of only a few fish that will effectively keep this type of algae in check. They go nuts for the stuff. I have had them pull plants out of the gravel pull the algae off. The best part is that they do no damage whatsoever to the plants. The only thing is that if they aren't hungry the won't eat it.

At the store if we get an attack of the BBA we throw the plant into the rosey tank and watch them work. It's like a carwash for plants. They come out sparkling clean.

If you have a smaller tank Japonica shrimps work really well, but you will need a small army of them if it is bad.