Purple Algae?!?!

[jackreeman2]

Hi Everyone,

Just come back from a few days away to find this strange purple algae stuff growing in a small part of the tank. My Oto's aren't touching it, so it makes me wonder if it's even Algae at all.
I have had a look on Google but it's not giving me any ideas to what it may Be, everything leads back to Saltwater or Reef aquariums.

Here are a couple of photos, so if anyone has had similar or the same problem let me know!

Thanks [emoji16]

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[stanleo]

That looks exactly like cyanobacteria but I have never heard of it growing in freshwater tanks, only saltwater. I would remove it to be safe.

Out of curiosity, what are the other fish in the tank?

 

[stanleo]

Ok I just googled Cyanobacteria in freshwater and it does say that it can happen. There are a few articles that come up on the subject. I know it’s harmless to fish in marine tanks (I had one for several years) just ugly really so can remove it or leave it. I know In marine tanks it can over run things and cause coral to be lost.

 

[Colin_T]

It's blue green algae (aka Cyanobacter bacteria).
It can grow in fresh, salt or brackish water and can be any colour ranging from green, blue, red, brown, black, pink and purple. It can even be combinations of these colours.

It is a bacteria that can photosynthesise and does best when there is lots of organic matter and low oxygen levels. However, it can also grow quite happily in a well aerated tank.

It can cause skin irritation to fish and if there is too much in the tank it can kill fish. The little bit in your photo won't cause any harm now but try to get rid of it anyway.

Do daily water changed and complete gravel cleans for a couple of weeks to remove and gunk in the tank and to remove the blue green algae.
If you feed dry food make sure you remove any uneaten food after 5 minutes.
Try to increase water movement around the tank, especially over the bottom and surface.
If you have fluorescent globes and they are more than 12 months old, replace them and get globes that have a 6500K rating. Lights with a low Kelvin (K) rating (below 4000K) tend to encourage it.

 

[jackreeman2]

That looks exactly like cyanobacteria but I have never heard of it growing in freshwater tanks, only saltwater. I would remove it to be safe.

Out of curiosity, what are the other fish in the tank?

I also have a couple of Danio's in there too

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[jackreeman2]

It's blue green algae (aka Cyanobacter bacteria).
It can grow in fresh, salt or brackish water and can be any colour ranging from green, blue, red, brown, black, pink and purple. It can even be combinations of these colours.

It is a bacteria that can photosynthesise and does best when there is lots of organic matter and low oxygen levels. However, it can also grow quite happily in a well aerated tank.

It can cause skin irritation to fish and if there is too much in the tank it can kill fish. The little bit in your photo won't cause any harm now but try to get rid of it anyway.

Do daily water changed and complete gravel cleans for a couple of weeks to remove and gunk in the tank and to remove the blue green algae.
If you feed dry food make sure you remove any uneaten food after 5 minutes.
Try to increase water movement around the tank, especially over the bottom and surface.
If you have fluorescent globes and they are more than 12 months old, replace them and get globes that have a 6500K rating. Lights with a low Kelvin (K) rating (below 4000K) tend to encourage it.

Okay thanks, I think I may need to get a air stone in the tank now you mention it.

I'll get rid of it asap!

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