What is this?!?

[ilovehorses52]

So I’ve had this bright green algae for a while and it’s like a film on my sand. I’ve tried to get rid of it many times it just keeps coming back. What’s weird is it only in this specific tank and I haven’t had it anywhere else. What is it?!? How do I get rid of it?!

 

[Colin_T]

Blue green algae (Cyanobacter bacteria). A photosynthetic bacteria that loves nutrients, slow water movement, low oxygen levels, and red light.

Reduce the dry food going into the tank. Offer more frozen or live foods and remove uneaten food after feeding.

Do a big (75%) water change and gravel clean the substrate every day for at least 1 (preferably 2) weeks. Try to remove as much of blue green algae as possible. Lift ornaments out and hose them off outside too.
Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it's added to the tank.

Increase aeration/ surface turbulence and water movement around the bottom of the tank.

If you have fluorescent lights above the tank and they are more than 12 months old, replace them with new globes and starters. Get globes with a 6500K (K is for Kelvin) rating.

Add some floating plants like Water Sprite (Ceratopteris thalictroides/ cornuta). These will reduce the light getting to the bottom of the tank, use up some nutrients, and provide the fish with some hiding places near the surface.

 

[ilovehorses52]

Blue green algae (Cyanobacter bacteria). A photosynthetic bacteria that loves nutrients, slow water movement, low oxygen levels, and red light.

Reduce the dry food going into the tank. Offer more frozen or live foods and remove uneaten food after feeding.

Do a big (75%) water change and gravel clean the substrate every day for at least 1 (preferably 2) weeks. Try to remove as much of blue green algae as possible. Lift ornaments out and hose them off outside too.
Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it's added to the tank.

Increase aeration/ surface turbulence and water movement around the bottom of the tank.

If you have fluorescent lights above the tank and they are more than 12 months old, replace them with new globes and starters. Get globes with a 6500K (K is for Kelvin) rating.

Add some floating plants like Water Sprite (Ceratopteris thalictroides/ cornuta). These will reduce the light getting to the bottom of the tank, use up some nutrients, and provide the fish with some hiding places near the surface.

Tysm! That was super helpful!

 

[Sgooosh]

Blue green algae (Cyanobacter bacteria). A photosynthetic bacteria that loves nutrients, slow water movement, low oxygen levels, and red light.

Reduce the dry food going into the tank. Offer more frozen or live foods and remove uneaten food after feeding.

Do a big (75%) water change and gravel clean the substrate every day for at least 1 (preferably 2) weeks. Try to remove as much of blue green algae as possible. Lift ornaments out and hose them off outside too.
Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it's added to the tank.

Increase aeration/ surface turbulence and water movement around the bottom of the tank.

If you have fluorescent lights above the tank and they are more than 12 months old, replace them with new globes and starters. Get globes with a 6500K (K is for Kelvin) rating.

Add some floating plants like Water Sprite (Ceratopteris thalictroides/ cornuta). These will reduce the light getting to the bottom of the tank, use up some nutrients, and provide the fish with some hiding places near the surface.

this is unrelated but why does this stuff grow under my waterlettuce leaves?

 

[Colin_T]

this is unrelated but why does this stuff grow under my water lettuce leaves?

Bits of food collect on the roots of the water lettuce, and there is less water movement around the roots.

Dry food is one of the biggest reasons for blue green algae occurring in an aquarium. Reducing that can help.

 

[Sgooosh]

Bits of food collect on the roots of the water lettuce, and there is less water movement around the roots.

Dry food is one of the biggest reasons for blue green algae occurring in an aquarium. Reducing that can help.

no it is on the underside of the leaves

i soak my food every time i feed...
does that still count as dry?

 

[Colin_T]

no it is on the underside of the leaves

lack of water movement under the leaves

i soak my food every time i feed...
does that still count as dry?

yes

 

[Sgooosh]

lack of water movement under the leaves


yes

ok ill get them near the filter more
i will also feed farther away from WL
thanks

what counts as dryfood and what does not?

 

[Colin_T]

dry food is dry food. flake freeze dry, pellets, anything that is not frozen or live