Algea

[paulthegreat]

My 500 liter has been infected with a bright green(almost a neon green) carpet algea that is spreading across the plants, gravel and logs. When the lights come on in the morning the algea is black and shriveled but soon spreads out and turns bright green again. I have a large plec and a bristle nose in the tank. I have reduced the lighting and it is on for ten hours a day wih a 2 hour blackout in the middle of the day. I have removed the algea by hand several times and did a big clean last week which included removing all plants and washing, all logs and stones were scrubbed with a tooth brush(not mine I used the Wifes), gravel vac and filter clean. I lost one of my clowns when it tried to jump for freedom while I was washing the stones and just barely saved a Zebra when it tried the same. Snails is not an option with all the loaches and I am not sure wether they would go after shrimp. Any Ideas?

 

[Liam]

Sounds like blue green algae or cyanobacteria, it has a distinctive unpleasant smell google it for pics to be sure thats what it is. It can be killed by antibiotics (Maracyn) though this can knock out the biological filter. The best method is to clean out filters and remove as much as you can with a 50% water change, then do a total blackout of the tank for three and a half to four days (don’t let a chink of light in), this will kill it off after the blackout do another water change to remove the dead algae. You could also add an airstone just to make sure that the covered tank has enough oxygen. Fish and plants will be fine with this it grows back so fast that removing it daily doesn’t stop it once it has a hold. Very good water flow a clean substrate and enough nitrate help to prevent it. Shrimp or other algae eaters don’t eat it, and snails ramshorns will eat it but only if they don’t have much else to eat.

 

[paulthegreat]

The only picture I was able to come across that was not a microsopic strand picture showed a floating algea. this grows as a carpet on the gravel, root-wood and plants nothing on the surface or glass.