Identify This Algae Please!

[NeonBlueLeon]

Hello folks,
 
Just noticed this stuff growing on some of the stuff in the tank.  It only grows facing the window side of the tank, so it is sunlight related.  However, only indirect sunlight ever hits the tank.  I do not use the light on my aquarium.
 

Kind of gross-looking.
 

Compare to the java fern that is covered (red box) to java fern that is not covered (pointing left).
 
There is some even on one side of one of my moss balls, but it's hard to see.

 

[ncguppy830]

while i dont know what algae is i think otos should solve the problem

 

[DrRob]

OK, I'm not 100% sure from the picture, but it looks worryingly like blue green algae, which is eaten by almost nothing.
 
Take a look at a few pictures, and get rid of it as fast as possible, and aggressively.
 
I'm guessing it's a low tech tank tank does get a huge amount of fertiliser but the plants are growing well up to this point. Tends to hit that sort of tank as the macronutrients deplete and the well planted tanks tend to trap the organics that it likes.
 
If it is that then you need to do several things.
 
1) remove all of it
2) blackout, it's far more sensitive than your plants and will die first, so be brave with this.
3) grab a supply of complete fertiliser (it's generally the nitrate level that has really dropped) and dose some of that to get the plants going again, which should then outcompete the algae once you've got control back.

 

[Mamashack]

I'm not an expert on algae but I agree that it looks very much like blue-green algae which is actually bacteria. I had a bad infection with it in my 60L tank earlier this year much worse than yours. I ended up removing the plants that were choked with it and doing a 3 day blackout as advised by members on here and it worked a treat.
The cause of mine was probably low CO2 and too many hours with the lights on so now the lights are on a timer for 4 hrs twice a day (also to help stop the tank overheating) There's plenty for the fish to nibble on for a few days and even the fry came out of it unscathed. The back wall of the tank was pristine so I know they didn't go hungry.
EDIT: I meant low nitrAtes not CO2!

 

[TwoTankAmin]

You can tell if it is bga by how easily iy comes off. It will be like a slimey mess if you remove it with your hand. BGA siphons off of things really easily.
 
There are any numbers of strategies to get rid of it. All start with removing as much as possible by hand. It can usually be killed by a single antibiotic treatment. It can be killed by a blackout. It is usually prevented by correcting the imbalance in a tank that let it take hold.