(What I Presume Is?) Algae ID Assistance and Advice

[Gemtrox42]

I've had a tank for two years that I recently started to use liquid ferts in. This stuff started appearing, what I assume is a type of algae. It is composed of individual flake-like pieces, that reside mostly on or nearby my fake and real plants (the notable exception is a large patch in the center of my tank for no explicable reason). It is extremely resilient, often bouncing back from a vacuum or decoration scrubbing within two days. I think it's harmless to most of my plants, but it will COMPLETELY envelop and kill my java and Christmas mosses unless I shake it off them. I've tried lowering my brightness and stopping the liquid ferts, and neither helped. I read the algae ID post and nothing seemed to match. Can't wrap my head around what's sustaining this without the liquid ferts, I've made no other changes to anything that could possibly have caused this to appear now. Although I'm flattered it likes my fake plants so much, I'd like to reduce it as much as possible. Thanks!

 

[connorlindeman]

In order to get rid of the algae you need to get your lighting and nutrients in balance. How long are your lights on per day? What light do you have?

Also, you added a picture of a fish. Is that yours?

 

[Gemtrox42]

In order to get rid of the algae you need to get your lighting and nutrients in balance. How long are your lights on per day? What light do you have?

Also, you added a picture of a fish. Is that yours?

I use a Current Satellite 6500K LED fixture mounted on top of my glass hood. My lights are on 10 hours a day, on the lowest brightness settings available. If lowering my lights anymore is going to hurt my plant's growth I don't like the idea of reducing it any further because I have a hard enough time keeping my plants alive as is.

Disregard the fish pic, I attached it by accident.

 

[CarissaT]

Is it the beige stuff? That doesn’t seem like algae to me but I could be wrong. What is your water change schedule like?

 

[Gemtrox42]

Is it the beige stuff?

Yep. I change once a week. My stats are all good.

 

[jaylach]

I'm not saying to do this but I was getting a lot of algae from too much nutrients and too much light that was attaching mostly to live plants. The algae was a mix of green and some with a reddish tint. So happens that some bladder snails hitched a ride when I got the plants. A week after the snails appeared the plants are just about totally clean.

If your tank is of a large enough size you may also want to look a Panda Garra for algae control. They are voracious when it comes to algae and also pretty, very active and peaceful. Max size is 3-3.5 inches.

Personally I don't even try to stay totally algae free. I just look to keep it under control. Actually I rather like having some algae. It does a wonderful job of making some artificial deco look a lot more natural and is a good food source for veggie eating critters.

 

[Gemtrox42]

I rather like having some algae. It does a wonderful job of making some artificial deco look a lot more natural and is a good food source for veggie eating critters.

Totally agree, that's why I said I was happy it liked my artificial deco too. If it is algae I'm going to look into eaters for sure though. Don't want the blankets all over the substrate

 

[jaylach]

Totally agree, that's why I said I was happy it liked my artificial deco too. If it is algae I'm going to look into eaters for sure though. Don't want the blankets all over the substrate

What size tank and what type of substrate? If gravel substrate really look at the Panda Garra over pleco as to algae control as they seem to do better with gravel than plecos. I guess that that is probably due to how active they are spending less time on the bottom of the tank.

 

[CarissaT]

I think it’s probably diatoms as opposed to actual algae…you don’t have any rocks or sand that could be leaching silica by chance? I would continue with liquid ferts sparingly, especially if there’s no phosphate in it.

 

[Gemtrox42]

I think it’s probably diatoms as opposed to actual algae…you don’t have any rocks or sand that could be leaching silica by chance?

I use gravel substrate, and I do have a sizable piece of sandstone from my LFS that I use for a more comfortable sit for my bottom feeders.

I would continue with liquid ferts sparingly, especially if there’s no phosphate in it.

Sorry, is that especially with a positive or negative connotation?

 

[Byron]

I use a Current Satellite 6500K LED fixture mounted on top of my glass hood. My lights are on 10 hours a day, on the lowest brightness settings available. If lowering my lights anymore is going to hurt my plant's growth I don't like the idea of reducing it any further because I have a hard enough time keeping my plants alive as is.

Disregard the fish pic, I attached it by accident.

Can you post a photo of the entire tank so we can see the plant load and fish load?

With light, duration and intensity are two unrelated things. The duration can be adjusted, and if the intensity is suited to the needs of the plants, you can go down to 6 hours if you like. I got my tanks balanced at 7 hours. I would also be concerned over nutrients here, if you are not adding any, which is why I asked for the photo. Also, which liquid fertilizer(s) were you using? This can have a huge impact.

 

[Gemtrox42]

Can you post a photo of the entire tank so we can see the plant load and fish load?

They are asleep now, but I can post later. Its a 30 gal, with 3 rainbowfish, 11 cardinal tetras, a clown pleco, and 5 dwarf corys. I have duckweed on the surface, a handful of small java ferns, amazon swords, strands of hornwort, a few balls of Christmas and java mosses, and a giant sword (I think?), overall lightly planted. The aquarium calculator says it's slightly above 100% factoring my filter in.

With light, duration and intensity are two unrelated things. The duration can be adjusted, and if the intensity is suited to the needs of the plants, you can go down to 6 hours if you like. I got my tanks balanced at 7 hours. I would also be concerned over nutrients here, if you are not adding any, which is why I asked for the photo. Also, which liquid fertilizer(s) were you using? This can have a huge impact.

I use Seachem Flourish. I have Flourish Excel and Iron but never used them consistently, and not at all for about a year. I use root tabs for the ferns and swords.

 

[Byron]

They are asleep now, but I can post later. Its a 30 gal, with 3 rainbowfish, 11 cardinal tetras, a clown pleco, and 5 dwarf corys. I have duckweed on the surface, a handful of small java ferns, amazon swords, strands of hornwort, a few balls of Christmas and java mosses, and a giant sword (I think?), overall lightly planted. The aquarium calculator says it's slightly above 100% factoring my filter in.

I use Seachem Flourish. I have Flourish Excel and Iron but never used them consistently, and not at all for about a year. I use root tabs for the ferns and swords.

I'll wait to see the tank photo, but on the fertilizers if the tabs are Seachem's Flourish Tabs they are excellent. They will significantly improve growth in larger substrate-rooted plants like swords. They do not leech into the water column, so algae problems are not at all likely from these.

The liquid can be different, assuming this is Flourish Comprehensive Supplement. Too much will cause algae, I experimented and this was obvious. Liquid will help non-substrate-rooted plants, like floaters and Java Fern and mosses. But you do not want to overdose. Again I will come back to this when I see the photo. And another question, what is the GH of your source water?

Flourish Excel should not be added to any tank with fish. It is derived from a highly toxic disinfectant glutaraldehyde and will kill some plants and algae, can burn your skin if you splash some on you, and goodness only knows what it does to fish gills. Toss it.

Flourish iron is only going to promote algae if you use the Flourish Comprehensive, because it contains sufficient iron in balance. I experimented with the iron several years back, and twice I killed my floating plants by an excess of iron. Fertilizers need to be balanced, FC is, so if one is needed thee Comprehensive is the one to use. It doesn't take much, I think I always did less than the recommended dose.

 

[Gemtrox42]

I'll wait to see the tank photo, but on the fertilizers if the tabs are Seachem's Flourish Tabs they are excellent. They will significantly improve growth in larger substrate-rooted plants like swords. They do not leech into the water column, so algae problems are not at all likely from these.

They are Flourish tabs. Interestingly, they haven't promoted any growth in my swords at all. I started with many small java ferns and all died except one, which I planted with a tab in the substrate.

The liquid can be different, assuming this is Flourish Comprehensive Supplement. Too much will cause algae, I experimented and this was obvious. Liquid will help non-substrate-rooted plants, like floaters and Java Fern and mosses.

My mosses do not grow at all. I have several balls and all they do is accumulate this grey stuff. By the way, do you concur with Carissa that these are likely diatoms?

But you do not want to overdose. Again I will come back to this when I see the photo. And another question, what is the GH of your source water?

200ppm

Flourish Excel should not be added to any tank with fish. It is derived from a highly toxic disinfectant glutaraldehyde and will kill some plants and algae, can burn your skin if you splash some on you, and goodness only knows what it does to fish gills. Toss it.

According to Seachem, it does not contain glutaraldehyde, but a different chemical (I'm assuming that's why you said derived). Are you saying their chemical is functionally the same then?

 

[Byron]

According to Seachem, it does not contain glutaraldehyde, but a different chemical (I'm assuming that's why you said derived). Are you saying their chemical is functionally the same then?

Yes.

A citation from aquariumscience.org:

Flourish Excel™​

Some recommend using gluteraldehyde (Flourish Excel™) to control algae. Gluteraldehyde is very closely related to formaldehyde and is a disinfectant with no place in the aquarium. This chemical may kill algae, but it will also kill a lot of plants and burn and severely irritate fish’s gills if the dose is even slightly over the recommended dosage. Specifically, there have been several planted aquarium enthusiasts on social media reporting they’ve killed all the plants in their aquarium with Gluteraldehyde. Another social media quote is apropos:

“HELP! A total of 7 of my fish died after I dosed Flourish Excel”

Excel is gluteraldehyde. Gluteraldehyde kills fish.

Excel is, as admitted by Seachem in the link in post #13, polycycloglutaracetal. You can find definitions online stating that this is a derivative (if that is the correct term) of glutaraldehyde. There's this: "Polycycloglutaracetal is an isomeric form of glutaraldehyde… however it is less reactive and more easily utilized by plants as a carbon source."
This comes from a biochemist who further says most of the "data" in the Seachem citation is utter nonsense.

More recently Seachem have kept silent on what is in Excel, because of "trade secrets," which is to me a cop-out because API CO2 Booster is also glutaraldehyde, as is another I can't now remember.

Members have reported burtns to their skin if a drop of Excel is splashed on them. No one should think this belong in a tank with fish.