What Is This? + Update!

[Lazerus]

Hi all....

I meant to ask this particular question for a while now....

In the past two months I have set up two new tanks...using the same 'materials' for both of them i.e Tetra plant substrate, gravel and live plants.

My 22gal my tank experienced this white powdery stuff all over everything but it disappeared after a few weeks, and now my recently set up 10gal tank is going through the same thing? But what is it?

I suspect its something to do with the Tetraplant substrate but is it something else? Is it a mold of some sort...its really ugly looking.

It clings to everything, the plants, the decorations, the glass and it clogs up my filter....its actually a nuisance really. Any ideas how I'll clear it up?

No amount of water changes makes any difference.

I have a few pictures....


See the 'mold' clinging to the plants and the glass?

Its especially noticeable where there might some algae growing on the leaves of my plants....

 

[rabbut]

I get that in new set-up's also. Not 100% shure what it is, but the substrate isn't the caurse. The fish eat it IME, once they are in... I presume it's some form of algea.

All the best
Rabbut

 

[Lazerus]

Thanks Rabbut! Glad to hear I'm not the only one so!

Yes, it must be just part and parcel of new set ups I guess....perhaps just fine dust being blown around or something. I believe its not harmful to the fish as my other guys are thriving in the 22gal. There's not a bit of it in sight there.

(By the way, talking about thriving.... looking at the pics now, I'm actually a bit embarrassed about the amazon swordplant I chose to take a picture of...I hope you don't think all my plants look that miserable! Because they really don't!!

These plants looks so poorly as they had three weeks in a tank of still water waiting to be moved into the 10gal...I realise now I should have just put them into my 22gal while I was waiting on the other tank to be ready... but you live and learn!

I know they will perk up soon with the nutrients from nice plant substrate I put down and some CO2 injection! )

 

[waterdrop]

Interesting, I've never seen that. It almost looks as if there is fine "hair algae" growing on the plants and then, separately, a fine white mold happens to have the right conditions and grows on the hair algae. Its extremely common for all sorts of molds and growths to appear for short periods in new tanks. They're usually gone very, very quickly with fish and when you look at the same tank six months down the road you can't believe it ever looked like the previous pictures!

~~waterdrop~~

 

[Lazerus]

Hi Waterdrop...

Yes, you are right...there is fine hair algae on the plants....both my tanks experienced this also..... It grows so rapidly too.

In my 22gal, I had been away for four days and when I came home, the 'hair' had actually got really, REALLY long...you'd nearly take a hair brush to it! Honestly!

I will say that the white stuff appeared prior to the hair algae in my 22gal tank. It was present nearly from day one...

But with the plants in the 10gal, regular 'short' algae appeared because I had them in a tank with a light on them for 12hrs each day....but there was no fish or water movement in the tank.

Again, the white stuff was in the 10gal pretty much from day one and once I added the plants to the tank, the 'fine hair' took hold....there must be some connection there?

I'm going away for a week tomorrow, so god knows what it will be like then!



By the way...the really long haired algae in my 22gal also occurred when there was no fish in the tank...(it was during my fishless cycle.)

Oh and you are also right about the tank not looking the same at all....sure my newer 22gal looks luscious, healthy and green....its incredible!

 

[Dave Spencer]

No offence Lazerus, but your plants are in terrible shape, and everything I see points to poor CO2. You have staghorn algae and your plants are turning to mush.

Dave.

 

[Lazerus]

No offense taken Dave!

As I've explained in my above post, I'm aware that they are not in great shape.

I'm confident with the care and attention they will get from me, that they'll return to their former glory!

 

[Lazerus]

Just an update on my tank.... here is the plants in the tank now.

All the weird white stuff is gone from the tank completely, the very dark algae & long haired algae is gone, the plants are coming into their own...and none of them turned to mush at all. They are healthy, bright green and becoming long and luscious!

What a difference 2½ weeks makes!

 

[Dave Spencer]

That is an excellent recovery Lazerus. Well done!

CO2 can be your worst enemy if you get it wrong, or your best friend if you get it right.

Dave.

 

[Anguilla82]

amazing difference.
you certainly seem to know how to care for the plants!

 

[Lazerus]

Thanks, I'm pleased with them. It did look really awful! I'm so glad that dreadful white stuff is gone.

I was sure someone was going to accusing me of re-planting the tank with new plants...but I assure you I didn't!!!

I added the CO² unit but I often forget to give it its daily dose! But the plants seem to be responding well none the less.

There is still a hint of regular flat green algae appearing again on the leaves which is normal. I'm still trying to get my lighting settings correct...I think the light is on for too long still.

Anyway, with a bit of tweaking, I'll get it right I'm sure.

I only switched over to live plants since February and now have them in both my tanks, after always having plastic/silk decor, so I'm delighted with the results. Can't believe I never did it before, live plants are soooo much nicer and the fish love it!!!

 

[waterdrop]

Plants look great now! I forget what type of CO2 unit you were going with?

~~waterdrop~~

 

[keenonfish]

That looks great! I was going to guess at some sort of calcium deposit (most likely incorrect) or some sort of lichen? but that is irrelevant now well done

 

[rabbut]

Things are looking up