Colored algae

[Renee]

My GF tank's glass (actually plastic) is becoming
overrun with a reddish-purplish algae that I'm
having a devil of a time getting rid of.

Scrubbing at it with the usual tank scrubber does
virtually nothing. The tank is a plastic bowfront,
so I'm hesitant to use a razor blade, and a hard
scraper would have to be done horizontally, which
would be extremely awkward at best. So, if there's
a magic trick I don't know, I'd like to learn!

In case more info is required... it's a freshwater
tank, 7gals with 2 smallish goldfish. It's been
the same 2 fish for a couple of years, and the
tank is nice and stable (touch wood). The algae
is, as I said, reddish-purplish, blooming in
fairly round patches, and it's very short (as in,
not protruding into the tank). It's extremely
resistant to scrubbing both wet and dry (as in,
drying doesn't help make it easier to remove).
It's only on the glass, and not on the gravel or
decorations. There is some regular green algae as
well, but it's easy to get rid of.

Any advice welcomed. Thanks in advance.

Renee
--
Remove the BIG SMALPH to email me,
or go to smalph com.

[Elaine T]

Renee wrote:
> My GF tank's glass (actually plastic) is becoming overrun with a
> reddish-purplish algae that I'm having a devil of a time getting rid of.
>
> Scrubbing at it with the usual tank scrubber does virtually nothing. The
> tank is a plastic bowfront, so I'm hesitant to use a razor blade, and a
> hard scraper would have to be done horizontally, which would be
> extremely awkward at best. So, if there's a magic trick I don't know,
> I'd like to learn!
>
> In case more info is required... it's a freshwater tank, 7gals with 2
> smallish goldfish. It's been the same 2 fish for a couple of years, and
> the tank is nice and stable (touch wood). The algae is, as I said,
> reddish-purplish, blooming in fairly round patches, and it's very short
> (as in, not protruding into the tank). It's extremely resistant to
> scrubbing both wet and dry (as in, drying doesn't help make it easier to
> remove). It's only on the glass, and not on the gravel or decorations.
> There is some regular green algae as well, but it's easy to get rid of.
>
> Any advice welcomed. Thanks in advance.
>
> Renee

It sounds like the notorious black brush algae (BBA). Is is somewhat fuzzy?

BBA is a pain to get rid of. Have you tested nitrates? (With a decent
test kit?) If they're above 5-10 ppm, you're in algae growing range.
Clean the gravel and start changing more water. Or give your girlfriend
the 20 long that her 2 year old goldfish probably need.

Also black out the tank for three days by turning off the light and
covering the tank with a towel. Then reduce the number of hours the
lights are on and make sure the tank isn't getting any direct sunlight.

If the tank has a fluorescent light, toss in some hornwort or anacharis.
They'll compete with the algae for nutrients.

If none of this works, I've read of ways to treat with peroxide and kill
this algae. I usually use Siamese algae eaters to control BBA but
they're tropical and you can't put one in a 7 gallon tank anyway.

--
Elaine T __
http://eethomp.com/fish.html <'__><
rec.aquaria.* FAQ http://faq.thekrib.com

[Renee]

Elaine T wrote:

> Renee wrote:
>
>> My GF tank's glass (actually plastic) is becoming overrun with a
>> reddish-purplish algae that I'm having a devil of a time getting rid of.
>>
>> Scrubbing at it with the usual tank scrubber does virtually nothing.
>> The tank is a plastic bowfront, so I'm hesitant to use a razor blade,
>> and a hard scraper would have to be done horizontally, which would be
>> extremely awkward at best. So, if there's a magic trick I don't know,
>> I'd like to learn!
>>
>> In case more info is required... it's a freshwater tank, 7gals with 2
>> smallish goldfish. It's been the same 2 fish for a couple of years,
>> and the tank is nice and stable (touch wood). The algae is, as I
>> said, reddish-purplish, blooming in fairly round patches, and it's
>> very short (as in, not protruding into the tank). It's extremely
>> resistant to scrubbing both wet and dry (as in, drying doesn't help
>> make it easier to remove). It's only on the glass, and not on the
>> gravel or decorations. There is some regular green algae as well, but
>> it's easy to get rid of.
>>
>> Any advice welcomed. Thanks in advance.
>>
>> Renee
>
>
> It sounds like the notorious black brush algae (BBA). Is is somewhat
> fuzzy?

I looked up black brush algae, and it doesn't look
anything like it. This is totally flat to the
tank. It's not perceptibly fuzzy, and it's
reddy-purply. Other than the color, it sounds
like "spot algae" (ref
http://faq.thekrib.com/algae.html). They say
scrubbing is pretty much my only option, alas.

Renee

--
Remove the BIG SMALPH to email me,
or go to smalph com.

[Elaine T]

Renee wrote:
> Elaine T wrote:
>
>> Renee wrote:
>>
>>> My GF tank's glass (actually plastic) is becoming overrun with a
>>> reddish-purplish algae that I'm having a devil of a time getting rid of.
>>>
>>> Scrubbing at it with the usual tank scrubber does virtually nothing.
>>> The tank is a plastic bowfront, so I'm hesitant to use a razor blade,
>>> and a hard scraper would have to be done horizontally, which would be
>>> extremely awkward at best. So, if there's a magic trick I don't know,
>>> I'd like to learn!
>>>
>>> In case more info is required... it's a freshwater tank, 7gals with 2
>>> smallish goldfish. It's been the same 2 fish for a couple of years,
>>> and the tank is nice and stable (touch wood). The algae is, as I
>>> said, reddish-purplish, blooming in fairly round patches, and it's
>>> very short (as in, not protruding into the tank). It's extremely
>>> resistant to scrubbing both wet and dry (as in, drying doesn't help
>>> make it easier to remove). It's only on the glass, and not on the
>>> gravel or decorations. There is some regular green algae as well,
>>> but it's easy to get rid of.
>>>
>>> Any advice welcomed. Thanks in advance.
>>>
>>> Renee
>>
>>
>>
>> It sounds like the notorious black brush algae (BBA). Is is somewhat
>> fuzzy?
>
>
> I looked up black brush algae, and it doesn't look anything like it.
> This is totally flat to the tank. It's not perceptibly fuzzy, and it's
> reddy-purply. Other than the color, it sounds like "spot algae" (ref
> http://faq.thekrib.com/algae.html). They say scrubbing is pretty much
> my only option, alas.
>
> Renee

I've never seen a reddish-purplish spot algae in FW. With my high-light
planted tanks I thought I'd seen every wretched algae imaginable!

You can still try reducing nutrients and lighting - that helps for
almost any algae. There's also the peroxide. Your algae sounds like a
red alga, similar to BBA, so it should be quite sensitive to peroxide.
With only two little goldfish, you could even net them and put them in a
bowl for a few hours while you treat the tank.

http://eric.petfish.net/algae.htm
http://www.thekrib.com/Plants/Algae/hydrogen-peroxide.html

Good luck!

--
Elaine T __
http://eethomp.com/fish.html <'__><
rec.aquaria.* FAQ http://faq.thekrib.com

[Gill Passman]

Elaine T wrote:
> Renee wrote:
>
>> Elaine T wrote:
>>
>>> Renee wrote:
>>>
>>>> My GF tank's glass (actually plastic) is becoming overrun with a
>>>> reddish-purplish algae that I'm having a devil of a time getting rid
>>>> of.
>>>>
>>>> Scrubbing at it with the usual tank scrubber does virtually nothing.
>>>> The tank is a plastic bowfront, so I'm hesitant to use a razor
>>>> blade, and a hard scraper would have to be done horizontally, which
>>>> would be extremely awkward at best. So, if there's a magic trick I
>>>> don't know, I'd like to learn!
>>>>
>>>> In case more info is required... it's a freshwater tank, 7gals with
>>>> 2 smallish goldfish. It's been the same 2 fish for a couple of
>>>> years, and the tank is nice and stable (touch wood). The algae is,
>>>> as I said, reddish-purplish, blooming in fairly round patches, and
>>>> it's very short (as in, not protruding into the tank). It's
>>>> extremely resistant to scrubbing both wet and dry (as in, drying
>>>> doesn't help make it easier to remove). It's only on the glass, and
>>>> not on the gravel or decorations. There is some regular green algae
>>>> as well, but it's easy to get rid of.
>>>>
>>>> Any advice welcomed. Thanks in advance.
>>>>
>>>> Renee
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> It sounds like the notorious black brush algae (BBA). Is is somewhat
>>> fuzzy?
>>
>>
>>
>> I looked up black brush algae, and it doesn't look anything like it.
>> This is totally flat to the tank. It's not perceptibly fuzzy, and it's
>> reddy-purply. Other than the color, it sounds like "spot algae" (ref
>> http://faq.thekrib.com/algae.html). They say scrubbing is pretty much
>> my only option, alas.
>>
>> Renee
>
>
> I've never seen a reddish-purplish spot algae in FW. With my high-light
> planted tanks I thought I'd seen every wretched algae imaginable!
>
> You can still try reducing nutrients and lighting - that helps for
> almost any algae. There's also the peroxide. Your algae sounds like a
> red alga, similar to BBA, so it should be quite sensitive to peroxide.
> With only two little goldfish, you could even net them and put them in a
> bowl for a few hours while you treat the tank.
>
> http://eric.petfish.net/algae.htm
> http://www.thekrib.com/Plants/Algae/hydrogen-peroxide.html
>
> Good luck!
>

I get red/purplish algae in my Malawi tank - it is the only one that
does get it. It's fuzzy on the rocks and almost powdery on the front of
the glass - I just scrape twice a week and leave the rocks because of
the fry (and it's quite pretty on the rocks). It's quite tough to get it
off the glass but if I keep on top of it (scrubbing wise) it is
generally manageable.

Looking at the differences between my tanks the Malawi has very few
plants to use up the nutrients....all of them have hard water and high
pH but the rest are heavily planted. This one however also has limestone
rocks that leech into the water. How many plants do you have in the
tank? and how frequent are your water changes and what percentage? What
sort of decorations do you have in there?

I wonder if it is down to a condition specific to your tank rather than
something you can treat and not expect it to return hence my
questions...I know it is specific to my one tank as the other 6 are not
affected so my guess is that it is something environmental.

Gill