No more Green Dust Algae

[Jürgen Beisser]

I would like to share a good experience with everybody of this groups. For a
couple of months I fought a battle against the so called Green Dust Algae.
The growth of this harmless (?) but annoying algae was so quick that I had
to wipe the screens every other day. Sometimes, the algae reappeared within
a few hours after cleaning. Approximately one month ago, I found an older
thread where Tom Barr claimed that he knew how to get rid off these algae.
He stated that you have to keep your hands away from the screens for about
three weeks, then the algae would get into a different stage of their
life-cycle and finally die off. I was a bit sceptical but I tried this
method. After two weeks, the glasses looked already a bit different because
some algae eaters (they have been in the tank from the beginning) had
already cleaned some part. They must be more careful than a human hand with
a scrubber than it seemed that no new algae grew on the tracks of the
cleaning crew (SAE and neritina snails). I waited two more weeks, the tank
looked not bad. Then I reactivated the srubber and cleaned the last patches
of GDA. Surprise, surprise, the screens remained blank. How long this state
will last, I don't know. But I think it is a good idea to try the method
yourself if you have the same kind of problem.

I put a question mark behind the word "harmless" because I sometimes
experienced a pretty strong smell when I cleaned the screens in the past.
The smell was like ozone or nitrous oxide fumes. Therefore, I am not sure
wheteher GDA can release toxic substances.

Juergen Beisser

[[email protected]]

Nothing really toxic, just stinky, musty smelling, most 1/2 dead algae
does have that low tide aroma.

Glad the method worked for you.
Seems to be a very useful method and you cannot beat the cost: free.

But some clown will come along in a few months and claim to have
discovered the "secret, just add this product for 3 weeks till the alga
puckers up and begins to slough away, then wipe".

All I'd have to do is put DI water in the bottle and tell folks it
takes 3 weeks to work:-)

And..........there is a desperate (their favorite kind) sucker born
every minute.

When you see someone selling this, and I can bet you will, rip them to
pieces for me.
I identified the species and the ecological life stage that made it
preplexing to many in the plant tank hobby. Then figured out the life
stages virulence time frame to get rid of it with a simple wipe 3 weeks
later.

Aquaschisters and arm chair aquarist love to talk, just don't be fooled
by their BS:-)
Nerites and the SAE's did not really do much to it(I've had many of
these present in GDA tanks), the alga sloughs off anyway, they just
sped it up th slouughing rather than doing any real damage, without
first going through that stage, the alga would simply grow back
rapidly.

Regards,
Tom Barr

www.BarrReport.com











Jürgen Beisser wrote:
> I would like to share a good experience with everybody of this groups. For a
> couple of months I fought a battle against the so called Green Dust Algae.
> The growth of this harmless (?) but annoying algae was so quick that I had
> to wipe the screens every other day. Sometimes, the algae reappeared within
> a few hours after cleaning. Approximately one month ago, I found an older
> thread where Tom Barr claimed that he knew how to get rid off these algae.
> He stated that you have to keep your hands away from the screens for about
> three weeks, then the algae would get into a different stage of their
> life-cycle and finally die off. I was a bit sceptical but I tried this
> method. After two weeks, the glasses looked already a bit different because
> some algae eaters (they have been in the tank from the beginning) had
> already cleaned some part. They must be more careful than a human hand with
> a scrubber than it seemed that no new algae grew on the tracks of the
> cleaning crew (SAE and neritina snails). I waited two more weeks, the tank
> looked not bad. Then I reactivated the srubber and cleaned the last patches
> of GDA. Surprise, surprise, the screens remained blank. How long this state
> will last, I don't know. But I think it is a good idea to try the method
> yourself if you have the same kind of problem.
>
> I put a question mark behind the word "harmless" because I sometimes
> experienced a pretty strong smell when I cleaned the screens in the past.
> The smell was like ozone or nitrous oxide fumes. Therefore, I am not sure
> wheteher GDA can release toxic substances.
>
> Juergen Beisser

[Jürgen Beisser]

Thank you for your comments, Tom. Unfortunately, there are many sources for
BS: armchair aquarists, LFS sales people, literature (even if not outdated),
aquaristic companies,...
So you you have to make your own experience, as I did, and now I have a
slightly different picture about promises, myths and truth than when I was a
beginner 2 years ago.
One final remark concerning the smell of my GDA species: not stinky, not
campher-like as BGA, but a very fresh smell, similar to mown grass.

Best regards
Juergen
_____________
Juergen Beisser
Lilienthal, Germany


> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
oups.com...
Nothing really toxic, just stinky, musty smelling, most 1/2 dead algae
does have that low tide aroma.

Glad the method worked for you.
Seems to be a very useful method and you cannot beat the cost: free.

But some clown will come along in a few months and claim to have
discovered the "secret, just add this product for 3 weeks till the alga
puckers up and begins to slough away, then wipe".

All I'd have to do is put DI water in the bottle and tell folks it
takes 3 weeks to work:-)

And..........there is a desperate (their favorite kind) sucker born
every minute.

When you see someone selling this, and I can bet you will, rip them to
pieces for me.
I identified the species and the ecological life stage that made it
preplexing to many in the plant tank hobby. Then figured out the life
stages virulence time frame to get rid of it with a simple wipe 3 weeks
later.

Aquaschisters and arm chair aquarist love to talk, just don't be fooled
by their BS:-)
Nerites and the SAE's did not really do much to it(I've had many of
these present in GDA tanks), the alga sloughs off anyway, they just
sped it up th slouughing rather than doing any real damage, without
first going through that stage, the alga would simply grow back
rapidly.

Regards,
Tom Barr

www.BarrReport.com











Jürgen Beisser wrote:
> I would like to share a good experience with everybody of this groups. For
> a
> couple of months I fought a battle against the so called Green Dust Algae.
> The growth of this harmless (?) but annoying algae was so quick that I had
> to wipe the screens every other day. Sometimes, the algae reappeared
> within
> a few hours after cleaning. Approximately one month ago, I found an older
> thread where Tom Barr claimed that he knew how to get rid off these algae.
> He stated that you have to keep your hands away from the screens for about
> three weeks, then the algae would get into a different stage of their
> life-cycle and finally die off. I was a bit sceptical but I tried this
> method. After two weeks, the glasses looked already a bit different
> because
> some algae eaters (they have been in the tank from the beginning) had
> already cleaned some part. They must be more careful than a human hand
> with
> a scrubber than it seemed that no new algae grew on the tracks of the
> cleaning crew (SAE and neritina snails). I waited two more weeks, the tank
> looked not bad. Then I reactivated the srubber and cleaned the last
> patches
> of GDA. Surprise, surprise, the screens remained blank. How long this
> state
> will last, I don't know. But I think it is a good idea to try the method
> yourself if you have the same kind of problem.
>
> I put a question mark behind the word "harmless" because I sometimes
> experienced a pretty strong smell when I cleaned the screens in the past.
> The smell was like ozone or nitrous oxide fumes. Therefore, I am not sure
> wheteher GDA can release toxic substances.
>
> Juergen Beisser

[[email protected]]

Jürgen Beisser wrote:
> Thank you for your comments, Tom. Unfortunately, there are many sources for
> BS: armchair aquarists, LFS sales people, literature (even if not outdated),
> aquaristic companies,...
> So you you have to make your own experience, as I did, and now I have a
> slightly different picture about promises, myths and truth than when I was a
> beginner 2 years ago.

Most seem to have to learn and hard way.
I did, I'm still mad about it 15 years later:-)

> One final remark concerning the smell of my GDA species: not stinky, not
> campher-like as BGA, but a very fresh smell, similar to mown grass.

Yes, that is typical of freshly mowed algae:)

More and the first hobbyist reference:

http://fins.actwin.com/aquatic-plants/month.200605/msg00011.html

You will note I virtually never tell anyone to use an algcide, killer
or expensive name brand solution. They are not needed as much as people
complain, become desperate. calinm that their plants are doing so
poorly and they "Need" this miracle product to just get them over this
one hump so they can later focus on the nutrients/CO2 etc.

It does not work that way.
Algae are far more specific as to conditions in the water than plants.
So knowning a lot about algae tells me a lot about someone's tank.
I do not need test kits for that.
Good plant health/growth is the cure, not algicides.
That's what happens in natural systems and what happens in our tanks as
well.

> Best regards
> Juergen
> _____________
> Juergen Beisser
> Lilienthal, Germany

Regards,
Tom Barr

www.BarrReport.com