Red Algae Problem
 

Hi,


I've had a freshwater 10G tank for about a year now. A month or two
after I got the tank red algae (I assume that's what it is) appeared on
the sides of the tank and on the plastic plants (there are no real
plants).


I use a toothbrush to scrape it off the sides of the tank - it comes
off quite easily. Occassionally I'll take out the plastic plants and
wash them in warm water. Again, the red slime comes off easily.


The tank has a flourescent light, though we turn it on infrequently (30
minutes per week).


I've been trying an anti-algacide additive that I purchased at my local
pet store about once per week for the last month - no real help.


Here are some pictures of the tank:


http://www.deercove.org/fishta=ADnk.htm


Any help greatly appreciated!=20
Rob.

Wash your gravel and change your water. Sounds like your water is
dirty, or you can cut all light to your tank, or you can make your tank
a planted tank with good lighting.

Red slime algae is typically a cyanobacter and not really an algae. In the
marine world, it comes mostly from poor water conditions and stagnate water
flow or dead spots.

Check your nutrient levels in the water for Nitrate and phosphate. These
two ingredients are the main culprits to algae growth. If you have high
nitrate, consider reviewing your water changing schedule, feeding amounts
and times as well as your tank livestock level. One good way to think about
it is this: Anything organic that you put in the tank eventually becomes
nitrate. If you aren't removing as much as you put in, your level is
increasing.

If your Nitrate levels aren't high, consider your flow rate. I target my
freshwater flow rates at 6 tanks per hour. That means that I put enough
pump power to move the entire tank volume once every 10 minutes. It may
sound like a lot, but there are lots of things you can do to disburse the
flow to prevent strong current locations. It also helps prevent dead spots,
which is a favorite location for a lot of bad cyanobacter and algae to grow.

Hope this helps,
Justin

"Rob" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi,


I've had a freshwater 10G tank for about a year now. A month or two
after I got the tank red algae (I assume that's what it is) appeared on
the sides of the tank and on the plastic plants (there are no real
plants).


I use a toothbrush to scrape it off the sides of the tank - it comes
off quite easily. Occassionally I'll take out the plastic plants and
wash them in warm water. Again, the red slime comes off easily.


The tank has a flourescent light, though we turn it on infrequently (30
minutes per week).


I've been trying an anti-algacide additive that I purchased at my local
pet store about once per week for the last month - no real help.


Here are some pictures of the tank:


http://www.deercove.org/fishta*nk.htm


Any help greatly appreciated!
Rob.

Rob wrote:

Hi,


I've had a freshwater 10G tank for about a year now. A month or two
after I got the tank red algae (I assume that's what it is) appeared on
the sides of the tank and on the plastic plants (there are no real
plants).

Red algae are marine only, not freshwater. You may be looking at
diatoms, but it requires a microscope to be sure. (Btw, a decent
microscope is a good investment for an aquarist. Just don't get the
cheap crap you won't see much with.)

There is little point in using algicidal compounds, since algae are a
symptom, not the disease. First check that NH4+, NO2- and NO3- levels
are low, using test kit you can buy in the LFS. Some LFS will do the
test for you, but in the long run you are better of having your own kit.
If values are to high, do a good water change (50 % or so), and repeat
daily until matters improve.

Check that the tank is not overstocked (at most 1 cm fish per 2 l of
water), don't overfeed (only as much food as fishes consume in 1-2 min,
with one fasting day per week).

Why do you have plastic plants? Natural plants not only look nicer, they
produce oxygen for your fish, clean the water and help keeping algae
under control.

Put your lights on for 12 h a day, this resembles a tropical day (I
assume that you keep tropical fish). The easiest way is to connect them
via a timer, then you don't have to switch by hand. Some people switch
the lights off at noon, when they are not at home, and have the lights
on longer during the evening. But that's a matter of convenience.

Dr Engelbert Buxbaum wrote:
Rob wrote:

Hi,

I've had a freshwater 10G tank for about a year now. A month or two
after I got the tank red algae (I assume that's what it is) appeared on
the sides of the tank and on the plastic plants (there are no real
plants).

Red algae are marine only, not freshwater. You may be looking at
diatoms, but it requires a microscope to be sure. (Btw, a decent
microscope is a good investment for an aquarist. Just don't get the
cheap crap you won't see much with.)

His algae may indeed be diatoms, but I was under the impression that
there *were* red algae species which lived in freshwater. Everything
I've read about Beard/Brush Algae says that it's a type of red algae.

(e.g. http://plantgeek.net/article_viewer.php?id=9 and
http://www.thekrib.com/Plants/Algae/red-algae.html))

Rocco Moretti wrote:
Dr Engelbert Buxbaum wrote:

Rob wrote:

Hi,

I've had a freshwater 10G tank for about a year now. A month or two
after I got the tank red algae (I assume that's what it is) appeared on
the sides of the tank and on the plastic plants (there are no real
plants).


Red algae are marine only, not freshwater. You may be looking at
diatoms, but it requires a microscope to be sure. (Btw, a decent
microscope is a good investment for an aquarist. Just don't get the
cheap crap you won't see much with.)


His algae may indeed be diatoms, but I was under the impression that
there *were* red algae species which lived in freshwater. Everything
I've read about Beard/Brush Algae says that it's a type of red algae.

(e.g. http://plantgeek.net/article_viewer.php?id=9 and
http://www.thekrib.com/Plants/Algae/red-algae.html))

Yes, but BBA doesn't come off with a toothbrush. If the algae is
brownish and not TOO slimy, it probably is diatoms. Otocinclus eat
diatoms and other soft algae. Two would probably keep a 10 gallon tank
clean. If they run out of algae to eat, try feeding zucchini, cucumber,
or other veggies.

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