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the Attack of the Black Algae
its like a alien has taken over my 155 gal fish tank.
Description of alien form: Short - looks Fuzz but not like the bear - is not stringy brow to black growing on everything but the glass, loose rock/sand , plants and drift wood ( Malaysian) - alien does not like the wood. About the Tank: 155 gal cichlids & 4 placos ( ugly fat *******s) live plants rocks and sand base hiding holes - caves like things - clay pot - coconuts shells drift wood ( Malaysian) - alien does not like the wood. Lights - growth light only on for 14 hours a day - might be the source of the alien. feeding about once to twice a day has uv sterilizer 2 - filters fluval 404 If you can help that would be great other wise what is the number for Ripley? |
the Attack of the Black Algae
Might sound stupid, but does it have exposure to natrual light? I have had
this as well, ( looked like black angel hair ). I don't think I did anything to rid of it, if I remember correctly, it disappeared on its own.. I seem to remember somewheres, it was suggested the lighting had something to do with it.. Perhaps someone else has an idea... Tim.. "Gwenyvar" wrote in message ... its like a alien has taken over my 155 gal fish tank. Description of alien form: Short - looks Fuzz but not like the bear - is not stringy brow to black growing on everything but the glass, loose rock/sand , plants and drift wood ( Malaysian) - alien does not like the wood. About the Tank: 155 gal cichlids & 4 placos ( ugly fat *******s) live plants rocks and sand base hiding holes - caves like things - clay pot - coconuts shells drift wood ( Malaysian) - alien does not like the wood. Lights - growth light only on for 14 hours a day - might be the source of the alien. feeding about once to twice a day has uv sterilizer 2 - filters fluval 404 If you can help that would be great other wise what is the number for Ripley? |
the Attack of the Black Algae
Erythromycin will kill most kinds of algae without damaging your nitrogen
cycle. Treat with Erythromycin for 5 days, then do 30 percent water changes for at least 3 days. Don't forget weekly water changes or it will likely come back again. The main causes are overfeeding and insufficient water changes. The kind I'm talking about is slimy but looks fuzzy, and is about 1 cm / 0.5 inches long. That %#*! stuff grows on almost everything, glass, plants, rocks, the shells of snails if you don't get it under control. Keith J. "T" wrote in message link.net... Might sound stupid, but does it have exposure to natrual light? I have had this as well, ( looked like black angel hair ). I don't think I did anything to rid of it, if I remember correctly, it disappeared on its own.. I seem to remember somewheres, it was suggested the lighting had something to do with it.. Perhaps someone else has an idea... Tim.. "Gwenyvar" wrote in message ... its like a alien has taken over my 155 gal fish tank. Description of alien form: Short - looks Fuzz but not like the bear - is not stringy brow to black growing on everything but the glass, loose rock/sand , plants and drift wood ( Malaysian) - alien does not like the wood. About the Tank: 155 gal cichlids & 4 placos ( ugly fat *******s) live plants rocks and sand base hiding holes - caves like things - clay pot - coconuts shells drift wood ( Malaysian) - alien does not like the wood. Lights - growth light only on for 14 hours a day - might be the source of the alien. feeding about once to twice a day has uv sterilizer 2 - filters fluval 404 If you can help that would be great other wise what is the number for Ripley? |
the Attack of the Black Algae
Thank you for your help. I will try all that was suggested and keep you
posted on how the battle is going. Thanks Gwen "Gwenyvar" wrote in message ... its like a alien has taken over my 155 gal fish tank. Description of alien form: Short - looks Fuzz but not like the bear - is not stringy brow to black growing on everything but the glass, loose rock/sand , plants and drift wood ( Malaysian) - alien does not like the wood. About the Tank: 155 gal cichlids & 4 placos ( ugly fat *******s) live plants rocks and sand base hiding holes - caves like things - clay pot - coconuts shells drift wood ( Malaysian) - alien does not like the wood. Lights - growth light only on for 14 hours a day - might be the source of the alien. feeding about once to twice a day has uv sterilizer 2 - filters fluval 404 If you can help that would be great other wise what is the number for Ripley? |
the Attack of the Black Algae
"KEITH JENNINGS" wrote in
: Erythromycin will kill most kinds of algae without damaging your nitrogen cycle. KEITH, Erythromycin will NOT kill algae. It will, however, kill some varieties of cyanobacteria, which are sometimes referred to as "blue- green algae", though it is not algae at all, but a form of bacteria. (Its only similarity to algae is that it has chlorophyll and can therefore convert light into energy). Moreover, since erythromycin is an antibiotic, you must be careful when using it lest you create bacterial strains that are resistant to it. Cyanobacteria is characterized by growth in undifferentiated sheets. No plant like leaves or hairs will be visible. Meph Treat with Erythromycin for 5 days, then do 30 percent water changes for at least 3 days. Don't forget weekly water changes or it will likely come back again. The main causes are overfeeding and insufficient water changes. The kind I'm talking about is slimy but looks fuzzy, and is about 1 cm / 0.5 inches long. That %#*! stuff grows on almost everything, glass, plants, rocks, the shells of snails if you don't get it under control. Keith J. "T" wrote in message link.net... Might sound stupid, but does it have exposure to natrual light? I have had this as well, ( looked like black angel hair ). I don't think I did anything to rid of it, if I remember correctly, it disappeared on its own.. I seem to remember somewheres, it was suggested the lighting had something to do with it.. Perhaps someone else has an idea... Tim.. "Gwenyvar" wrote in message ... its like a alien has taken over my 155 gal fish tank. Description of alien form: Short - looks Fuzz but not like the bear - is not stringy brow to black growing on everything but the glass, loose rock/sand , plants and drift wood ( Malaysian) - alien does not like the wood. About the Tank: 155 gal cichlids & 4 placos ( ugly fat *******s) live plants rocks and sand base hiding holes - caves like things - clay pot - coconuts shells drift wood ( Malaysian) - alien does not like the wood. Lights - growth light only on for 14 hours a day - might be the source of the alien. feeding about once to twice a day has uv sterilizer 2 - filters fluval 404 If you can help that would be great other wise what is the number for Ripley? |
the Attack of the Black Algae
"Gwenyvar" wrote in
: its like a alien has taken over my 155 gal fish tank. Description of alien form: Short - looks Fuzz but not like the bear - is not stringy brow to black growing on everything but the glass, loose rock/sand , plants and drift wood ( Malaysian) - alien does not like the wood. About the Tank: 155 gal cichlids & 4 placos ( ugly fat *******s) live plants rocks and sand base hiding holes - caves like things - clay pot - coconuts shells drift wood ( Malaysian) - alien does not like the wood. Lights - growth light only on for 14 hours a day - might be the source of the alien. feeding about once to twice a day has uv sterilizer 2 - filters fluval 404 If you can help that would be great other wise what is the number for Ripley? Most of the algae experts hang out in the plants newsgroup, I would recommend that you post this there. 14 hours a light a day is quite a lot, I would start by cutting down on that. If you post in the plants newsgroup, you should also be specific about the type of light the tank receives, e.g. the specific bulb model, "growth light" is kind of vague. Meph |
the Attack of the Black Algae
Thanks for the clarification Meph . I had a form of black "algae" /
cyanobacteria and Erythromycin cleared it up. I assumed ( incorrectly ? ) that his "algae" is the same stuff. Some good info... Keith J. "Mephistopheles" wrote in message link.net... "KEITH JENNINGS" wrote in : Erythromycin will kill most kinds of algae without damaging your nitrogen cycle. KEITH, Erythromycin will NOT kill algae. It will, however, kill some varieties of cyanobacteria, which are sometimes referred to as "blue- green algae", though it is not algae at all, but a form of bacteria. (Its only similarity to algae is that it has chlorophyll and can therefore convert light into energy). Moreover, since erythromycin is an antibiotic, you must be careful when using it lest you create bacterial strains that are resistant to it. Cyanobacteria is characterized by growth in undifferentiated sheets. No plant like leaves or hairs will be visible. Meph Treat with Erythromycin for 5 days, then do 30 percent water changes for at least 3 days. Don't forget weekly water changes or it will likely come back again. The main causes are overfeeding and insufficient water changes. The kind I'm talking about is slimy but looks fuzzy, and is about 1 cm / 0.5 inches long. That %#*! stuff grows on almost everything, glass, plants, rocks, the shells of snails if you don't get it under control. Keith J. "T" wrote in message link.net... Might sound stupid, but does it have exposure to natrual light? I have had this as well, ( looked like black angel hair ). I don't think I did anything to rid of it, if I remember correctly, it disappeared on its own.. I seem to remember somewheres, it was suggested the lighting had something to do with it.. Perhaps someone else has an idea... Tim.. "Gwenyvar" wrote in message ... its like a alien has taken over my 155 gal fish tank. Description of alien form: Short - looks Fuzz but not like the bear - is not stringy brow to black growing on everything but the glass, loose rock/sand , plants and drift wood ( Malaysian) - alien does not like the wood. About the Tank: 155 gal cichlids & 4 placos ( ugly fat *******s) live plants rocks and sand base hiding holes - caves like things - clay pot - coconuts shells drift wood ( Malaysian) - alien does not like the wood. Lights - growth light only on for 14 hours a day - might be the source of the alien. feeding about once to twice a day has uv sterilizer 2 - filters fluval 404 If you can help that would be great other wise what is the number for Ripley? |
the Attack of the Black Algae
Hi
Liked the description of "alien" ROFL Had similar growth in my 96g tank. It didn't like the bogwood either, although eventually began to sprout on the older stuff. Think it was caused by insufficient hoovering of bottom + high nitrates. I live in Eastern UK and our tap water has ~80 nitrates to start with, and couldnt always afford that much RO. Anyway, I regularly hoover the bottom these days, plus have put some water hyacinths (floating things with loads of roots) on the surface and nitrates dropped to ~10 + no more algae. Suspected my gro-lux tubes had something to do with it as well - the floating plants do cut down on light. I don't get any now - not even blanket weed. s Gwenyvar wrote in message ... its like a alien has taken over my 155 gal fish tank. Description of alien form: Short - looks Fuzz but not like the bear - is not stringy brow to black growing on everything but the glass, loose rock/sand , plants and drift wood ( Malaysian) - alien does not like the wood. About the Tank: 155 gal cichlids & 4 placos ( ugly fat *******s) live plants rocks and sand base hiding holes - caves like things - clay pot - coconuts shells drift wood ( Malaysian) - alien does not like the wood. Lights - growth light only on for 14 hours a day - might be the source of the alien. feeding about once to twice a day has uv sterilizer 2 - filters fluval 404 If you can help that would be great other wise what is the number for Ripley? |
the Attack of the Black Algae
"Gwenyvar" wrote in message ...
its like a alien has taken over my 155 gal fish tank. Description of alien form: Short - looks Fuzz but not like the bear - is not stringy brow to black growing on everything but the glass, loose rock/sand , plants and drift wood ( Malaysian) - alien does not like the wood. About the Tank: 155 gal cichlids & 4 placos ( ugly fat *******s) live plants rocks and sand base hiding holes - caves like things - clay pot - coconuts shells drift wood ( Malaysian) - alien does not like the wood. Lights - growth light only on for 14 hours a day - might be the source of the alien. feeding about once to twice a day has uv sterilizer 2 - filters fluval 404 If you can help that would be great other wise what is the number for Ripley? Here's a cool way to exterminate algea (of all varieties, I think) that was suggested by Axelrod in the 1950s in some of his literature, and it has been very effective for me. Arrange your airstones to be at one end of the aquarium to create a water rotation for oxygenation, then turn the aquarium lights off and cover the aquarium for four or five days with a dark blanket. (Axelrod actually suggests taping paper to the walls, but the blanket is much easier --) Without light, the algae will die. The reason for the airstone arrangement is that the algae, in the dark, dishes out an immense amount of carbon dioxide which needs to be exchanged at the surface. When I've tried this, there has been no ill effects in regards my pets -- however the Oscars get a little ****ed at me. :-) After you take the blanket off, you'll need to carefully monitor your water conditions and do some partials. The dead plant material could cause a spike in your cycle, so pitch a tent next to the tank! --Mark Mark Stone tractorlegs at msn dot kom OSCAR Lovers! http://www.geocities.com/cichlidiot_2000/oscar.html The ".Edu" meens i are smart. |
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