" Opps update, once you have won on the battlefield, buy around 6
'SIAMESE
ALGAE EATERS', these little guys will munch up the new shoots and keep the
enemy at bay.

--clip--
I may be wrong guys, but it sounds to me that you have been infected by
the
insidious 'red bush algae'.
However, please do a google for the above and check photo's to confirm
diagnosis first.

I have just moved back from the front lines in a fight with this invader
and
can tell you its a nightmare, it gets onto everything, rocks, bogwood,
heaters, filters, plants (esp roots) usually introduced by plants
purchased
and introduced into your tank.
I had to go the bleach road as a solution. (19 parts water to 1 part
bleach)

Once contemplated, genned up and acted upon you WILL win.

http://www.thekrib.com/Plants/Algae/bleach.html

Steve Page

----------------
I did a google for red algae and got quite a number of hits of
pictures at the microscopic level. No real help. The one picture I
did see suggests red algae is hairy. My algae looks more like Tom
Otvos' pictures, only much worse. I did buy more Otos and now the
algae is not spreading, but its not disappearing either. The Otos
don't appear to be eating it -- maybe they do when I'm not looking.
My farlowella who used to ignore algae tablets is now the first one on
the bottom when I drop them in. ALL of my plants are dying. My eel
is looking very sad (I will post on this separately). Water is clear,
and ammonia and nitrates at zero or near zero. I am afraid to add
another algae eater as I have 6 ottos and one farlowella now. Do you
think another algae eater could be tolerated in 50 gallons?