# Algae ID - This does not look like your typical algae



## victork (Jan 19, 2010)

Anyone know what the algae in the pic is? It is growing on the glass and on the plants.






































Brushes off very easily very mushy. It basically breaks into small bits after touching it. It also pearls which is what is making me think that its algae. I've also brushed it off all my plants but it keeps coming back.

As you can see from the pictures its much thicker than the strands of bladder wort which is thicker than hair algae. The strands are about 2-3 millimeters wide. It also grows quite long (10cm?) and drapes over the plants kinda like cobwebs.

I've googled around and cant find any details on it. I know for sure its not hair/thread/Spirogyra algae and not staghorn. I've dealt with those plenty of times in the past successfully. It also does not seem to respond to excel.

Tank Specs:
- Co2 injection maintained at roughly 30ppm
- 9 hours of 150W 8000K lighting over 90L tank
- A few guppys 
- Dosing pmdd + Fe
- Up-aqua soil 
- Eheim 2075 filter

Thanks!


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## doubleott05 (Jul 20, 2005)

dude you need to vaccume. thats detritus from maybe stirring up your substrate or moving plants---possible casualty fish. 
Treatment- do a couple of water changes while brushing off your plants and suck that stuff directly off the plants too. 

after a couple of good throuough water changes your tank will be squeaky clean.

hope that helps

Ps if that dont work then its bacterial. chuck in a marycn tab wait 3 days then repeat the above directions


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## freshyleif (Jan 9, 2008)

Eheim's are great filters but they are notorious for not giving much flow in the tank. Check it to make sure it is not clogged or just built up with to much gunk. I would agree with doubleotto5 a couple of good WC where you stir up the water a good bit right before should bet rid of the detritus and algae if that is algae. It is amzing how much and how quick detritus can build up and the affect are wide spread and varying.


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## victork (Jan 19, 2010)

thanks guys i'll give the suggestions a try

doubleott05's right, i basically never vaccum and the soil is kinda like that ada stuff and breaks down after a while into this annoying fine silty stuff. But i just never thought it would be detritus since I only have a like 10 guppy fry in the tank and lots of filtration. I guess it might be something thats breaking down in the soil. Also does detritus grow in long hair like structures like that? and it pearls.

Theres actually two filters on the tank, a 700lph aqua one canister and a 1250 lph eheim 2075 which has perfect flow rate since its only been installed for about 1-2 weeks as im cycling it on this tank.

I also do 50% water changes every 4-5 days. But no vaccuming so I'll give that a try next.


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