# Algae ID and help



## Fishguy10 (Aug 6, 2011)

I set up my first planted tank recently, and I'm getting some algae. I have 3.2wpg of T5 HO over my 29 gallon aquarium. As of now, I do not have CO2 or ferts. Most of my plants have been growing well, but I am starting to get some algae. I've read through the method of controlled imbalances threads and I like the idea behind it. The algae that I have does not seem to be on the list though. It looks somewhat like D1, some sort of long orange hair algae, but not quite. It started growing on a few leaves on just one of my plants, and has since then attached to other leaves. It grows very fast and gets very long, and it also seems to attach to other surfaces/leaves when it touches them and takes hold of them. It is mostly orange in color, maybe orange-brown. I am planning on removing it from the leaves that it is on tomorrow. However, if/when it comes back, I would like to know what to do to make it go away for good. I hope you all can help me, thanks in advance.


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

Px? Do you see it on any of the following lists.

http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/algae.htm

http://www.gwapa.org/articles/algae/


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## Ezfish (Jul 18, 2011)

Thanks Tex Gal for the links. They are now bookmarked. This was very helpful.

James


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## Fishguy10 (Aug 6, 2011)

I'd love to be able to post pictures, but it isn't letting me. I tried posting them last night, but it wasn't working so I figured I'd try again today. Still not working, and the pictures are way under the limit on size and I also tried uploading a picture that I've posted here before, and it didn't work either. I'd like to know how people put pictures directly in between the words, but it won't let me copy paste or anything like that to put pictures directly here. Last time, the pictures I uploaded were thumbnails and they worked just fine. Now they are gone if I try to look at them, and I can't post/upload any pictures. I put the other pictures up about a week before that site maintenance a little while ago? Could that have cause this problem? Are servers down or something? I hope I can get some help on this because pictures help a lot when you are trying to get something identified. 

For now, I can only describe it. I don't see it on either link that you posted, but it has the color of the diatoms/brown algae from the first link, first picture on the left. It is about that color, but a little more orange. It looks sort of like the Spirogyra, except not that smooth/slimy looking and it is not green at all. Both of those types say they can be caused by an ammonia spike, but I don't have any fish yet so I don't think that that is the problem and I definitely don't have either of those types, mines different. I hope that the description helps, and I hope that I will be able to post some pictures some time soon. I'm going to remove it off of the leaves that it is on right now.


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## Fishguy10 (Aug 6, 2011)

Ok, I think I found a way to get the picture on here. As you can see, it forms into long orange strands that attach to other leaves and form big clumps of bright orange algae. I removed it yesterday, it wasn't very hard to get off of the leaves, but it almost dissolved once I got it out of the water. I hope that this will help in getting this algae identified.

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/aquarium-pictures/displayimage.php?imageid=7256


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## HeyPK (Jan 23, 2004)

Attaching files is not working. The recent move to a new server has created a number of glitches that are in the process of being fixed. Linking to picture files works just fine.


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## Fishguy10 (Aug 6, 2011)

Ok, I'm glad to know that it isn't just my computer or something. Thank you HeyPK. Do you have any idea what type of algae I have or what I can do to get rid of it?


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## HeyPK (Jan 23, 2004)

I don't know specifically. If the threads are very fine and break easily, livebearers (guppies, platys, etc, might eat it. It may also be sensitive to treatment with excel or spot dosing with hydrogen peroxide. See directions in the stickies, above. It may be sensitive to the blackout treatment.


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## Fishguy10 (Aug 6, 2011)

Thanks for the feedback. I guess I'll have to see what happens to it once I am able to start dosing, and hopefully able to get some CO2 in my tank.


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