# Silk Algae/ Spirogyra



## styderman (Jul 1, 2007)

I am starting to see more and more over the past few days. I use pps pro, pressurized co2 and high light. What causes this algae. What is the most common approach to rid a tank of this algae. 
Thanks


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## Grubs (Jul 4, 2007)

I won a battle against spirogyra recently... but not the war.

It laughs off glutaraldehyde (2.5 ppm dosed daily for 10 days) and all the nutrient modifications I threw at it over a 6 month period (no traces, low K, high K, low NO3). I also tried rosey barbs and shrimp (Caridina longistrostris) but neither were interested in eating it.

The only solution for me was to lower the light.

I cut my lights down to 1 hour a day for a week long period. This killed off some, but some strands near the water surface were surviving.

I then turned the lights out completely for another 3 days... all the time leaving ambient room lighting and CO2 running.

A total blackout wrapping the tank in blankets *may* have been more efficient.

After this I could no longer find any strands of spirogyra.

To be sure... I then removed every stem plant from my tank and gave them a good solid potassium permanganate bath. Mosses, driftwood, blyxa stayed in the tank and were not treated.

This was a month ago.  Already I can find a few strands of spirogyra in the tank. 

Last weekend I pulled all the stems again and re-treated them in potassium permanganate - this obviously kills any strands as you see them go brown and they break up, but I have other sources of colonisation in the tank that I cant remove to treat. Removing all my fish and bombing the tank is just not an option.

Ive resigned myself to backouts every now and then when/if it multiplies back up to pest status.

Photos of my spirogyra of infection.

Manual removal can slow it down... but you'll never get it all.

As of today I have to look hard to find a single strand.... but I know it is there...


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## styderman (Jul 1, 2007)

Damn, this is the first time that I am dealing with this algae. I cant seem to find much on this type of algae. I noticed this morning that the algae is getting worse. So, I guess that I will not turn the lights on today. Should I wrap it with a towel? It is next to a window.


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## aley1511 (Apr 23, 2007)

Florida Flag fish like the hair type algae you could give them a shot


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## Afyounie (Aug 10, 2007)

I got this algae, nothing eats it really. I use a toothbrush when I clean the tank at the end of the week and get as mush as I can out. This site explains fairly well
http://www.aquariumalgae.blogspot.com/


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