# Algae



## 65galhex (Nov 5, 2008)

So for the last week or so I have noticed that there is an increasing amount of algae growing in my tank. There are a couple different types I have noticed. The first type is on the glass and it looks to be a combo of green and brown colors and it is flat to the glass almost like a stain of some sort. The second type is all over my driftwood and my heater. It is green and is mossy yet almost whispy. The third i am not sure what it is. It is in my substrate which is white pool sand. It looks as if it is changing the substrate from white to brown. It is however only in one section of the tank. Idk, that last one is very strange. Does anyone have any idea what this crap is????


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## Murphy18 (Oct 17, 2008)

65galhex said:


> So for the last week or so I have noticed that there is an increasing amount of algae growing in my tank. There are a couple different types I have noticed. The first type is on the glass and it looks to be a combo of green and brown colors and it is flat to the glass almost like a stain of some sort. The second type is all over my driftwood and my heater. It is green and is mossy yet almost whispy. The third i am not sure what it is. It is in my substrate which is white pool sand. It looks as if it is changing the substrate from white to brown. It is however only in one section of the tank. Idk, that last one is very strange. Does anyone have any idea what this crap is????


You will probably have to post pics of the said algaes, sounds like you could have a number of types of algae. The last one is probably diatoms, mostly caused by excess silica, sand is high in silicates. This can be removed by weekly 50-60% water changes, along with weekly mechanical filtration cleaning (not cleaning but just rinsing excess gunk off, you get my drift I'm sure)

I'm no expert like but, this is what worked for me. Somebody who keeps planted tanks is probably way more knowledgeable than me when it comes to algae, algae identification etc..

Also i know that certain types of loaches/catfish eat diatoms, but I'm not exactly sure which ones.

Try and get some pics up, good luck sorting it out.


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## 65galhex (Nov 5, 2008)

True. Here are some pictures. Good call.


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## Guest (Aug 3, 2009)

Next time you walk past a stream, reach in and pull out a rock or submerged piece of wood. You'll see that it's covered with a mat of different life forms. This is called periphyton.

Periphyton is a complex mixture of algae, cyanobacteria, heterotrophic microbes, and detritus that is attached to submerged surfaces in most aquatic ecosystems. Your fishtank is no different than that stream in this regard. The best you can do is keep up with your water changes to keep the nitrates low, scrub underwater surfaces clean, and perhaps limit the amount of time the aquarium lights are on.

In my non-piranha tanks, I always employ sucker-mouth fishes like Rainbow Sharks to help keep the surfaces clean.


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## 65galhex (Nov 5, 2008)

Wow, good reply. Thanks a lot, that actually makes a lot more sense now that I have a general idea what it is.


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## shiver905 (May 27, 2009)

if u dont have plants, 
cut you lighting for awhile


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## Demonsnapper (Jun 15, 2009)

intresting. samke thing is happening in my tank, iv got plants, so i mite do more water changes to see if thats whats doing it...... saved me starting up a post for the same resion.

@65galhex i love the look of that bit of wood you have got in the tank.


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## 65galhex (Nov 5, 2008)

Demonsnapper said:


> intresting. samke thing is happening in my tank, iv got plants, so i mite do more water changes to see if thats whats doing it...... saved me starting up a post for the same resion.
> 
> @65galhex i love the look of that bit of wood you have got in the tank.


Thanks a lot. I appreciate it. I have cut the lights to about half the usual time and I am doing water changes one more time a week at 30% I hope that this will help soon.


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