Algae -- One Week Vacation Pics

[sherrymitchell]

Okay, I just got back from the beach and the puffer tank looked like this:



Here's a close up:



This was after ONE WEEK of me being gone. I think it must be the CF's on the tank --- maybe too much light for this 20 long? The algae growth isn't that bad on the other tanks with the same lights, BUT, the other tanks have snails. This tank is snail-free because the puffers eat all the snails they can find.....

Anyway, I did a water change and got most of it with the Python. It comes loose pretty easily. I netted some more after that, and this is what it looked like:



Closeup. You can see a brownish/yellow blob on the left with some hair like stuff in the middle. That's regular diatoms in the background, LOL. I have my fair share of algae in this tank.



So any suggestions as to what this greenish/brownish/yellowish god-awful stuff is? Can I treat for it? Tank has no CO2. Lights on for six hours a day. I've tried keeping lights off for a week and more, which helped a little, but once they go back on, the algae gets ahold again..... I've also tried floating red root floater at the top to shade the water a little. It helped a little.

I guess I could go to a double bulb fluorescent if I have to and ditch this light, but I'd love a better alternative -- something that won't hurt my dwarf puffs in the tank.

[krisw]

Seachem Excel/H202 should be a temporary fix for this algae. More long term, since it looks from the picture like the algae is isolated to that section in the in the upper right part of the tank, is it possible that there's not enough circulation through that part of the tank? Those are faster growing stems, so without circulation, they may be depleting the surrounding water of nutrients, and that's when the algae sets in. Another culprit could be old bulbs if you haven't change them out in the last year.

[Aaron]

That's diatom algae. The lack of snails in the tank is probably the reason it appeared so much faster. Plecos and ottocinclus will eat diatom algae and should be able to live with the dwarf puffers.

[sherrymitchell]

Aaron, diatom algae???? I thought diatom algae is brown dusty stuff that covers stuff in the tank, not gross angel hair like this.... It falls apart as soon as you touch it with a net or the python. Heck, what do I know??? I might throw a few otos in there to see if they can keep it under control. Thanks.