Algae (?) Help please.

Chesherca

You be kind to that woman! Algae will NOT kill the Puffers, and you know that well enough, lol! Naughty Nile...

Nilet699

HAHAHA! She knows this well enough too, she does have a marine biology and coastal management degree........

BUT, occasionally a bit of bullying is needed :-p I made it up to her anyway....with cake

Byron

If that is gray in colour [photos do distort colours a lot] then it is most likely a type of brush algae. I see it in some tanks. You can't avoid it, but you do have to keep it under control, and this is with light duration.

Tank light is critical. If the light is too intense for what the plants need, it will cause algae. If the intensity is balanced, then the duration has to be considered. You start at some number, say 10 hours, and if algae is increasing beyond normal, reduce by an hour, wait a few weeks, if not resolved, back another hour.

But, remember than in new tanks during the first 3 months or so, the biology is still establishing and algae will take advantage, so don't be too drastic as it may be somewhat temporary. This can be somewhat offset by having lots of plants, and heavy floating plants.

Window light can make a difference. I learned two summers back about this. I wondered why every summer the brush algae increased, then I realized that the tank lighting was just on the border, and the increased brightness and duration of sunlight during the summer caused it. I kept the drapes closed all summer the last two years and no more brush algae increases. I have my tanks in a fish room, so this is easy to manage.

Byron.

Nilet699

Indeed, i need one of them rooms! Mine is front room!
I do think it is the window situation though, i just cant believe the coincedence of it being opened for the first time, and the sudden algae arent related.
I will try just leaving as in then, with some cleaning off of it tomorrow and hope that it disappears. If not, then i suppose i start to play the slowly reducing time game

Chesherca

I was really hoping Byron would find his way here :) Always good to get the advice of a pro! Good luck, Nile - and three cheers for cake (I hope it was chocolate!) Do keep us posted on how it goes with this issue!

Nilet699

yes, weren't we both jes!

What would be the best way of cleaning this algae off the Java Moss then?

Chesherca

Very carefully *nods*

Different types of algae are more or less difficult to remove, and with a plant like moss - and moss that isn't rooted yet *ppppssssssshhhhhh* this may be a chore!

I'd try 'combing' it with a toothbrush first, or manually removing it with your fingers. Not gonna lie, algae on moss sounds like a PITA to me. Some algae types are more difficult to remove than others - with some, you can give 'em a good blast with a turkey baster full of tank water and blow them right away! I suspect it's gonna be trial-and-error. I'm not positive that it matters with algae, but I'd want to either remove the wood/moss/algae and do it in a bucket of tank water OR do a water change afterward, so as not to spread the spores all over. . .but I'm not sure that it would be a problem either way, lol!

Termato is supposed to be cleaning HIS moss of algae today, or so he posted. Maybe he'll have some more concrete tips for you after he has finished!

JDM

I was going to say just toss it and get new for the possible hassle but I thought it was on other plants as well, so this doesn't get rid of it.

I think that you will need to figure out what the problem is before trying to remove it as you may just be wasting your time. Seeing as the consensus is that this is algae, it's not hurting anything yet. Get things adjusted so it is not growing, perhaps it will even recede, and then look at taking it off.

As much as the window issue is not likely coincidence, it's worth knowing first.

Jeff.

Nilet699

Well haven't cleaned it yet.
Lights reduced today from 10 down to 4 hours. Halfway through that now.
It's given me a chance to fully inspect the tank.
All leaves that face the window.....algae......any that face away....no algae or 1/100th of what's on the other.
Shaded from window moss.......mostly clear......moss at front of tank....heavy algae.
Leaves at back of tank blocked from window......99.9% clear.

Your point is fair Jeff that maybe I should rectify it through a slow less light etc process.
And so is yours jes.
So tomorrow. I'm going to drain 50% for the pwc anyway. i will then do the plant trim on lower leaves and a few that are lacking light etc which will help....At which point I will clean the moss with either sponge or pipette blowing in a bucket with the old water. I will then go through the pain staking process of spongeing each and every leaf. Then all surfaces.

Whilst I could indeed just leave it as its likely doing no harm, 1 I'd rather take zero chances, 2 I want my tank looking pretty. Haha.
I will then continue with reduced hours of lighting down from 10 to 8/6/4....not decided yet.

Not the most exciting day to look forward to but IMO the best solution.

Cole mccallister

hmm i don`t know what to say to this but algae is not always light related as i have been using sunlight on tanks for the plant eaters but i have never managed to crop any algae and i hate waffers as they cloud water and.... getting a bit off subject sorry anyways if it was just a day then it could not have been that as mine have been open since summer and no algae (except brown stuff that grows in the filter which has no light unrelated matter) so this is a very pressing and confusing matter for your situation perhaps you could run a small current from the filter over the moss this might be slow but should work over time or you could hand pick the algae off with tweasers or barehand but any method will take time lol.