Can anyone identify this algae?

Question

Ok, there is this funky algae type stuff growing in my 10 gal tropical fish tank. It started when I was dumb and bought plants from a bad pet store, then I got snails, now I have this... Pic at http://www.cherilynlester.com/algae.html

What is it? Is it harmful? How do I get rid of it???

Ok, let me make some clarifications that might help...

I've seen staghorn & blue/green algae, even brown - its none of the above.

It grows on the glass, rocks, and ornaments, but NOT on the plants. It grows very, very rapidly, but in a wierd way. It kind of "crawls" across the glass, leaving nothing behind it, but getting wider as it grows. It usually "crawls" at about an inch per hour - much faster than any algae I've ever seen.

It is VERY easy to remove. Fish brushing up against it have removed large areas. It grows very flat, like ivy climbing up a wall...

I'm starting to think it might be a fungus or something. The picture of that small "bloom" (the last picture) grew to be about 8 inches wide and was 6 inches up the glass within just a few hours. That doesn't sound like blue, green OR brown algae to me... And it doesn't look like staghorn - it has a very distinct "branching" pattern, where it splits off and widens as it grows.

Any ideas?

Answer 1

It is a typical green/blue algae. Staghorn, perhaps.

There are a few ways to control algae. Also, monitor your lighting and excess food in the tank.

Algae are mostly-photosynthetic organisms that sometimes resemble plants but are not plants, having no true roots, stems or leaves. Algae grow in freshwater and saltwater. Saltwater algae are sometimes referred to as "seaweed." Like plants, algae require light and nutrients to grow. We supply plenty of both in our aquariums, with several hours of aquarium lighting a day and nutrients like nitrates and phosphates from fish waste.

Algae come in many forms. There are microscopic, one-celled algae, filamentous algae that resemble hair, algae that grow in sheets, and macroalgae that look like plants. There are even algae that live inside the outer integument ("skin") or calcium shell of some corals, anemones, and other sessile invertebrates called zooxanthellae. There are slimy-looking algae that are often not algae at all, but a colony of primitive photosynthetic organisms known as cyanobacteria. There are also very hard-to-remove little dots of green that sometimes grow on aquarium panels which also are not algae, but diatom or radiolarian colonies (microscopic, one-celled, animals with hard shells) with algae incorporated in their matrix. With all that said, let us answer some common questions right up front:

Algae growth is inevitable in an aquarium.
Algae consume nutrients in the aquarium that if allowed to accumulate, are harmful to fish. Algae can be a good thing.
The presence of green algae in an aquarium indicates a healthy environment for fish.
There is absolutely no way to completely prevent algae from growing in an aquarium, without killing the other life in the tank.
Chemicals should never be used to control the growth of true algae in an aquarium, and should only be used in rare circumstances to control cyanobacteria.
Correcting a severe algae problem requires time and patience.
Natural methods of controlling algae are the best and most effective.

Algae removal from the tank panels can be done on an as-needed basis, but no more than once a week. Removing algae involves either correcting negative water conditions to control or slow excessive algae growth, or an age-old process known as "elbow grease" (scrubbing it off!). Algae removal in an aquarium should be done only when necessary. We have seen many aquariums where daily removal of algae resulted in fish that were so stressed, most had diseases and were dying. You should never remove all of the algae from your tank. Allowing some algae to grow in the aquarium can be beneficial to the aquatic environment.

When algae is removed from aquarium side panels, care should be taken to select an algae scrubber that will not hurt the finish of an aquarium. Be careful not to get gravel caught in an algae scrubbing pad where it can scratch the aquarium. Never use household cleaning pads to remove algae. They contain fungicides that kill fish.

First, test the water you are filling up your tank with. Many public water supplies (our homes) have a concentration of nitrates at around 7ppm or higher. (Bottled water is no better).
This could be the start of your problem.
Be sure your tank is not within direct or indirect lighting such as a window or in a room where the lights are on constantly. Is you tank near a heat source. Sometimes we do not take into consideration a fishtank is near a heat register which can and does add additional temperature changes to your tank.

be sure to clean the filter as well? Be sure the entire filter is cleaned and free of algae.

Use a razor or scraper and gently scrape all sides of your tank. Clean your gravel and return it to the tank as well.

If you have a stick on thermometer, get yourself a floating one. The stick on thermometers pick up ambient air temperatures from OUTSIDE the tank and can be up to 10 degrees off. DON"T trust them.

You can also purchase phosphorus pads for around $2.00 at your local pet store. These can be cut to fit with your filter and remove large amounts of phosphorus. These can be reused over and over just remember to rinse them out well when you clean your tank.

Test your water. You will want to scrape the sides of the tank and do a water change no more than 20% every other day. This should only be done if the algae returns in a heavy form.

If you need any more help, you can im or email me.

Answer 2

Hi You seem to have hair algae, on the rocks, lots of rock anemones. The green thread like algae with flat heads at the ends is button caulerpa. Let this algae remain as you can export your nitrates & phosphates by removing some of the algae periodically. The shiny bubbles that you see on the coating type algae is in fact slime algae. This is a bacteria not algae. You must be having nitrates & phosphates in your tank water. Also check if you have silicates in your water. Use reverse osmosis water to top & also when you change water.

Answer 3

Looks like Staghorn algae to me and it isn't harmful. Without knowing much more about your tank. You should cut down on the amount of time your tank gets lighting and see if that stops the growth. Also remove any of the staghorn that you find.

Answer 4

Looks like staghorn algae to me as well. compare with photo:
http://www.aquaticscape.com/articles/algae/staghorn1.jpg

These web pages give some alternative (biological, rather than chemical) methods of control to those in above websites (NOTE: in the second, you'll find this listed as a red algae [ Rhodophyta]):

http://www.aqua-fish.net/show.php?cur_lang=2&what=article&id=88
http://www.floridadriftwood.com/algae_identification.html

ADDITION: It's possible that it could be a type of fungi - the branching pattern looks like hyphal growth, but I've never seen a species like this in an aquarium. If you have any large universities near you, you might want to take a sample to their biology department if they have a mycologist (fungal specialist - preferred) or a microbiologist on staff. Google universities in your area an look at the department/staff directories to see if such a person exists in your area. I'll take a look through some of my texts to see if I can find a fungus resembling this.

ADDITION 2:
I think I might have an answer for you - Plasmodium, a slime mold, can be found in aquaria - there are a series of photos about 1/4 down the page: http://waynesword.palomar.edu/slime1.htm What's shown is white, but there are several kinds of this! If this is like the terrestrial versions, it would be fast growing, as well.

It feeds on bacteria and organic nutrients. Because it forms spores which will be in the water, you'll almost need to break down the tank and sterilize everything in it to rid your tank of it.

Answer 5

i have never seen that before, there is algea killing medication available at pet stores, but i cant even tell if that is algea or something else.