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fuzz algae
Hi, sorry I haven't responded to any of the questions, my oldest started
Kindergarten this week and we are trying to adjust :)
Checked out www.aquaticscape.com. Very informative, nice site. I do have
some of the fuzz algae on some of my stems but this isn't the nightmare
algae I've been talking about. I don't see mine on the site.
It isn't the same as what Travis has either. His looks darker than mine and
is short and tuft-like. His reminds me of BBA. Mine are longer, (tiny
diameter) filaments that are branched. It isn't soft looking like BBA.
More coarse.
In answer to Scott H., you can't easily pull it off anything. It sticks
like it is glued. I can pick up a piece of Flourite and where it has spread
to other pieces it all comes out. Like long filaments gluing pieces
together every inch or so. It is more irritating than any algae I've ever
dealt with! When it gets in plants like riccia or moss, you just have to
toss the plant.
In answer to Chuck, I do find little pieces in water column periodically. I
snatch out every single piece I can find. My 4 leaf clover and glosso beds
have big holes where I rip out big chunks trying to remove it! Plenty of
iron? Hmmm, I do add iron but only about 2-3 mL a week in a 92 gallon.
(along with 8 mL of Flourish Potassium, 1 tsp of Equilibrium, 1/2 tsp of
Alkaline Buffer, nitrate and phosphate as needed and 30-40 mL of TMG). I
add the Equilibrium and Alkaline Buffer at water changes and the other stuff
is spaced out in 3 increments over the week. The full bleach treatment? Oh
man, I was hoping to avoid that. I am checking the tank and ripping out
daily. My CO2 is ok I think, it is on a controller and set to 6.7. I don't
really notice the algae as much in shaded areas but in places with lots of
light, it grows very quickly. I had to toss my algae ball today, I had
ripped hunks out of it and it still had lots of small tufts on it and the
ball was in a fairly shaded spot. It is growing on my driftwood now and all
in the Christmas moss on it.
Hi Paul, how about sending us some of that rain? I haven't found a picture
of Oedogonium so I don't know what it looks like but think I have
Cladophora. It did take a long/potent dip to kill it and I had to go more
than 4 minutes. Just kept stirring it till the algae turned brown! Clover,
glosso, java fern, anubias, moss, Fluorite and riccia are popular spots. It
has gotten on plants that were growing very well (glosso, riccia, anubias)
as well as ones that weren't (java fern). The red barclayas were very small
and still very tender. I knew it was a mistake but was getting desperate...
The java ferns are a lovely blackish shade now.
Scott H. is right, none of the pictures on aquaticscape are my algae. This
stuff is impossible to rip off plants, you definitely can't remove it from
plants without leaving some. It grows in long clumps if that makes sense.
It is similar to the algae balls, color is almost the same but filaments are
longer, looser and not compact. It grows larger and creates larger, looser
"balls" as well. Not the tight compact solid mass of the regular Cladophora
balls. More like big loose clumps, you can see through most of it except
very center.
My algae receded at one time as well. Not a clue why. Apparently, I didn't
record enough info in my log :( It creates big ugly clumps if I don't see it
and remove it. It can't be peeled off though. Even big golf ball sized
clumps are impossible to remove from whatever they stick to. I don't find
it as often in shade but my algae ball was in shade and had clumps all over
it.
Chris, never tried platies or rosy barbs although I know you've always liked
them. Wonder if they would give my discus any static?
Tried black out, nope, didn't work. Even took some and stuck it in a jar
and covered it completely for several weeks. Didn't bother it at all.
Thanks so very much to everyone who is trying to help, I really, really
appreciate it!
Daphne, who now sees giant clumps of this algae every time I close my eyes!