Re: Odoriforous Aquaria

To: Aquatic-Plants at actwin_com
Subject: Re: Odoriforous Aquaria
From: Stephen.Pushak at saudan_HAC.COM
Date: Fri, 27 Oct 95 8:46:15 PDT
In-Reply-To: <199510270739.DAA27541 at looney_actwin.com>; from "Aquatic-Plants-Owner at actwin_com" at Oct 27, 95 3:39 am
Mailer: Elm [revision: 70.85]

> From: krandall at world_std.com (Karen A Randall)
> Carol,
> 
> > I have a question I've never seen asked before. What does a heal
> > smell like? <G> My plant tanks have a STRONG odor, I think it sm
> > algae, but I don't really know how to describe it. They do have 
> > been cycling through different kinds, right now there is (I thin
> > Slime. Signed, Just Wondering!
> 
> What you smell is the "slime algae". (cyanobacteria)  I haven't 
> experienced _all_ the different permutations of algae problems, 
> (yet<g>) but unless a tank has someting dead in it, the only time 
> I've smelled a "smelly" aquarium, it harbord cyanobacteria.

The blue-green slimey algae which usually forms near the surface
of a tank (but can grow elsewhere if bits of it get blown there)
has a fairly strong algae smell. I wouldn't class it anywhere near
the smell of a decomposing fish (esp. in the air) but it is
noticeable. I think that's what Karen is referring to by "slime
algae" since it is cyanobacteria. Other algaes are higher up the
evolutionary ladder. If you take a bit of the algae and sniff it
and its the same as the smell you are concerned about that's it!

Steve