Re: causes of algae growth

[Mark Fisher <Mark.Fisher at tpwd_state.tx.us>]

Steve wrote:

>If you have been unfortunate enough to get "black brush" algae, (furry
>short tufts) you can discourage the growth by keeping pH below 7. Its a
>marine algae and flourishes at high pH. 

Black brush is a marine algae?  Then what is it doing in freshwater
tanks?  Vacationing? ;-)

Seriously, though, the dreaded black brush algae is definitely a
freshwater species.  The black/gray-green color is a characteristic of
the freshwater red algae.  Marine red algae are red colored, due to the
presence of the photosynthetic pigment phycoerthryin.  This pigment is
greatly reduced in the freshwater species.

Although I have never had an outbreak of BBA, I suspect the culprit is
probably Acrochaetium sp. (=Audouinella sp.) or Batrachospermum sp.
These are two common freshwater red algae that grow in tufts, and are
gray or olive-green in color.

Regards,

Mark

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