What is it?? Algae? How get rid of it?

**WendysWorld** · 04-05-2012, 01:35 PM

It seems I have an outbreak of something…..algae?? What is it?

Please see attached photos.

Tank Info:
50 gallon
1 month in operation (19 days fishless cycling, high temperature, no cleaning or water changes since then)
NOT near a window, and lighting fixture is partially broken so rarely used
1/2 substrate black and white quartz sand
1/2 substrate rocks
no fertilizers or peat moss, etc
only two live java plants, all rest decor is fake plastic/ceramic
added mulm from a cycled tank's substrate about 2 weeks ago

Growth is brownish/blackish hairy/fuzzy all overy the sand substrate. You can see spots of it on the rock decorations also. Likely on the rock substrate, but can't see it as easily. (Photos attached). Not green like have usually seen algae appear and nothing visible on aquarium glass as I have seen algae.

Need to know what it is and how to get rid of it before adding the fish and disturbing their world to do whatever it takes to get rid of it!

Is it good idea or bad idea to vaccum some of it off the sand substrate and see if it returns, and how quickly? But if choose this option would mean doing PWC which would lower ammonia and need to redose the tank. Bad idea? Good idea?

Whatever it is, it is fast growing!! If it is algae, and it grows this fast without lights on more than 1/2 - 1 hour a day and so few plants.....holy cow! What will happen when we put fish in there and want more plants and the lights on more often?

**Taurus** · 04-05-2012, 01:48 PM

Originally Posted by WendysWorld

Growth is brownish/blackish hairy/fuzzy all overy the sand substrate. You can see spots of it on the rock decorations also. Likely on the rock substrate, but can't see it as easily. (Photos attached). Not green like have usually seen algae appear and nothing visible on aquarium glass as I have seen algae.

It's probably an out brake of Diatoms.

Please read Dave's Algae Primer here:

http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aqua...ad.php?t=24570