Are Green Dust Algaes same like Volvox?

Petex

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Hello,
I have green algaes on the glas that looks like Green Dust algae.
The algae also is on the surface of the water. After using the mikroskop I identify the algae as a Volvox (Chlamydomas (reinhartii) - well, but is this at last the same like "Green dust algae"?

The tank (0.6gal / 2.5L) is new (ca. 6weeks old):
PH 6.5
KH 3
PO4 2mg
N 20mg
FE 0.2mg
Co2 injection

The Plants (Elatine hydropiper, Elatine Triandra, Rotalla/Blyxia) are growing fine and this dust algae appears after cutting all the plants. And the algae is really very annyoing, cleaning the glas didn´t help - it seems like the algae "swims" and will find the way back. :p
I m sure UVC can kill it, but the tank (0.6gal / 2.5L) is too tiny for any filtering.

So, how to get rid off it?
Can "Aspirin" kill it -or- are perhaps Daphnia a working solution?
(I putted some snails in the tank, but it looks like they only eat the algae on the glass but not from the water surface)
thx Peter
 
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Biollante

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Hydrogen Production

Hi Peter,

No, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii is a mobile alga that swims (has 2 flagella) generally toward the light. :)

Take a close look under a microscope or good magnifying glass and you should be able to see an “eye spot” (Pyrenoid), it is a point of carbon fixation.

Chlamydomonas reinhardtii are interesting among other things they can live without light, assuming when carbon and energy source is available and if illuminated can grow without carbon. :eek:

Biollante
 

Biollante

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In Addition...

Hi Peter,

I should add the above my-ever-humble-potted-plant opinion. :gw

I am aware Tom Barr has determined Green Dust Algae to be the zoospores of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, though I have never witnessed the growth of GDA to C. reinhardtii, I am nobody to say it does not.

I would trust Tom Barr’s identification over my own. :)
{You have to know a “but” is coming}

Though it is possible that what we refer to as GDA may in fact be the zoospore of any of a number of algae, there seems to be no agreement on what GDA is.:confused:

In any case the thing afflicting your tank is simply under the heading of new tank syndrome.

In my-ever-humble-potted-plant opinion is a result of insufficient cycling of the tank and/or addition of too many critters too quickly.

Biollante
 

Tom Barr

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No, it's not that species....C reinhartii, it is Akineoscedesmus, the zoospore stage, so they are motile.
Plenty of discussion about GDA cures.


Regards,
Tom Barr
 

Petex

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Hallo and thanks

insufficient cycling of the tank
Yes, there is unfortunalty no filter/pump installed.
The tank is imo to small for this, but I also think that no water movement + the T4 lighting is somehow a problem.

Chlamydomonas reinhardtii are interesting among other things they can live without light, assuming when carbon and energy source is available and if illuminated can grow without carbon.
So did this mean turning the lights off will not help in this case?
N + P are currently droping to 0 and I noticed that much less algae are today in the tank.
So will it perhaps help to stop fertilize for a few days?
How many days can I hold N + P @zero without getting serios plant or other algae problems?

Plenty of discussion about GDA cures.
Yes, that may be true - the problem is still that my english is not that good.
So this makes it a little bit difficult for me to find the right topics with the search box.

best regards
Peter
 

Tom Barr

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Green Dust algae: GDA

http://www.barrreport.com/search.php?searchid=420789

In general, too much light, slightly poor CO2 seem to be most of the issues and the cure.
I've not found any issues with nutrients over a wide range.

I've tried inoculation from one of my tanks to others and was unable to infect the other aquariums(which had good CO2 and the same light PAR as well as nutrient dosing).
Once the CO2 was corrected, I was unable to maintain the culture.

Small tank, without filter, lots of light and CO2 is poor...well, that is asking for trouble and algae.

I also suggested just leaving the tank alone, letting the algae do its cycle and after 3-4 weeks, go a ahead to clean it off, often it will not come back.
If you keep cleaning it before the next stage in it's life history occurs, it will keep this stage going and annoy you.

It should slough off the glass and then be ready to clean off at that point.

Regards,
Tom Barr
 

Petex

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Hello,
thanks for the reply.
I figured out that the algae follows somehow the light and was able to get ridd off it. The tanks looks meanwhile much better and the algae seems not to come back because there is just only a very thin GDA left that didn´t grow anymore.

But what caused at last this algae and how to prevent it in future?
Many ppl say much K (potassium) causes GDA, but I used a N fertilizer with less Potassium. So why did I had this algae if I dose only less K (potassium) ?

thx. Peter

tk2.jpg
 

Petex

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Hi Biollante,
unfortunatly such flow heads are too big. If you look at the attached image, you will see the smallest availible Nano hang on filter and even this thing looks unbelievible pretty huge/ugly on the tank and is at last too high to get it properly attached.
The tank is tiny. (my hand is bigger than the whole tank)

Obvisiously, external air stone pumps fit and I tried 3x air pumps, but they are all pretty noisy :( and I can´t sleep if such air pumps are working
(the tank stands in my bed room)
thx. Peter

hand.jpg
 
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Biollante

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Stagnant Water-Bad…

Hi Peter,

One way or another you are going to need to move water, I like Tug’s idea.:cool::cool:

Another option, I use this with my under a gallon menagerie, is just change 70 or 80% of the water everyday. :eek: You may find you do not need to add CO2.:)

Biollante
 

Neil Frank

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spelling of the GDA alga

Hi Tom,
I have one tank with GDA, and so i have read all the threds on the subject to help me figure out what caused it, and how to remedy. I was 10 days into the Barr approach when i got frustrated with the thickening green haze on the front glass, so i started to look further. [Intererstingly, the GDA does not appear on the glass immediately in the path of the Hydor koralia pump's flow.]
I am wondering if some of the so-called 'cures' discussed on other sites may be related to induced metal toxicity due to changing water chemistry. If the high Mg:Ca and or low P approach works, then there must be a mechanism. I looked at my 1986 FAMA article which lists copper sensitive algae species, referencing Palmer (1977). I also googled more recent publications to see what they say about copper toxicity and "Akineoscedesmus." Did you mean Ankistrodesmus? Is that the genus you meant? While Volvox is said to be very sensitive to Cu, supporting my hypothesis, the green algae Ankistrodesmus is said to be extremely resistent.
--Neil
 

Petex

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Hi,
Well, finally I agree that poor water circulation may be bad but at last it didn´t explain the algae cause if we know that ppl. with good circulation have GDA, too.
And so if we don´t really know what causes this algae - it still means we can not for sure prevent it by dosing this or that nutrients more or less.

So, I putted more snails in the tank together with few very tiny shrimps.
Tank looks fine and clean since.
Algae wasn´t coming back.

Peter