Green dust algae and herbivores

Tom Barr

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Re: Green dust algae and herbivores

That can beat it up pretty good.
I'd scrub first real good, , do a big water change asap, no ferts/CO2 etc.

I think there are likely a few different things that can beat it.
I had it very juicy in my 10 gal with high light ADA soil etc. It was even on the surface making a thick bubbly film.

It's totally gone now. I tossed some plant trimmings in there and did not plant them. I did nothing more to the tank actually.

Regards,
Tom Barr
 

jrneuzil

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Re: Green dust algae and herbivores

Ok then. Lights went back on today after being off or two. I did an extra day because my real life got in the way. No Ferts yesterday or today and will start again tommorow morning. Tank was crystal clear this moring and will see how the next few days and into next week goes.

JR
 

mfbonfante

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Re: Green dust algae and herbivores

Hi Tom. During last month I have been dealing with many types of algae: BGA->GS->staghorn->BBA->green threat->this new stuff. Ones that one if defeated, a new one rings the bell!.

Now I have in windows and some illuminated leaves a very bright, pale green coat. To the naked eye, they look like a homogeneous coat, with no vertical grow.

What would be this new creature, GDA?. What would be the causes that benefits or encourage its grow?. Would blackout helps?. My fertilizing procedures could be considered standard to EI, as well as the CO2 level.

Regards,


Mariano
 

Tom Barr

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Re: Green dust algae and herbivores

C-
No specifically GDa => green dust algae
GSA=> green spot algae(PO4/CO2 related)

Mariano-

Hi Tom. During last month I have been dealing with many types of algae: BGA->GS->staghorn->BBA->green threat->this new stuff. Ones that one if defeated, a new one rings the bell!.

Now I have in windows and some illuminated leaves a very bright, pale green coat. To the naked eye, they look like a homogeneous coat, with no vertical grow.

What would be this new creature, GDA?. What would be the causes that benefits or encourage its grow?. Would blackout helps?. My fertilizing procedures could be considered standard to EI, as well as the CO2 level.

Sounds like GDA to me.
Does it feel soft and wipe off easily?

Try the routine I've suggested for GDA algae here if so.
GDA does seem pretty light dependent, I have high light and also get direct sunlight if I open the windows, that's the best GDA growth I seem to get.
But that's all gone now even.

Regards,
Tom Barr
 

reiverix

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Re: Green dust algae and herbivores

Well, I couldn't stand to look at my tank anymore so I cleaned it today, 2 days shy of 2 weeks worth of GDA growth. It was very strong along the bottom half and very weak, brown even, along the top half. It had developed long, flowing strings of growth but was no longer spreading. I removed the plants (java ferns) and bleached them. I scraped the glass and siphoned the green goo before it entered the water column.

I can say that it's much easier to remove at this stage than it is when trying to attack it early. I left a few little spots behind like in the corners. I'll see if it spreads or stays put.

We'll see what happens. I did redose my ferts for the day. This is 55g with 80w NO Fluoro and pressurized Co2.
 

jrneuzil

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Re: Green dust algae and herbivores

Day Three and still no sign of GDA return. I am seeing a bit of thread algae appear that I have not had a problem with before.

JR
 

mfbonfante

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Re: Green dust algae and herbivores

Sounds like GDA to me.
Does it feel soft and wipe off easily?

No,I have to use a scraper. To the nake eye it look like a cluster of very tiny green spots,very close to each other, smaller than GSA.

Why do a new type of algae appears just before an old one is deffeated?. Should I desassamble the setup and sterilyze?. What is your advice?.

Looking forward,

Mariano
 

Tom Barr

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Re: Green dust algae and herbivores

Well, sounds like both of you have finally cycle the GDA away.

Your comments etc are simiar to my observations also.
A new species often appears as one exits, this is common in terrestrial systems also. Succession.

But the smaller GSA is easy to deal with, up the CO2 and keep up on things it'll not bug you.

Regards,
Tom Barr
 

reiverix

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Re: Green dust algae and herbivores

GDA is starting to return but it's taken it 5 days to become noticeable rather than the usual 5 hours so I'd say I almost got it. I'll leave it alone for 2 SOLID weeks and then remove it all. Last time I waited 12 days and I left some remaining to observe. I'd say the method works well.
 

jrneuzil

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Re: Green dust algae and herbivores

Still no sign of GDA. I too would see it appear in a matter of hours but it is still gone. Keeping my fingers crossed. Going on eight days.

JR
 

Tom Barr

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Re: Green dust algae and herbivores

Hummmm........well, I'm still leary, but it looks like a method in the works.
Let's see how long it stays away, 7-8 days is pretty good and the method does not take any effort.

Regards,
Tom Barr
 

mfbonfante

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Re: Green dust algae and herbivores

I left for 3 days a blackout, no CO2, no ferts at all. After that, full window scrape. Two days later, only few signs.

Mariano

PD: Furcata has grown in the dark!. Where does it take the energy from?.
 

Tom Barr

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Re: Green dust algae and herbivores

You need to wait about 1 week till declare anything.

Regards,
Tom Barr
 

reiverix

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Re: Green dust algae and herbivores

This I think is a pretty good representation of the cycle I am seeing.

untitled_637081.JPG


First, a thin green dust begins to form on the glass (not shown).

Then, the layer of dust fills in until it become a mat. (not shown).

Next, the green mat begins to grow strands that eventually ripple in the current (shown in lower half).

After a while, the hair begins to disappear, leaving a green mat (shown in middle).

Then parts of this green mat begin to brown (shown).

And eventually die back, leaving a white/grey residue that resembles mold growing on a book cover (shown on top).

The GDA retreats and the algae line drops lower and lower.

The plants in the tank are fine.

Is this anything like what you've observed, Tom?


Oddly enough, this is still only happening in the 55g. It happened with external reactor and glass diffuser, fish and no fish, high light and full Ei, low light and half EI, fast growing stems or just java ferns, wood and no wood, 100% RO and 100% tap, 4 x 48" t-5 HOs in a tek light down to 2 NO flouros in a shoplight, every possible configuration.

The 1.3, 2.5 and 10 don't have the problem. The 1.3 (13w PC, no filter, EI 50%) and 2.5 (26w PC, no filter, EI 50%) are full of little bugs, the size of extremely fine mist bubbles, the ones so small they don't rise. These guys and the 2x excel dosing may be keeping them from having problems.

The 10 (65w PC, no filter, pressurized Co2, full EI) has a few bugs but is still rather new, just recently leaving the brown algae phase.

The 55 that has always had GD is filtered with a 2026. If anything, it should be in the best shape of them all. I'm very confused.

The only things that I can attribute to the good tanks is either the Aquasoil or the cool rounded corners and trimless design :)

Maybe some of your cleanliness rubbed off on them :)
 

mfbonfante

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Re: Green dust algae and herbivores

After a week, the glasses were covered with GDA again, not as badly as before.

I have tried a 3 days blackout, with neither CO2 nor fertilizer.

This week I will try no fertilizer, and limited CO2 (my KH is 4 degrees, PH 6.6, CO2 mist).

I have read abour no CO2, but in that case PH wil rise over 7.4. I don't know if plant could stand that for some days.

Mariano
 

VaughnH

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Re: Green dust algae and herbivores

I don't think you missed anything. I'm expecting to read about some very tiny cattle that graze on algae - the next best thing after CO2 mist!!

Seriously, what the heck are they???
 

reiverix

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Re: Green dust algae and herbivores

Are we talking about copepods and the like?

I think I have them in my 1.3 and 2.5 and those tanks pretty much never have algae on the glass.

I'll try to seed them into my 55g and see if they establish a colony.

Some copepods are predatory or parasitic but I don't think mine are for the simple fact that these tanks have no shrimp or fish in them. Parasites would die, not thrive and reproduce. Just plants and these little guys and a some limpets.

Copepods eat algal cells. They can eat particles down to a size of 5 microns.

Whatever I have in my tanks has the diameter of a sheet of paper, hangs out on the glass and moves quickly with darting movements of about .25 inch at a time, like little hops. Sometimes when free swimming it'll go an inch or two before taking a quick pause. If they were half their size I don't think the eye could see them. They're the width of a fine human hair.

I bet 10 or more could fit into the size of an average limpet.