Red Dust Algae?

[wunderkind]

I have had a problem with green dust algae before, and didn't know how to get rid of it. I have since started EI and wiping glass during water change, but a weird thing has happened, the algae on the glass has started to turn a reddish color.

Is this the algae dying, or has the extra iron or nitrate caused it. I would try reducing iron, but I got the plantex + iron from Greg so I really can't cut it without cutting all micros.

Thanks for the help.

 

[Tom Barr]

Re: Red Dust Algae?

Sounds like it is dying.

Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[detlef]

Re: Red Dust Algae?

Hi,

please keep us updated about what and how the "red dust" is doing in your tank. I'm dealing with the same problem since more than a year both red and green dust growing along together. IMHO upping KNO3 and/or Fe seems to give (at least) the red one a spurt. It prefers to grow in darker corners (whereas the green species likes higher lighting) on black silicone, black suction cups, black plastic tubing. It attaches in low light areas on the rear glass where I don't clean regularly. Also it grows near the substrate on the white roots of Ceratopteris which take a dark reddish color after a while and dye away some weeks later. I still have not found a way to rid the alga.

All in all a minor problem but doesn't contribute to the overall look of the tank.

Regards,
Detlef

 

[wunderkind]

Re: Red Dust Algae?

Good news, after I scraped it, it never came back, so I believe that it was just dead. Thank goodness.

EI is the greatest. It is working perfectly in my tank.


Also, the green dust on the other walls is turning almost white or red in other places and thinning out. I believe that I am finally winning the war.

To celebrate I bought a vey nice specimin of brown Wendtii at my LFS that looks very nice next to my Rubin sword. When the Algae clears and I can borrow my girlfriends 5.0 digital camera, I will post pics to the site. My tank is about 1/3 to 1/2 full of plants, but I will be adding more plants and more light soon now that things are finally going well.

thanks so much.

 

[wunderkind]

Re: Red Dust Algae?

Detlef, is the algae growing in low light areas diatoms i.e. brown algae, it fits the descrition?

 

[detlef]

Re: Red Dust Algae?

Hi,

in my case it is definitely neither a brown nor a diatom alga. Congrats to you for winning the fight. Some day I'll also start with EI I suppose.

Regards,
Detlef