Tom

I looked in one of my tanks and noticed some of the rocks had the usual green algae with some white algae on top. What would cause that?
Tom

atmmachine816

Could be leftover flake food going bad? Does it scrap off real easy?

Tom

I don't use flakes, I use the granueles. It is hard to scrap off with my fingers, but when I use a algae sponge, it comes off like the regular algae(easy).
Tom

Isabella

It could be (1) white fungus growing over whatever the leftover food, or (2) white staghorn algae. Here is more info on this type of algae, as well as on all algae types: http://plantgeek.net/article_viewer.php?id=9

This is the close-up picture of the white staghorn algae: http://plantgeek.net/articles/gg_alg.../staghorn1.jpg

Tom

It looks like the white staghorn. How would I go about removing it? Would a pleco be good enough to get rid of it?
Tom

Isabella

Tom, read that article from Plant Geek about algae. It says how to remove all kins of algae there, and it gives specific algae eaters for specific algae. I wouldn't know better than that article.

armadillo

Wow, never knew there was such a thing as white algae.

Sabi

White algae, brown algae, even blue algae , green spot is the worst!!

Isabella

There's also an algae type called cyano-bacteria which is the worst type of algae because it is actually toxic to fish! It is blue-green in color. It's very rare though.

Sabi

Awww! I was kidding when i said blue algae and its for real! I sincerely hope that thing doesnt make its way to my tank!

Isabella

I'm sure it won't I've never known anybody with cyano-bacteria in his/her tank

Trpimp147

im still trying to get algae to grow in my tank, the only thing i have is this dark orange looking stuff or kinda brown, im gessing its brown algae but i want lush greeen algae.

armadillo

Brown algae kinda goes after a while. Am dying for some green algae in my oto tank at the mo.

Isabella

In my 10 gallon tank, before I've put some snails in there, I've had my entire back tank wall covered in green algae. I let it grow on purpose, kind of liked it, lol. My snails ate all of the algae. I've noticed that green algae (at least in my 10 gallon tank) tends to grow well in very clean water (0 PPM of nitrate for the most part, 5 ppm at most).

bhcaaron

Actually guys, I just read an article on Drs. Foster and Smith's catalog, page 66 about Red Slime Algae. In part i states this:

"Red Slime Algae are unsightly, aggressive algae commonly found in many saltwater aquariums. Though they are commonly referred to as algae, they are not "true" algae, but are cyanobacteria. These microscopic organisms thrive in underwater environments where excess nutrients and poor water conditions are present."

I know they are not good, but, unsightly? I actually thought it looked pretty! lol

Isabella

Cool piece of info. The good news is it says "saltwater" not "freshwater" tanks, lol Though there are red algae in newly set up freshwater tanks that are not cyano-bacteria but the red diatoms (which are not really algae).

bhcaaron

Oops! I'm trigger happy!

armadillo

I've re-read the Plantgeek article you link, Isabella. Great reference, thanks.