Algae identification

Seb2502 said:

I have this algae growing on a few of my plants and I was wondering what it was. It is very easy to remove but it just keeps coming back. I’m thinking maybe it’s the same algae on the glass? I’m planning on getting otocinclus to help clean it up if they’ll even eat it.
if anyone can tell me what it is please lmk! ThanksView attachment 153289View attachment 153290

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StripySnailGirl04 said:

No idea what type of algae it is but nerite snails are pro vacum cleaners. What are you water parameters and hardness?

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TwoTankAmin said:

Pictures are poor. If it is slimey abd comes off easily, it is called blue green algae but is actually a bacteria called cyanobacteria.

When I say comes of easily I mean you can suck it off a leaf with an airline as a siphon.

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Colin_T said:

Blue Green Algae (Cyanobacter bacteria). It's a photosynthetic bacteria that loves nutrients, low oxygen levels, red light and dirty tanks. It can also grow in clean tanks. It comes in a range of colours including green, blue, black, red, brown, pink and purple.

Reduce the dry food going into the tank.

Do big daily water changes and gravel clean the substrate. Try to suck out the Cyanobacteria.
Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it's added to the tank.

Increase aeration and water movement, especially around the bottom half of the tank.

If you have light globes that are over 12 months old, replace them with globes that have a 6500K (K is for Kelvin) rating. If you have LEDs, increase the blue, white and green light.

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Colin_T said:

It won't hurt to have 2 sponge filters in a big tank.

If it's a new tank that is cycling, then the Cyanobacteria probably came in on plants and is having fun growing in the new tank with lots of ammonia. Try to remove as much as possible each day and it should go after the tank has cycled.

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