Algae? Or something else?

[Seb2502]

I have a 6 gallon aquarium that’s been running for about a year.
I put 3 blue dream shrimp in it and they’ve since multiplied to 7 (maybe more)

It’s heavily planted with guppy grass, jungle val, and Pearl weed.

The substrate is an organic garden soil capped with 2” of gravel.

It’s had this type of algae or something growing on the plants and glass for a while now. It hasn’t affected the plant growth or the shrimps at all as everything is breeding and multiplying. The gravel is covered in about a quarter inch of what I believe is mulm.

I’ve tried leaving the light off for a few days at a time and it didn’t work at getting rid of the algae.
Not really sure how to explain what it looks like but I added pictures to hopefully help.
Also my Gh is low, My kH is very high, and my pH is high. Nitrates and Nitrites are next to nothing.

If anyone can identify it or help me get rid of it I’d very much appreciate it thanks.

 

[mbsqw1d]

How long do you usually keep the light on for?

What do you feed the shrimp and how often?

 

[I Like Rare Fish]

Looks like hair Algae. Flagfish eat that up.

 

[NannaLou]

Looks like hair Algae. Flagfish eat that up.

I thought that too, I have s toothbrush (bought and only used for the tanks) and that’s quite effective for removing lumps of this stuff. Sort of ‘stir’ with the toothbrush and it comes away quite quickly.
Others will give advice on lighting etc.

 

[Seb2502]

How long do you usually keep the light on for?

What do you feed the shrimp and how often?

The light is on for roughly 12 hours a day

To be completely honest I haven’t fed the shrimp a single time since I got them besides today when I boiled a slice of zucchini but they’ve been thriving so I didn’t even bother

 

[Seb2502]

Looks like hair Algae. Flagfish eat that up.

I thought so as well

 

[Seb2502]

I thought that too, I have s toothbrush (bought and only used for the tanks) and that’s quite effective for removing lumps of this stuff. Sort of ‘stir’ with the toothbrush and it comes away quite quickly.
Others will give advice on lighting etc.

I would but any time I disturb it, it just breaks up and dirtys the tank. I’m going to constantly be vacuuming the stuff that’s covering the gravel so I can at least try to see what I’m working with

 

[mbsqw1d]

The light is on for roughly 12 hours a day

To be completely honest I haven’t fed the shrimp a single time since I got them besides today when I boiled a slice of zucchini but they’ve been thriving so I didn’t even bother

Yeh I'd say your photoperiod of 12 hours is too long. 10 hours is the very most that plants need. I'd look to drop down to 8 hours per day and work up to 10 depending on the algae situation.

Algae in a planted tank is a sign of excess of something (light, nutrients or co2). Algae takes advantage of what the plants don't utilise. Have a go at removing as much of the hair algae as possible and go down to 8hrs per day. See how its looking after 2-3 weeks

 

[j j m]

as above cut your lighting down