Fuzzy Algae Identification And Treatment

[Cameronb_01]

Hi Guys,
 
The stuff attached in the picture has been growing in my planted discus tank. What is it? And how do I treat it?
 
Best wishes,
 
Cameron

 

[ChadAT]

That's actually a type of bacteria cloud. They form off of decaying remnants of food, plants and fish etc. Remove the debris and the bacteria cloud with a gravel vac and you'll be good to go. You need to clean your gravel more often.

 

[Byron]

Bacterial or perhaps fungal, but I agree to keep the substrate clean, run the water changer over all of it at each water change, lightly going into the substrate.  Having some snails helps here, because they will eat any food that falls to the bottom, along with fish excrement, plant matter, anything organic basically, and this breaks it down faster for the various bacteria to get at it.
 
By snails I mean the small common ones like Malaysian Livebearing Snails (ideal), pond or acute bladder snails.  Large snails have other issues.
 
Byron.

 

[Cameronb_01]

Would Amano shrimp/Siamese algae eaters do the trick?

 

[Byron]

Would Amano shrimp/Siamese algae eaters do the trick?

 
No on the Siamese Algae Eaters.  Plus they get large, and being a shoaling fish need a group, and they can be active and quarrelsome, all of which would not bode well for discus.
 
As for shrimp, having never had them I don't know, but I would rather doubt shrimp would eat fungus/bacterial slime, but if someone else knows they will, fine.
 
Something else to consider, is a check of several other aspects which can contribute to this sort of problem.  Organics, plant fertilizers, light, fish foods, fish load, water changes, filter cleaning, water additives, GH...all this can be a part of any issue related to organics.

 

[mark4785]

I have a planted Discus aquarium too and I keep Corydoras since they will often, on top of having their own catfish food, eat the remnants of food that the Discus don't manage to consume. This ensures that bacteria will not form on the substrate. It will only be a fungal infection if there is a fusty smell and from experience I only know that fungal growths propagate in stagnant places that never get cleaned or disturbed (i.e. bits of the filtration system or the wet rim of the tank).