Is this a form of algae?

[Vexus]

Whatever this is has been building up for a while, I’ll do a large water change and vac a lot of it up but once I refill the tank and everything settles it builds right back up a day or two later. It’s getting tangled in my plants and their to new for me to comfortably remove and attempt to clean them. It also sticks to the gravel so a lot of the time the gravel vac has issue cleaning it and I need to remove portions to clean before putting it back. My theory is it’s being caused by extra food waste from overfeeding (my wife does the night feeding and alot of the time overfeeds). If anyone can help figure this out I’d appreciate it. 

Edited March 30, 2022 by Vexus

[JoeQ]

Does it appear in threads at first? So you see a correlation with fertilizers before it starts to appear? 

[Vexus]

It kind of looks like "dust bunnies" when it starts. Sometimes I'll see it floating around the tank and the fish will bite it then spit it out, other times it just appears on a rock or plant in a thin layer that gets a little thicker after a day or so. I've also found chunks of it when I move rocks to clean under them, usually there is also remains of an algae wafer mixed in which is why I'm thinking its food related. It starts to float around really easy when I go to clean it, but my gravel vac is a basic one and doesn't always do the best job to suck it up for whatever reason (even the free-floating debris sometimes has issues). I've also tried using a net to sift it out but other than the large chunks the net can't pick up much else and what's left over just attracts to itself and makes a mess after the water settles. I just did a 50-75% water change last sat and I really don't want to do another one because of the bacteria drop it will cause. The only other thing I can think of without buying snails or maybe some shrimp is to use something like a turkey baster and try to get it out, but I don't think that will help with the Montecarlo or Water Sprite it wrapped itself around.

[Vexus]

Also, the only fertilizer in the tank is simple green, and I did use a few simple green root tabs when initially planting my Sprite and Montecarlo.

[JoeQ]

Is it sticky? Almost like cobwebs? 

[Vexus]

Sticky I don't think so, but it is like cobwebs. It sticks to rough surfaces or latches onto the gravel and has to be physically removed; the vac won't pull it off. When I use the net to sift it the force of the movement causes it to "disintegrate" and the particles to float back into the tank just to reattach again.

[Vexus]

I guess technically that would count as sticky..... lol

[JoeQ]

IMO i think it is more of a fungi which is  spreading by spores/fragments rather than an algea. If it was a problem i was having I would remove what I could by wrapping it around a pipe cleaner, suck up any free floating spores while water changing (trying not to disturb substrate), and then dose tank with an anti fungal (Ich X) 

[Vexus]

Thank you for the advice, I'll look into fungus treatments. Is there one you would suggest?

 

 

Edit: LOL OMG sorry didn't relies you actually did suggest one. Thanks again

Edited March 30, 2022 by Vexus

[JoeQ]

I love using Ich X which seams realitively harmless to livestock pending you dose by the recommended dose. Good luck and keep us posted of your results! 

[Widgets]

On 3/30/2022 at 4:41 PM, Vexus said:

I've also found chunks of it when I move rocks to clean under them, usually there is also remains of an algae wafer mixed in which is why I'm thinking its food related.

That you are finding it growing under rocks and on uneaten food, I would agree with @Vexus that it is a fungus of some sort.

[Vexus]

So I dosed the tank for about 2 weeks with meds and adjusted the food supply and the fungus or mold or whatever it is has stoped popping up. There is a thin layer of fungus or something on the grape wood but after asking around and doing research I found out that it’s normal for grape wood to develop a thin layer like this. 

[Patrick_G]

A new tank often grows biofilm, especially on wood. It usually goes away after a while. 

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

Well grape wood is notorious for this sort of thing, it's known to rot rather then age in tanks. Tanner from Serpa Designs had a scape that totally failed due to grape wood. I hope I am wrong but it may be part of the source of your issues. Is there an odor to the water?

[Vexus]

No. There are no weird odors or anything. 

[Minanora]

Probably shouldn't fertilize the tank with Simple Green. I mean, it's green, and biodegradable..... 😛 I couldn't resist. We all know you mean Easy Green. 🙂

What kind of fish are in there and what are you feeding? Maybe it's fibrous material from food or poo mixed with algae and wood decay.

[drewzero1]

On 4/12/2022 at 7:53 PM, Minanora said:

Probably shouldn't fertilize the tank with Simple Green. I mean, it's green, and biodegradable..... 😛 I couldn't resist. We all know you mean Easy Green. 🙂

 

I knew that was something too, but couldn't remember what. 😜 Maybe for cleaning the outside of the glass.

[Vexus]

I've got a molly, platy, 2 dwarf gurami, 3 long fin minora tetra, gold skirt tetra(???), 3 hillstream loach, 1 emerald - bronze - albino cory, and some kind of rainbow fish I think (got it a long time ago). As for food I give them xtreme community crave 2 times a day, tetra pro plecowafers once every other day and blood worms once a week or so. I am planning to change over to home made food recipe using veggies, shrimp and gelatin I saw on youtube that looked like a good option once my current supply gets low.

[Minanora]

Hmm. I know the bottomfeeder wafers from xtreme leave pulpy stuff behind if my fish don't polish it off within a few hours. Maybe you're having a similar thing happen with the tetra wafers. Is community crave a flake? I can't remember... I make my own blend with the spirulina flakes and krill flakes.

[Vexus]

The community crave is a flake. Also I keep an eye on the wafers. If the remains arnt gone after a day or so I pull them out but with 6 bottom feeders I don’t have that issue very often. 

[Widgets]

On 4/12/2022 at 2:33 PM, Vexus said:

So I dosed the tank for about 2 weeks with meds and adjusted the food supply and the fungus or mold or whatever it is has stoped popping up. There is a thin layer of fungus or something on the grape wood but after asking around and doing research I found out that it’s normal for grape wood to develop a thin layer like this. 

Does the growth on the wood look like a slimy translucent white film? That could be the normal biofilm eating the sugars from the wood. A picture might help us identify it.

[Minanora]

I'm glad things are going well otherwise though. I look forward to hearing about the homemade food.

[Vexus]

Here is a picture. It hasn't grown more than its current state, and I'm not seeing anything on the gravel and plants like it was before.

[Widgets]

It is hard for me to tell. It is a little darker than I am used to. Also it looks like it has a coating of detritus on it. I would just watch it for now. If it is the slime mold biofilm I would expect it to stay on the wood and dissipate as the sugars are consumed.

Here is another thread with the biofilm.

 

[Vexus]

Whatever I have dosnt look like that stuff. It’s never been that white as far as I know. It always looks looks tan like that when it appears. But it hasn’t gotten any bigger than that so I’ll just keep an eye on it.