Algae has engulfed Roots of Java Fern

[Marc]

I'm not sure what type of algae this is, but it has engulfed the roots of a baby java fern. The roots of the motherplant 6 inches below are untouched by the algae. The otos, shrimp and snails have not have not touched it as far as I can tell. Should I throw this out or is it salvageable. I might throw it in a tank with a couple of clown plecos but I don't want to spread bad algae if this is going to multiply. 

Any idea what this is and how concerned I should be? 

[ange]

That looks like thread algae. Some critters like Florida flagfish or Amano shrimp will eat it, or you can remove the majority of it gently using a toothbrush. It's also possible to spot treat the Java fern in a separate container using hydrogen peroxide, though in some cases the plant may die so I'd leave it for if all else fails.

[Seized]

Take out the java fern and spray it with some hydrogen peroxide. Then gently brush or wipe off the algae and put it back in your tank. Goodluck

[Marc]

 

5 hours ago, Seized said:

Take out the java fern and spray it with some hydrogen peroxide. Then gently brush or wipe off the algae and put it back in your tank. Goodluck

Would white vinegar d the same thing as H2O2?

[Dandy Pearl]

If the algae keeps coming back there is likely some form of imbalance in your tank. When I started getting black beard algae problem I took the 'nuclear' approach of hydrogen peroxide. It's okay for hard scape, but I didn't have luck when it came to the plans I sprayed.

Put your tank light on a timer if not already. Start monitoring your water parameters if not already and try to get things on a regular rythm. Algae can actually be caused by to little nutrients as well. For example if your plants are missing one micro nutrient, they can't process the other nutrients, but the algae can.

Good luck with sorting this out.