# Is this Rhizo or Diatoms?



## Chlorophile (Aug 2, 2011)

Maybe its hair/fuzz algae? I really don't know.. My Do!Aqua lily pipe hasn't been providing me with any surface ripple so I just made a new one out of acrylic.. Hopefully the increased oxygen levels will let me push my co2 into the yellowy range without harming the fish. I want this stuff dead!


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## jasonpatterson (Apr 15, 2011)

It's not diatoms. They're a brown film rather than a bunch of goopy crud. I'd guess hair algae personally, with a healthy dose of other crap stuck in it to give the brown color.


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## Chlorophile (Aug 2, 2011)

I'm aware of your typical brown film of diatoms, however there is another species of diatom that grows in strings.
This page shows the two prominent species of Diatom
I am concerned that I have the stringy Synedra species. 

I really hope it's hair algae but I am not used to hair algae smothering plants this quickly or aggressively, I have to back flush my filter every other day to keep it running smoothly because of how much of this stuff it sucks up after i brush it off my HC.


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## StillLearning (Dec 29, 2009)

How would you remove Synedra? I have almost the same thing as in the first pic on the link you provided just not as bad yet.


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## Chlorophile (Aug 2, 2011)

Diatoms are apparently caused by silicates, so if it is smothering some plants and you want it gone immediately, a silicate remover would help you. 
I believe that they will go away, in time.
Oto's eat Diplonesis Diatoms but I don't know if they eat Synedra. 
Also if you are removing the Diatoms from the tank and they keep growing back, they are depleting the Silicates, this is why they eventually just go away on their own.


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## StillLearning (Dec 29, 2009)

I been removing them daily to try and fight it as much as possible. I'm going to have to stop and pick up a silicate remover cause this is the only algae that has been a pain for me so far in months.

I have some fat Oto's in there now but it would seem like it I would remove it as much as possible and then it would bounce right back. Thanks again.


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