# Is this algae?



## Darkblade48 (Jan 4, 2008)

In the first and third pictures, it looks like the standard driftwood fungus that seems to appear on new driftwood. In the second picture, it looks like there are diatoms (brown algae) on your sand.

As for the poop, it looks more like shrimp poop to me (it looks like pencil lead). But, it is also possible that it is just snail poop.


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## jball1125 (Mar 9, 2010)

Thanks for the help Darkblade,

any idea how I can get rid of the diatoms? I don't have much light over this tank(coralife t5 no x 2... Raised 2 inches above the top)

no shrimp in the tank, just one snail. Also are the diatoms the stingy brownish stuff? it's growing longer almost like a long stringy mucus.


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 4, 2008)

Diatoms are usually a normal part of a new tank, and will usually disappear on their own as the tank matures.

How large is your tank?

Finally, diatoms are not the stringy, brown "stuff" that you describe, but appear as small brown "spots" on the sand. I would hazard to say that the stringy stuff is likely fungus as well.


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## jball1125 (Mar 9, 2010)

The tank is 75 gallons. Is the fungus deadly to fish?


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## markopolo (Jun 2, 2008)

not the fungus i have in my tanks, in fact my norman lampeyes enjoy eating it


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 4, 2008)

jball1125 said:


> The tank is 75 gallons. Is the fungus deadly to fish?


No, the fungus is aesthetically displeasing, but is not harmful.


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## demosthenes (Aug 23, 2008)

snails poop A LOT. yours is not the only one, lol


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## jball1125 (Mar 9, 2010)

Thanks for all the help.

Its crazy. I only have 1 snail and it seems like more poop than my tank full of discus. I cant imagine what a tank with multiple snails would look like.


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