# Name That ALGAEEEEEEEEEE



## dogdoc (Feb 26, 2006)

HOLY COW. I don't know what that is, but I sure as heck don't ever want any. That looks nasty. Maybe you just came up with your own species.


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## spypet (Sep 15, 2006)

you sure it's not dog saliva? :hihi: kidding aside, my guess it it's not algae, but cyanobacteria requiring a erythromycin antibacterial agent to remove.


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## fresh_lynny (Mar 9, 2006)

Joey, I thought so too, but the color and the smell tell me...it isn't.
Dog doc...I sure hope not..although I like the sound of lynniehorn algae


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## fresh_lynny (Mar 9, 2006)

Anyone??? Bueller?


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## danepatrick (Jul 17, 2006)

lynnie horn? that sounds.. nah, i won't go there. :hihi: hm.. although it's not bga, i'd still try the erythromycin treatment.


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## Wö£fëñxXx (Dec 2, 2003)

If it is BGA it will stink, doesn't look it, BGA is darker
Did you change your C02 lately? backtrack your recent routine?!


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## |GTO| (Oct 9, 2006)

it looks like a green jello monster laid eggs in the second shot. im thinking slimer

new species--better call the ghostbusters

da na na nananana da nana nananana


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## |GTO| (Oct 9, 2006)

maybe your dog had a really nasty snot rocket?

in any case--you should seriously consider quarantining your entire block and calling HAZMAT


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## George (Sep 11, 2004)

Could it be a rarer form of cyanobacteria? They don't all smell bad.


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## crazie.eddie (May 31, 2004)

I can't tell, but is this algae forming on the plants that contact the glass? I mean, if a floating plant is touching the glass and you move the plant, is there some kind of algae type residue on the glass where the plant was?


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## fresh_lynny (Mar 9, 2006)

crazie.eddie said:


> I can't tell, but is this algae forming on the plants that contact the glass? I mean, if a floating plant is touching the glass and you move the plant, is there some kind of algae type residue on the glass where the plant was?


No it isn't anywhere on the plants. The plants are pristine <thank goodness> It is just in these small areas.
Craig....I have not changed out the CO2. I have done nothing different. I dose EI, do weekly water changes, and crank to CO2 to about 36ppm. I never NOT have massive pearling, and cannot figure this one out. I never really had an algae probelm in this tank ever, thanks to all of the info from you guys and proper reserch before even buying the tank. 
George: I hear you about a rare BGA species. To me, it seems as though it has many characteristics, as it is slimy sheet-like, but it forms in round glops, and on the upper part of the tank. Any BGA I have ever seen or dealt with is at the substrate line. Secondly; it is a lime green color, and it really has NO smell. Most cyano has a faint to pungent odor. I am truly stumped here. I can look at almost every algae and id it....this one? not so much.
I will definitely do a controlled experiement using Erythromycin alone. If that does it, it may give me insight as to where to even classify this thing. If not, back to the drawing board. I have shot it up with excel in a large syringe, and it did absolutely nothing....


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## JenThePlantGeek (Mar 27, 2006)

I've seen that before!!!!

It was outside in the pond holding tanks that Inland had up over the summer. It was quite nasty, but not too tough to get rid of. I put a double handful of Azolla and dwarf water lettuce floaters in there to reduce the light and it cleared up. Maybe that'd help?


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## fresh_lynny (Mar 9, 2006)

Jen, I lowered the light period, and if you could see how many nutrient spnges I have in here you would laugh. This looks like "pond scum" lol
I will try the erythro... then go from there


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## jt20194 (Oct 16, 2006)

fresh_newby said:


> Jen, I lowered the light period, and if you could see how many nutrient spnges I have in here you would laugh. This looks like "pond scum" lol
> I will try the erythro... then go from there


IMO, this does not look like BGA. I am assuming that you think it is otherwise you wouldn’t be using erythro. Maybe you could try testing it in a separate “bowl” with erythro. If it is, it should “melt" within 8-12 hours…

Good luck JT


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## turbosaurus (Nov 19, 2005)

THIS IS THE SAME THING I HAVE! 
Do you remember my post about the slimy algae that grows across the top of the tank- this was the stuff! In my tank it grew across the whole surface, but it is WITHOUT A DOUBT the same stuff in your pictures- gloopy snotty slimy stuff. 

Let us know if the erythromycin works. 

I've turned the lights off for about three days, removed as much as possible manually - lights went back on Sunday and we'll see if it comes back again...


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## TheOtherGeoff (Feb 11, 2003)

i had that and it covered my 10 gallon. it got WAY out of hand. what i ended up doing was removing as much as i could manualy, increased the current, and cut back and light amount and started doing big water changes every couple of days. that seemed to destroy it pretty good


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## Cruise Control (Dec 16, 2004)

Is it the same as what I had?

















I cleared it using a toothbrush and twirling it around. It proved to be harder than I thought as it came back almost overnight. It eventually went away but I never got to the bottom of the cause or the name of this particular algae when I posted the question here on TPT.


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## tazcrash69 (Sep 27, 2005)

Fresh, I know it might be a bit early (only 3 days), but does it look like the erythro helped?


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## fresh_lynny (Mar 9, 2006)

Cruise Control said:


> Is it the same as what I had?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


This is not the same as what I have....I couldn't twist anything onto a toothbrush. it is round goo in a perfect circle/spot. You have an algae...this is something else.

Taz..I was trying a bunch of other things first...after my water change tonight, I will start a Erythro treatment and post what I see.

JT: I do not think it is BGA, just to clarify. If you read my posts you will see that I don't think that. I do; however, think it has similar properties and perhaps a similar cell wall. I still am not sure if this is a bacterium or an algae. I am trying the Erythro for several reasons. If it exhibits same cellular structure to BGA it will respond. It definitely is not any type of algae I have ever seen or dealt with. ai will keep you all posted.


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## Cruise Control (Dec 16, 2004)

Sorry, I should have mentioned that the one I have has the exact same characteristics as yours - gloppy, snotty, slimy stuff that doesn't have that pungent BGA smell. I was hoping it might help your situation and was not intended to hijack the thread. Good luck with the erythro and post back if it works!


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## fresh_lynny (Mar 9, 2006)

hell, I don't care about hijacking....as long as we all come to some kind of conclusion. I will keep you all posted.


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## fresh_lynny (Mar 9, 2006)

ok SO i did another water change and cleaned off everything but one spot on the glass so I can observe. I am on my second day of dosing Erythromycin <i had to anyway for a lingering BGA spot that I wanted to nip in the bud> Anywya, day two and no change. None are the fish are stressed and everything is happy and healthy and algae-free, but only because I wiped it all off. The plants never had any, it was a glass issu, and the little pot I left is still there. I will continue on the rest of the treatment...3 more days, then do a water change, add charcoal for a few days and give you the results. If still no change, I will have to rule that out and move on. I still have no idea what the hell this crap is.


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## fresh_lynny (Mar 9, 2006)

hmmmmmmmmmmm freshwater sponge maybe? that could be the ticket....I am looking into this, but I think that could be what this is.


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## RedIrocZ-28 (Oct 24, 2006)

InfoHub - Alger County Underwater Preserve, Michigan

4th picture down. 

One thing that I think may help is to look at it from the other side. Can you snap a picture from inside the tank? 

Also an interesting read. 
Aquaria Central - freshwater sponge (Spongilla?)


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## fresh_lynny (Mar 9, 2006)

Red...thanks....these things do not protrude though. They look like waxy round droplets that eventually meld into eachother.


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## RedIrocZ-28 (Oct 24, 2006)

Try this one out. 
Freshwater Sponges

2nd paragraph.

Perhaps you have a freshwater sponge that has algae growing inside it.


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## fresh_lynny (Mar 9, 2006)

yeah that I saw....that was more along the lines of what it MAY be. so weird!


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## weaselnoze (Dec 22, 2006)

RedIrocZ-28 said:


> Try this one out.
> Freshwater Sponges
> 
> 2nd paragraph.
> ...


that was a cool article! i read the whole thing. such intriguing creatures!


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## fresh_lynny (Mar 9, 2006)

well at least we all learned a bit about freshwater sponges. I learned enough to know, that isn't what this is.
I am leaning now toward a soft green algae. I will keep you guys posted. Erythromycin does nothing, and neither does excel.


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## turbomkt (Jun 9, 2004)

fresh_newby,
I don't have your problem, but some of the algae I've come across has responded to peroxide. I use a children's medicine syringe to spot treat and it hasn't affect shrimp (RCS and CRS), bristlenose pleco or dwarf cories. I'd just go ahead and treat with it after a good cleaning.


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## fresh_lynny (Mar 9, 2006)

Thanks Turbo, I will try that. No one can even ID it, so it is hard to come up with a game plan...lol


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## fish_lover0591 (Nov 11, 2006)

hey lynn i replied on barrreport.com but i guess you didn't check it lol. can't you do a 50 % water change and remove all of the stuff on the glass and dry it with a paper towel or something then fill it back up? well tell us if the peroxide works.


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## fresh_lynny (Mar 9, 2006)

I have already done that. Right now there is nothing on the sides, it is clean. But within 5 days it will be all over the same spot again. I left a tiny patch as a sort of controlled group to see what treatments are working. So far, excel...nada, Erythromycin, nope, next H2O2.....I would much rather find the root of the problem rather than just kill/control it, but since no one knows what it is, finding the root is not in the cards right now...Co2 is up there, I dose religiosly EI, I do weekly water changes, my biomass is not too high. my plant load is very high and my lighting is about 3.5wpg.


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## madpiano (Feb 10, 2003)

Did you ever find out what it was ? And did the peroxide work ?

I had BGA before which didn't smell, maybe it was the same stuff as yours instead ?

I also have some areas in my tank with this stuff in it, but its on the gravel and doesnt seem to spread. The snails sometimes nibble on it.


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## fresh_lynny (Mar 9, 2006)

dupe.................


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## fresh_lynny (Mar 9, 2006)

Hey mad...this is not BGA...it only developed at the upper end of the tank glass. IMO it was some form of SOFT green spot algae that I never had experience with. It cleaned easily...I did not need to use anything, and I haven't seen it since. I cleaned it off with some elbow grease and paper towels, and did a 60% water change. That was it. Getting rid of it was not my issue..I can get rid of any algae...no problem. I was more interesting in its identification and origin. I hate not knowing...that was my issue.


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## masYPSI (Aug 10, 2006)

It looks to me like GDA. As seen at this site. It has the same type of "egg" look. Although not nearly as bad, the article say that it only grows on the glass, like you have.

Aquarium Algae: Green Dust Algae (GDA)


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