# Green Dust Algae in new tank



## StrangeDejavu (Jun 23, 2014)

I've just noticed a light green dusting on the glass in my new shrimp tank. Is it true that, if left alone, it will run its course and be gone in 3 weeks? It's only in areas where the lighting is most intense, so would raising the light help correct the issue?


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## greaser84 (Feb 2, 2014)

Its true if left alone it will go away. Give it a few weeks, try not to mess with it, if it doesn't go away in a few weeks then take action to eliminate it. My shrimp love to feed it on.


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## JoeRoun (Dec 21, 2009)

*Just Tryin' to Make a Living-Times; Are Tough...*

Hi,

What greaser84 said.

The green dust algae is just trying to help out, messing with it is just inviting a nasty in to take its place.

Respectfully,
Joe
FBTB


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## Solcielo lawrencia (Dec 30, 2013)

I'd wait four weeks after it's stopped growing to scrape. Wait 'n Scrape doesn't work every the time and can quickly come back. The worst thing to do is to scrape the very moment you see it. It will come back the very next day even after a +90% WC. WITH A VENGEANCE!!!


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## StrangeDejavu (Jun 23, 2014)

Yikes, what about just a standard water change? Will this loosen the spores and make things worse?


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## JoeRoun (Dec 21, 2009)

*No Worries, Life is Good*

Hi,

If it is time for a water change, do a water change, if you think the light is too much, raise it, I think the point folks have been making is the green dust algae is not a big deal.

Most of us have seen more problems result from trying to obliterate some of these “nuisances” then it could possibly be worth.

The answer is always any of these “things” come up it is the result of some imbalance. Review your feeding, stocking, water change routines that is great. If it doesn’t disappear in a week or three, time to take a harder look at what you are doing.

Respectfully, 
Joe
FBTB


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## StrangeDejavu (Jun 23, 2014)

Thanks guys- planted tank newbie here whose really only dealt with brown diatoms.  I'll wait it out and see how it goes.


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## JoeRoun (Dec 21, 2009)

*Slow & Steady May Not Be Good in the 100-m Dash, but...*

Hi,

Remember this is just gardening, container gardening as it happens but gardening none-the-less.

Anything that happens quickly is probably bad.

Respectfully,
Joe
FBTB


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## StrangeDejavu (Jun 23, 2014)

Anyone know if Algaefix is effective against GDA? When I first set this tank up, the moss I ordered came in loaded with scuds... since I was already running late to work by waiting on the box, I threw in the plants and left. That night I got home and instantly regretted my decision. I've been removing adults for days and feeding them to my bettas and right when I thought I got a handle on things, i'm seeing little specks crawling around... this tank is brand new, still haven't stocked it with shrimp and plants are still arriving by mail. Apparently Algaefix is an effective treatment for killing off scuds, so if it took care of the GDA then that'd be nice too.


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## plantbrain (Dec 15, 2003)

No, Af does not kill it, a few baby bristle nose plecos are very effective, some other smaller plant friendly plecos work well also, you'll never have a GDA again.

Those are 100% effective. 

I do not mean like one single 2" fish in a 180 Gallon tank, but 2-4 in 20-30 Gallon should take care of the worse cases. They clean the wood and leave other fish and shrimps alone. 

Cheap, also, 2.99 ea etc.


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## Powerclown (Aug 17, 2014)

It took me 4 month finally the came to me,but I don't freak out.l
Let them do the cycle and we go from there.


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## StrangeDejavu (Jun 23, 2014)

Can someone confirm that I definitely have GDA? It's not spreading, only getting thicker and thicker right below the light fixture. It's also starting to get green peach fuzz growing in it which waves in the current.


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## Solcielo lawrencia (Dec 30, 2013)

It's GDA.

The Rotala's look Fe-deficient. Are you dosing micros?


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## StrangeDejavu (Jun 23, 2014)

I dose Flourish weekly and planned on doing Iron and Potassium once I get the tank back on track. Just curious, how did you spot the deficiency so fast? I'm still new to this so these things aren't visible to my eyes just yet.


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## discuspaul (Jul 27, 2010)

When the waiting period doesn't work for you, as it didn't for me, and you get real tired of looking at that GDA, and want to get rid of it once & for all - then just 'beg, borrow, or steal' (hey, don't get excited - it's just a figure of speech) a UV sterilizer, if you don't have one. 

Just a few days of using one 24/7 will pick up all the floating spores of GDA and zap them dead. All you need to do is scrape off the GDA from your glass, twice a day if need be, to get it constantly free-floating into the water column, so that eventually all of it gets sucked into the UV.
3 or 4 days of that completely rid my tank of GDA (& I had a lot more than you do), and it never came back.


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## StrangeDejavu (Jun 23, 2014)

Very interesting Paul, I think that's going to be my answer. This tank has been empty for 2.5 weeks now so the last thing I want to do is wait an additional 4 weeks. Do the GDA spores cling to my plants as well or does this stuff only attach to glass? Also, in theory, the same process could also be used to kill brown diatoms, right?

Any recommended UVs I should go with?


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## Solcielo lawrencia (Dec 30, 2013)

StrangeDejavu said:


> I dose Flourish weekly and planned on doing Iron and Potassium once I get the tank back on track. Just curious, how did you spot the deficiency so fast? I'm still new to this so these things aren't visible to my eyes just yet.


The new leaves have no coloration. I know from experience of growing Rotala's.


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## discuspaul (Jul 27, 2010)

I didn't have any GDA cling to plants - only on the glass.
If you think you have some on plant leaves, just try lightly brushing it off - if it comes off easily, it's GDA. If not, then it's some other algae besides GDA.
Whenever I brushed it off the glass and made it free-floating, the residual never settled back unto anything else but the glass.

Don't know if a UV will deal with diatoms too, but I don't see why not - as long as you can get them free-floating for a time, so that the UV suction can pick them up..

I've only used one brand of UV - the JBJ Submariner - 9 w - which I was very happy with. But check them out, you may find a less expensive one.






StrangeDejavu said:


> Very interesting Paul, I think that's going to be my answer. This tank has been empty for 2.5 weeks now so the last thing I want to do is wait an additional 4 weeks. Do the GDA spores cling to my plants as well or does this stuff only attach to glass? Also, in theory, the same process could also be used to kill brown diatoms, right?
> 
> Any recommended UVs I should go with?


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## StrangeDejavu (Jun 23, 2014)

Solcielo lawrencia said:


> The new leaves have no coloration. I know from experience of growing Rotala's.


You're right, my Ludwigia sp. "Red" new growth is the same color. I dose Flourish but if I had to guess i'd say the Frogbit is rapidly using up the micros before other plants can get to it. Thanks for the heads up, I wouldn't have otherwise known.


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## StrangeDejavu (Jun 23, 2014)

Thought i'd post an update on the GDA. It's been ~3 weeks now since I first noticed it. It was getting super thick and growing toward the front of the glass. A member here posted a DIY way to cut PAR by roughly half without raising the light. The days following the DIY I noticed the GDA stopped spreading. In only a week, it has turned from neon green to gray. Is this when I should scrape or should I continue to leave it alone?


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## plantbrain (Dec 15, 2003)

If you reduce the light, then this suggest it's something to do with CO2/ferts, less to do with most other issues. 

High light= things have more demand for nutrients/CO2.

Screen and also simply putting say Aluminum foil inside the hood to reflect the light away from the glass can do this. Or metal window screening etc.


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## StrangeDejavu (Jun 23, 2014)

Thanks Tom, makes sense as it popped up when the light was unmitigated and I wasn't dosing Excel or macros. Now that i'm dosing micro/macro and Excel, i'm considering returning back to full lighting (without screen). How likely is it the GDA would return? Also, that brings me to my next question: it's been 3.5 weeks since I first noticed the GDA. The shrimp are devouring it, leaving almost nothing left of it. It has a very light, gray/green minty shade but for the most part is grayish like dead BBA. Is now a good time to scrape it?


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## StrangeDejavu (Jun 23, 2014)

Just brought the water down to ~10% and wiped what GDA I could reach with a paper towel. Gave it a good scrub with a sponge and filled it back up. I couldn't get every last bit of it because of where plants are, driftwood, etc. Really crossing my fingers and hoping Wait & Scrape works for me. If not, then onward to UV it is.


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