Algae or Bacteria?

[Bob]

I had to pull this hairgrass out of my 40 because its caked in this stuff. I'd like to find a way to save it, but its almost impossible to separate it.

 

[JimmyZ]

Doesn't look like blue/green algae? Suppose you could try an antibiotic and see what happens, have you tired killing the lights for a few days?

 

[Bob]

I had the lights off for three days and nothing changed. I have tore it out and its floating in a bucket with a lid. So ill check it in a day or two. What kind of antibiotic should i try?

 

[JimmyZ]

Erythromycin might work? It's what I used on a Cyno-bacteria out break I recently had, got rid of it over night. Pretty sure it's not what you have going on. That being said it can't hurt to try either.

 

[Cory]

I'd say that is algae not a bacteria. If you could get a few true freshwater healthy mollies they'd clean it up. Otherwise some flag fish would too but might do damage to some of the finer leaf plants while they work it.

 

[flamechica]

I feel for you Vick. I have a mess going on in one of my tanks right now. I just chucked some hair grass over it yesterday. I don't know what it is. I have some stuff that looks like that in your pic and stuff that kinda looks like blue green algae as well in the same tank. It's a mess. I wanted to tear down the tank, but it sits next to my hubby's chair and he made a sad face when I said that. I can't seem to get the issue under control.

 

[LuminousAphid]

I have some similar stuff in one tank, I keep trying to get rid of it but it comes back from nothing every time. I don't know if you'll be able to save the plant, but I would try manually tearing out as much as you can to see if you can get the plant to grow healthy, then you might have to repeat later.

I don't know about Marysville water specifically, but I think with our changing seasons we get a lot of fluctuation in mineral content of the water- especially since it's runoff and not groundwater, since all of our water comes from reservoirs. I have wondered why my tanks occasionally break out with issues like this, and that's what I am beginning to suspect as the culprit. Do you use municipal water?

 

[pbmax]

Looks like hair algae.

http://www.aquahobby.com/articles/e_fre ... _algae.php

I had that stuff in a couple of tanks a while back... I either tossed the plants or re-did the tank, I can't remember exactly.

I'm suffering from cladophora algae in most of my tanks now... nasty stuff. I'm sure it's great for water quality but boy does it muck up my tanks.

 

[Bob]

I forgot about this. I pulled out the plants and put them in a five gallon bucket with a lid in the garage. I just went and looked, this stuff is still growing strong in pitch black cold weather......