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Yesterday I noticed "slime" on a piece of driftwood in my 55g. The best way to describe it is just that... clumps of slime. It looks like the slime that holds amphibian eggs together, with pretty much the same color. See through but has a slight brown tint. I tried to get a pic but it just didn't turn out.

My perams check out ok.

Any ideas?

><>Dani<><

Possibly cyano bacteria algae, a very primitive form of algae that is endemic in the environment. It can easily overtake an aquarium. It should be almost black in color.

My only luck with this critter is to manually remove as much as possible then treat the aquarium with erythromycin.

Another possibility is brown algae, actually a red algae similar to the marine algaes, it is composed of diatoms that can build up. This is often the first algae to appear in a newly set-up tank, where conditions have yet to stabilise. It will often appear around the 2-12 week period, and may disappear as quickly as it arrived when the conditions stabilise after a couple of months. It is essential to minimise nutrient levels to ensure the algae disappears - avoid overfeeding and carry out the appropriate water changes, gravel and filter cleaning, etc. Limiting the light will not deter this algae, as it can grow at low lighting levels and will normally out-compete green algae under these conditions.

If brown algae appears in an established tank, check nitrate and phosphate levels. Increased water changes or more thorough substrate cleaning may be necessary. Using a phosphate-adsorbing resin will also remove silicates, which are important to the growth of this algae. However, as noted above, it is essentially impossible to totally eliminate algae with this strategy alone. Due to its ability to grow at low light levels, this algae may also appear in dimly lit tanks, where old fluorescent bulbs have lost much of their output. If a problem does occur, otocinclus catfish are known to clear this algae quickly, although you may need several for larger tanks, and they can be difficult to acclimatise initially.

There are some very plausible theories as to why this algae often appears in newly set up tanks and then later disappears. If the silicate (Si) to phosphate (P) ratio is high, then diatoms are likely to have a growth advantage over true algae types and Cyanobacteria. Some of the silicate may come from the tapwater, but it will also be leached from the glass of new aquaria, and potentially from silica sand/gravel substrates to some extent. Later, when this leaching has slowed, and phosphate is accumulating in the maturing tank, the Si ratio will change in favour of phosphate, which is likely to favour the growth of green algae instead.



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It's not brown algae or any other kind of algae I've ever heard of. it's... slime. It's clear and has a light brown tint to it. I got a pic, but it turned out kinda dark. Imagine it a little lighter. A piece of it fell off the wood and landed in my sword plant.

The tank has been set up since June.

><>Dani<><


gartenzwerfe attached this image:

Hi,
Actually, it is normal on driftwood. Just take the piece
out, scrub it in the sink, and replace it. Eventually it
will cease to form. IMO, I would syphon off any pieces
that break away and wind up elsewhere in the tank.

Frank


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