Green Dust Algae ODYSSEY - Page 6 - Algae

upikabu · 06-15-2006, 04:43 PM

Thanks for the info, Hoppy! I can definitely vouch for 2 weeks or less being too early to start cleaning the glass. Also if you see green algae on the surface of plant leaves, don't clean it, leave it alone (I think it's also GDA even though it looks different than the glass one). I'm on my 3rd attempt now after the first 2 attempts failed (14 days and 10 days). The algae is thinner everytime, but it still came back after a few days. Will let it go for 3 weeks this time.

hoppycalif · 06-15-2006, 04:46 PM

My plants were also covered with a green fuzzy algae while the GDA was active, but that went away along with the GDA. I think it is GDA too. So, apparently the "fix" for that green fuzz is to ignore it and let it live out its life cycle too.

asincero · 06-22-2006, 12:32 PM

I have a question. Would filtering the tank with a diatom filter be able to get rid of the GDA spores? Or are they smaller than 1 micron? I hate having to scrub the tank down every week, but letting the 'ol Vortex run overnight once a week is certainly no big deal.

hoppycalif · 06-22-2006, 03:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by asincero

I have a question. Would filtering the tank with a diatom filter be able to get rid of the GDA spores? Or are they smaller than 1 micron? I hate having to scrub the tank down every week, but letting the 'ol Vortex run overnight once a week is certainly no big deal.

I can't answer the question, but I do know that GDA is usually a reccurrent problem when people get it, and I hadn't read any success stories for those who tried other methods. It would help a lot of people if you try this for a month or so and report back how it worked.

upikabu · 06-22-2006, 05:05 PM

I didn't use a diatom filter, but tried a similar method using a quick filter attached to a Hagen powerhead. That didn't work.

But, I can say that leaving it alone for 2-3 weeks seems to be working best. I'm on my 3rd ignore attempt right now (previous two attempts only up to 14 days max, and GDA returned each time, albeit not as bad as before), and after a little over 2 weeks, I only see very small patches of GDA left on the glass. It definitely seemed to have cleared up on its own.

Zapins · 06-23-2006, 07:59 PM

Diatom filters do not help to slow its growth neither do UV lights. I used both a vortex diatom filter and a 13w UV sterilizer on my 55g tank during the outbreak and it did nothing.

Lowering the light as I said before seems to severely limit its growth and make things more tolerable as well as leaving it for 2-3 weeks.

asincero · 06-26-2006, 07:56 AM

Do dwarf otos eat this kind of algae?

Bert H · 06-26-2006, 08:29 AM

Quote:

Do dwarf otos eat this kind of algae?

I've never heard of 'dwarf' ottos, but my regular ottos don't do much with it.

BTW, I scraped it last night after another 3+ weeks. It was much less than the time before, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

asincero · 06-26-2006, 10:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bert H

I've never heard of 'dwarf' ottos, but my regular ottos don't do much with it.

Just another name for otocinclus affinus aka pygmy suckermouth catfish aka dwarf sucker.

So your ottos didn't do much to the GDA? Bummer ... I was thinking of getting some too.

hoppycalif · 06-26-2006, 12:17 PM

The primary grazers on my GDA were the common pond snails, which grew about 5 times as big as I have seen before. But, the oto also had a feast. Having only one, he didn't make nearly the big dent in the supply that the snails made. The guppies also spent a lot of time picking off pieces of it. Apparently GDA is a nutritious vegetable treat. The GDA(?) which showed up as green fuzz on the plants disappeared with the GDA on the glass, but I don't know if it was eaten or what.