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I'm curious if folks know what kind of algae is visible in these photos, and the best way to treat it.
In one of my freshwater aquariums that is long established (years), I had a recent outbreak of algae. Some was green thread (filamentous) algae; some may have been Cyanobacteria, and some that is still remaining is something else. I hadn’t been scrupulously vacuuming this tank (though I kept up with weekly water changes) for a very long time, and I think accumulated organic matter led to the outbreak. So I began a regimen of smaller water changes every couple of days with vacuuming, lessened the light intensity and duration, and changed my fertilization regimen slightly (more nitrogen, less phosphorus, less iron). I treated with Slime Out as well. This has essentially eliminated the thread algae and what may have been the Cyanobacteria. Spots of the third kind of algae remain (see photos).
I had lost my population of Amano shrimp and snails some time ago. After much work to figure out the cause, I isolated it to very, very high Cu concentrations in the tank water (I had ICP analysis done on both the tank and my well water). I then realized that the brass fittings I cobbled together to adapt the hoses coming out of the in-tank pump to the hoses going to the inlet of the UV sterilizer were leaching copper (I assume this was what was happening). Lesson: don't use brass fittings on an aquarium.
The algae in question is a kind of short, fuzzy carpet visible on the leaves in the photos below. I believe it is all the same. Some have said it is a type of cladophora.
