# White stuff on aquarium plants.



## mac_33 (Dec 29, 2010)

*White stuff on aquarium plants (Brown worms now on java fern).*

Hello all, I just bought my first aquarium (second hand) 3 weeks ago and then cycled and added some plants in it. Currently I have some yellow and red cherry shrimp and Zebra snails in there as well. I realized there there is some wierd stuff growing on the plants, gravel and on the glass near the top and was wondering is anyone can tell me what it is. This stuff just started appearing recently.


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 28, 2008)

It looks like algae to me. 

What kind of lighting do you have? How much lighting do you have? How large is your aquarium? How long are your lights on for? Do you dose any fertilizers? Do you have CO2 injection (either pressurized or CO2?)

More information is needed!


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## mac_33 (Dec 29, 2010)

Darkblade48 said:


> It looks like algae to me.
> 
> What kind of lighting do you have? How much lighting do you have? How large is your aquarium? How long are your lights on for? Do you dose any fertilizers? Do you have CO2 injection (either pressurized or CO2?)
> 
> More information is needed!


Thanks for the quick reply. I have a 25 gallon aquarium, 31" x 12" x 15". I currently have a 20W power-glo lamp in there. I used to have a 20W aqua-glo in there before. I have been using API Leaf Zone Plant. I have no CO2 but am thinking about getting SeaChem Flourish Excel. Do you think it is a good idea?

The light is on around 14 hours a day, I have a timer but haven't started using it yet. So far I'm guessing that I should start using the timer and some Excel. I have 5 different plants in there.


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 28, 2008)

A 14 hour photoperiod is probably the start of your problem. You don't need much more than 8 hours.

Do you know if you have a T8, T5NO or a T5HO bulb? If you are using a T8 bulb, you have quite low light...


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## mac_33 (Dec 29, 2010)

Darkblade48 said:


> A 14 hour photoperiod is probably the start of your problem. You don't need much more than 8 hours.
> 
> Do you know if you have a T8, T5NO or a T5HO bulb? If you are using a T8 bulb, you have quite low light...


Alright, I will be reducing the photoperiod then. It is a 24" T8 bulb, I guess I'll be trying to find a DIY way to mount a second light on the canopy. Any suggestions?

I just got some Flourish Excel, should I try using it?


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## mac_33 (Dec 29, 2010)

Darkblade48 said:


> A 14 hour photoperiod is probably the start of your problem. You don't need much more than 8 hours.
> 
> Do you know if you have a T8, T5NO or a T5HO bulb? If you are using a T8 bulb, you have quite low light...


Alright, so I added two more 13W CFL bulbs to the canopy and started the excel and the algae seems to be gone.

But now I have a different problem. I have this wierd stuff growing on this plant, it looks like some sort of brown worm. Anyone who what this is?

TIA.


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 28, 2008)

It is how Java Fern propagates itself. From the tips of the leaves, roots (and eventually a baby plantlet) will emerge. This baby plantlet eventually detaches itself from the mother plant and floats to another location, where it will grow (of course, in an aquarium, it cannot really float that far away).


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## mac_33 (Dec 29, 2010)

Darkblade48 said:


> It is how Java Fern propagates itself. From the tips of the leaves, roots (and eventually a baby plantlet) will emerge. This baby plantlet eventually detaches itself from the mother plant and floats to another location, where it will grow (of course, in an aquarium, it cannot really float that far away).


Thank you for the quick reply. I was getting worried before.


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## Jamblor (Dec 21, 2010)

Kinda sidetracking, but how did you attach the new CFLs to the canopy? I'm also concerned about my low light levels.


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## mac_33 (Dec 29, 2010)

Jamblor said:


> Kinda sidetracking, but how did you attach the new CFLs to the canopy? I'm also concerned about my low light levels.


I had to drill holes in for the wires and the bulbs in the canopy. I have some pics below.

The tube was in from before.


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## vinjo (Dec 8, 2010)

Is the white stuff stringy in feel or look?

If so it is just a form of algae, I believe hair algae.


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## mac_33 (Dec 29, 2010)

Thanks for the reply. It's no longer there and I don't really remember. I think it was stringy. But the good thing is that it is gone now.


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