# What type of algae is this?



## MartinW (Mar 22, 2006)

I keep on getting algae in my puffer tank. I used to use 2 9W compact flourescents for my 10g so I got rid of 1 so I only have 9W total now. I get a lot less algae but it still grows back a few days after scrubbing it off. Here's a pic of the algae:










Is that brown algae? (I'm colour blind so I'm not sure if its brown or not). Would oto's get rid of it? I can't get snails because the puffers will eat them, but I know that oto's go well with puffers.

Martin


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## jrs (Mar 18, 2006)

Is it light and fluffy? If so it is brown algae and otos will do the trick or just a good gravel vac. If it sticks together and is slimy then it is blue-green algae (cyanobacteria). Tough stuff to get rid of. Manually remove it and increase PO4 levels.


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## wtac (Mar 17, 2006)

I'm leaning towards cyano as I can see some areas of sheet-like growth covering the gravel. Looks too dark and blackish to be diatoms, IMHO.

JM2C


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## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

Hey martin.. Do you have any MTS in that tank??

Pea puffers dont usually eat them and they can help stir up that gravel for you. However, they are live barers so you'll have a boom of them if they are happy lol.


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## MartinW (Mar 22, 2006)

My puffs love eating MTS's. Before I put them in the 10g I had tons of MTS's (100's of them) and they ate all of them. It's so funny watching the puffers hunt the MTS's! They seem to sneak up on them and then suddenly peck at the snail as if they think the snail will run away if they're not careful. I suppose it's cyano. How do I raise the PO4?


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## Pablo (Mar 27, 2006)

wtac said:


> I'm leaning towards cyano as I can see some areas of sheet-like growth covering the gravel. Looks too dark and blackish to be diatoms, IMHO.
> 
> JM2C


Second


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