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What Is This? *viewer Discretion


creekbottom
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I just pulled this out of my 5 gallon, it's gross. What is it? I was removing plants to use in a different tank cause I'm tearing this one down, obviously. I was having a diatom problem so maybe that's what it is, it's kind of thick.

It has cohesion, pulling up a sagittaria brought the whole thing with it. It's the size of a dinner plate. It's strong enough that you can grab it and flip it over. I pulled all the plants out of it and they look amazing! Nice and green, they haven't really grown any but they are alive.

You know that scene in The Lord of The Rings, where the orcs are digging up the very first Uruk Hai and it's got that slimy protective coating. Same deal on my plants, if you pull slowly it just peels off.

This is the bottom, it uprooted everything that was trying to grow through it.

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This is the top, the wrinkles are where plants used to be. On the edge you can see that it has an attached layer of sand.

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This is by far, the GROSSEST thing that has come out of my tank!!!!!!!

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I too am inclined to say cyanobacteria (BlueGreen Algae), but think it might be woven into a good growth of hair algae.

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I thought Cyanobacteria stunk? Really bad. This doesn't smell. I've had hair algae in other tanks and this looks nothing like it. This was a flat layer sitting on top of the sand, like there was a sheet laying on everything.

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It's interesting that I've read that cyano stinks too. Is cyanobacteria one specific strain of bacteria? or is there a whole range of them and maybe only certain types stink? I'm removing cyano daily right now and also no stink. Just nice blue-green sheets that try to smother my plants.

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i had a out brake of that stuff, used E.M. Erythromycin, its an API line of products, followed the instructions, cleared it right up haven^t had a problem since, didn^t harm the plants or fish, worked great,

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I remember my University biology classes when we studied this stuff, and it reeked! Or maybe it was just that strain of bacteria?

I'll have to pick some of that up, I know I've seen it in some of the pet shops around here.

Any other tips about getting rid of it? I'll treat everything in the 5 gallon, but I am going to be tearing it down and moving all those plants into other tanks. Hopefully I get it the first time.

Is Erythromycin shrimp safe, leave any lingering tidbits in the tank to come back and haunt me?

Thanks for the diagnosis!!!!

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If you don't want to go the medical route, you can do a blackout. Search the forum for instructions - I've posted at least 3 times on exactly what I do.

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I've also used the black out method and it works. It might take more then 1 black out to kill everything off but I like it better then using chemicals as its safer for the fish/good bacteria in your tank.

Remove as much of it as you can then cover everything with black garbage bags so no light can get in. At this point you can dose KNO3. Then wait 3-4 days and remove the plastic. The plants might look a little weird but they should bounce back. Do a big water change and suck as the dead BGA. Then dose kno3. If there is still some left then do another black out in about 1-2 weeks, after the plants have recovered.

You also have to figure out why you have BGA in the first place. Check your kno3 levels and co2, something is out of wack.

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Just carry on as usual. If you're dosing ferts, make sure to keep up on your KNO3, as this stuff loves a nitrogen limited system.

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