# Algae on fake plants?



## Hazarrd (Dec 15, 2006)

All of my fake plants have started turning browner and browner over the past 6 weeks. The "stuff" rubs off, but it's a ton of work to go fake leaf by leaf, not to mention how fragile these fake plants are. 

Any suggestions out there for getting rid of this gunk?


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## Trishfish (Feb 18, 2007)

Sounds like diatoms. You could get a bristlenose pleco. They love the stuff, at least mine did. I read of an "easy" way to remove algae from plants. Buy a pair of loofa gloves as you'd use in the shower. They easier strip things off of leaves and are washable.


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## leifthebunny (Mar 13, 2007)

Is it algae and do you have any algae eating critters in the tank?


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## Hazarrd (Dec 15, 2006)

Not positive if it is algae, but what else could it be if the stuff is rubbing off and is slimy? 

I just purchased 3 algae eaters yesterday, but they don't seem to climb around the fake plants much, just the glass and rocks...


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## serpaekeeper45 (Apr 12, 2007)

You smarter people tell me if im wrong. I got a snail for that same problem,and he seems to help a little once he finds the plants.Only get more than one if you are ok with snails poppin up all over(you know what I mean)I dont know if thats a good Idea,but the smart people can correct me.


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## MattD (Apr 25, 2007)

Diatom algae for sure. My tank has recently become full of it, all over the substrate, rocks, fake plants, etc..

Although in the last 2 weeks it has slowly begun to disappear. The white shells in my substrate are now visible, my rocks are becoming white again, it's getting thinner and thinner on my plants, and my ship mast, which was nearly 100% brown has thinned enough that the beige mast is now dominant.

I believe this is due to the amount of light I've cut down. It used to be on from 9am to like 12am, now it goes on far later, and turns off at roughly midnight.


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## Mating Slinkys (Apr 17, 2007)

I agree with Trishfish, i had a load of the algae that you sound like you have and i put a Gold Ancistrus in (not because i wanted an algae eater but just cos i likes him!) and within a few days my tank sparkled and has since. he is an awesom little dude, always on the go and even cleaned the leaves of my (real) plants without damaging them. Pretty impressive for a fish that's only 1" long (at the moment.) I'd have liked him if he'd just sat and looked at the algae but it was a nice bonus not to have to worry about sorting it all out!


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## Meds081603 (May 25, 2007)

what algae eaters did u get? many plecos sold as algae eaters wont eat algae and can get to 24" or bigger. oto catfish are my favorites for removing diatoms but they are small and will be food for many larger fish. bn plecos are a small 5" pleco that do a great job eating diatoms as well.


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## caferacermike (Oct 3, 2006)

My favorite diatom algae removal is proper tank maintenance.

How about everyone try more water changes, filter cleanings, larger tank, smaller feedings, better lighting, more circulation, etc.... rather than continue to contribute to the problem by adding a larger bioload? It may look like fix to the problem but it is only masking a more serious issue. What type of water do you use for water changes, if you do them at all? If you use tap water it is a probable source for silica pollution. Diatom algae lives off of the silicates present in the tank. Using RO/DI water really helps cure this problem. Another method is the use of a Phosban reactor but use the instructions for silicate removal, its a little bit different than using it for phosphate removal.


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## Meds081603 (May 25, 2007)

All the advice caferacer gave you is great. However adding oto catfish or bn plecos will add almost nothing to your bioload. The best maintenance in the world will not stop algae, in particular diatoms. On another note, I've never seen diatoms an issue on anything other than a new tank.


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## fish_4_all (Nov 13, 2006)

Otos add a little bioload, plecos add a huge amount of waste and are a huge strain on any bioload, even BN pleco. Plecos are one of if not the messiest none predatory fish in the hobby. 

Lack of Circulation is one the of the biggest causes of diatoms. I added a cave once that was directly in front of the outflow of my filter and it caused diatoms in less than a week where the cave was against the glass. 

I have also seen tank that have been set up for years that get diatoms. The theory is all the beneficial bacteria and the "slime" that acts as a barrier to the silicates in the glass and substrate dies off and exposes the surfaces again due to lack of circulation most of the time. Unfortunatley some of the best sources of silica are tap water and substrate. Fake plants can be a major source depending on how they were manufactured.


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