Algae??

[kp33]

Can anyone identify this, sorry for the pic it’s the best I can do. It’s in the back glass only. My front glass gets algae also but this stuff is thick and looks very dark green or black. It’s never this color or this thick on my front glass. My phosphates are .05, did two test, nitrates were 12.7. I use the Hanna checkers. Thanks

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

Does it blow off?

 

[kp33]

Does it blow off?

Never tried . I usually use my 3ft glass cleaner stick, it comes off pretty easy though. I have a Vortech mp40 powerhead so can’t even try to blow it off if that is what you meant.

 

[kp33]

It’s seems to be a totally different algae than on the other 3 glass sides of my tank. Seems thicker and like I said almost black.

 

[ScubaSkeets]

Are you sure it's just not build up of what you scrape on the front and side glass, but do not scrape off the back glass?

 

[kp33]

Are you sure it's just not build up of what you scrape on the front and side glass, but do not scrape off the back glass?

Not sure to be honest I guess it could be I just feel I clean both the front and back and the same times but maybe not. Maybe I do clean the front more than I realize and maybe it’s that. So if I did t clean the front as often it would get that dark and thick over time?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Can anyone identify this, sorry for the pic it’s the best I can do. It’s in the back glass only. My front glass gets algae also but this stuff is thick and looks very dark green or black. It’s never this color or this thick on my front glass. My phosphates are .05, did two test, nitrates were 12.7. I use the Hanna checkers. Thanks

Before determining anything. please furnish clear pics using white light intensity only. Probably film algae but anything is just a guess. This is what we see:

 

[ScubaSkeets]

Not sure to be honest I guess it could be I just feel I clean both the front and back and the same times but maybe not. Maybe I do clean the front more than I realize and maybe it’s that. So if I did t clean the front as often it would get that dark and thick over time?

I'm not 100% positive, but I would think so. I try to scrape my front and side glass every day. If I don't, it gets pretty dirty by day 3 or so. Now imagine not doing it for weeks, or months. I scrape my back glass every month or so and by the time I do scrape it, it looks really bad too.

 

[kp33]

I'm not 100% positive, but I would think so. I try to scrape my front and side glass every day. If I don't, it gets pretty dirty by day 3 or so. Now imagine not doing it for weeks, or months. I scrape my back glass every month or so and by the time I do scrape it, it looks really bad too.

Makes sense yeah, I cleaned both today so I’ll leave it and see until I’m ready to clean the front, the other thing is the blue background on the back that probably doesn’t show the light algae like the front glass shows after a few days

 

[kp33]

Are you sure it's just not build up of what you scrape on the front and side glass, but do not scrape off the back glass?

Yep same stuff I let the front glass go a while so it must just be I clean the front more than the back.

 

[kp33]

Is a week of build up happening to fast? Meaning it got pretty bad in only a week? Is that normal.

 

[ScubaSkeets]

Is a week of build up happening to fast? Meaning it got pretty bad in only a week? Is that normal.

I notice buildup starting within a day of scraping the glass. If I don't scrape it, it looks pretty bad after 3 or so days. I only scrape the back glass maybe every month or so and by the time I do, it's pretty caked on.

 

[kp33]

I notice buildup starting within a day of scraping the glass. If I don't scrape it, it looks pretty bad after 3 or so days. I only scrape the back glass maybe every month or so and by the time I do, it's pretty caked on.

Ok then nothing to worry about just the nature of the hobby seems like