Why do I have dust in my tank?

[Patrick B Cox]

Hello,
I have a 20 gallon tank that I recently added live plants to and after
about two weeks, there is a dust like substance on everything in the
tank, except for the glass. This includes the plants, a piece of
driftwood and the heater. I am guessing that this is some sort of
algae but I am not sure. Here are some more details on my tank:

125 Bio Wheel
one 15 watt Triton bulb (I just added this second bulb a few days
ago.)
one 15 watt power glo bulb
Flourite / gravel combination substrate (mainly flourite)

Plants (3 Swords, 3 small Java Fern, 3 Lutea)
3 Serpae Tetra
3 Lemon Tetra
2 Albino Cory Cats

Water Condition:
7.0 PH
1 dh KH
20 dh GH (is this strange given the low KH? I tested twice)
<0.3 mg/l nitrite
No Ammonia
77 degrees

I am using Flourish tabs in the substrate and I am adding 1/2 ml of
Flourish Comprehensive Plant Supplement twice per week.

So, after about two weeks, the plants seem to be surviving but as I
said above, this "dust" is all of a sudden everywhere in my tank. Can
anyone help me identify what this "dust" might be and how I can get
rid of it?

Thanks for your input!!
Pat

[Steve Galupe]

What colour is it?

If it's brown it could be diatoms. Get a couple Ottocinclus catfish and
they will help you get rid of the diatoms. Diatoms occur in new tanks if
the light is insufficient.

"Patrick B Cox" > wrote in message
m...
> Hello,
> I have a 20 gallon tank that I recently added live plants to and after
> about two weeks, there is a dust like substance on everything in the
> tank, except for the glass. This includes the plants, a piece of
> driftwood and the heater. I am guessing that this is some sort of
> algae but I am not sure. Here are some more details on my tank:
>
> 125 Bio Wheel
> one 15 watt Triton bulb (I just added this second bulb a few days
> ago.)
> one 15 watt power glo bulb
> Flourite / gravel combination substrate (mainly flourite)
>
> Plants (3 Swords, 3 small Java Fern, 3 Lutea)
> 3 Serpae Tetra
> 3 Lemon Tetra
> 2 Albino Cory Cats
>
> Water Condition:
> 7.0 PH
> 1 dh KH
> 20 dh GH (is this strange given the low KH? I tested twice)
> <0.3 mg/l nitrite
> No Ammonia
> 77 degrees
>
> I am using Flourish tabs in the substrate and I am adding 1/2 ml of
> Flourish Comprehensive Plant Supplement twice per week.
>
> So, after about two weeks, the plants seem to be surviving but as I
> said above, this "dust" is all of a sudden everywhere in my tank. Can
> anyone help me identify what this "dust" might be and how I can get
> rid of it?
>
> Thanks for your input!!
> Pat

[Cannibul]

On Sun, 10 Nov 2002 09:31:39 -0800, "Steve Galupe" >
wrote:

>What colour is it?
>
>If it's brown it could be diatoms. Get a couple Ottocinclus catfish and
>they will help you get rid of the diatoms. Diatoms occur in new tanks if
>the light is insufficient.
>

Hmm.... Two weeks ago I set up a 55 gallon with 160 watts of NO
florescent lighting on it and I got diatom algae. How much light
would you call sufficient? I think that the diatoms are a normal part
of any tank cycle. I did not have to wait two weeks though. Only
about three to four days.

[Steve Galupe]

"Finally, make sure your lighting is in balance with the nutrients and CO2
available in the tank. As a rule of thumb, unless supplementing with CO2,
you should be using a minimum of two full length flourescent tubes over each
tank, with a photoperiod of approximately 12 hours. If you know the nutrient
levels in your tank are low, and you experience a bloom of green algae, cut
the light back slightly. If you get brown "algae", (diatoms) increase the
light slightly. If you are using CO2, you can (and should)use lots more
light. "

http://www.thekrib.com/Plants/Algae/algae-randall.html

"Steve Galupe" > wrote in message
...
> What colour is it?
>
> If it's brown it could be diatoms. Get a couple Ottocinclus catfish and
> they will help you get rid of the diatoms. Diatoms occur in new tanks if
> the light is insufficient.
>
> "Patrick B Cox" > wrote in message
> m...
> > Hello,
> > I have a 20 gallon tank that I recently added live plants to and after
> > about two weeks, there is a dust like substance on everything in the
> > tank, except for the glass. This includes the plants, a piece of
> > driftwood and the heater. I am guessing that this is some sort of
> > algae but I am not sure. Here are some more details on my tank:
> >
> > 125 Bio Wheel
> > one 15 watt Triton bulb (I just added this second bulb a few days
> > ago.)
> > one 15 watt power glo bulb
> > Flourite / gravel combination substrate (mainly flourite)
> >
> > Plants (3 Swords, 3 small Java Fern, 3 Lutea)
> > 3 Serpae Tetra
> > 3 Lemon Tetra
> > 2 Albino Cory Cats
> >
> > Water Condition:
> > 7.0 PH
> > 1 dh KH
> > 20 dh GH (is this strange given the low KH? I tested twice)
> > <0.3 mg/l nitrite
> > No Ammonia
> > 77 degrees
> >
> > I am using Flourish tabs in the substrate and I am adding 1/2 ml of
> > Flourish Comprehensive Plant Supplement twice per week.
> >
> > So, after about two weeks, the plants seem to be surviving but as I
> > said above, this "dust" is all of a sudden everywhere in my tank. Can
> > anyone help me identify what this "dust" might be and how I can get
> > rid of it?
> >
> > Thanks for your input!!
> > Pat
>
>

[R.C. Keely]

> Hmm.... Two weeks ago I set up a 55 gallon with 160 watts of NO
> florescent lighting on it and I got diatom algae. How much light
> would you call sufficient? I think that the diatoms are a normal part
> of any tank cycle. I did not have to wait two weeks though. Only
> about three to four days.

I think diatoms are more related to excess silicates than light. New rocks,
new gravel, I get a bloom every time, and it always goes away on its own.
Never found light to be particularly related to it.

Rebecca
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