# white/grey thick cotton like substance.



## djwagz (Aug 1, 2012)

Hello,

I've been noticing this stuff on my driftwood, but now is moved onto the stems/stalks of plants. It is white/light grey, and looks like a cloud surround plant or stuck to driftwood. Any idea what it is? I have brushed it off dw before, but it comes back quick. Have done some googling and it may be a fungus, or just part of tank life that will take care of itself. Not sure. Pics. Hazy, as camera would focus on whatever is closest, cant focus manually.


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## robotman (Oct 1, 2012)

Pretty sure those are diatoms (aka "brown alage"). They are normal when a tank is first cycling. They also appear when the nitrates get high and possibly low oxygen in the water. I'm actually trying to get rid of it in my tank. In a low nitrate tank, they should not grow since they actually consume nitrates.

The good news is that it will go away by itself once you get your nitrates down. Keep brushing off the leaves of your other plants so the diatoms don't block out the light.

One other trick I found by accident is that I put a mesh around my Aquaclear Quick Filter and I notice that captures a lot of the diatoms. Then at night, my loaches and plecos have a feast every night off the mesh.

I'd recommend some big water changes and be patient. Don't add any meds. You might also try aerating the tank more to increase the oxygen. A powerhead that disturbs the water surface is helpful or a bubble rope/wand.

Keep us posted!


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## robotman (Oct 1, 2012)

How is your tank doing?

I wanted to update you and tell you that my tank looks completely diatom free now. I started treating for ich which includes daily water changes and raising the temp to 86F. Now, several days into the process there aren't any visible diatoms. Not sure if the daily water changes, raised temperatures, or rid ich plus medicine helped but something cleared the tank!


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