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Can anyone tell me what this weird growth is? I don't care much about the rust-colored algae; I scrape that off once a week or so and it doesn't get out of control. But the weird, branching growth spreads at an amazing rate, and it's ugly. I can't keep it out of the tank.

The fish like to eat it, but they don't eat it as fast as it grows. Can someone tell me what it is and what I can do about it?

Thanks.

Sorry about that huge picture. Here's a smaller one. How do I delete that other post?

I've never seen anything like that.... Is it photosynthetic? Does it favor certain areas in the tank that are brighter or dimmer, more or less water current. If you continues to let it grow, does is stay in one plane, or branch out into the tank froming a mound? What is the texture?

Other tank conditions? Any factors that seem to speed or hinder its growth?

I am assuming this is a planted freshwater aquarium... have there been plants or organisms introduced from local streams/ponds? Any fresh woody material? It has a fungus-y look to me.

Anyone else?
Abby

I don't see any picture.

I agree- it looks fungusy. This is a planted tank with a 6700K light.

I have not introduced any local plants to the tank, nor any new fish for almost a year.

I did introduce some new plants to the tank, but they were bought from a reputable local fish store. That doesn't mean this stuff didn't come from there, of course. There was nothing obviously on the plants when I bought them, though.

Two of my fish died shortly before this problem broke out. They were male mbuna, one Melanochromis auratus and one Labidochromis caeruleus. It could possibly have been related to this, but again, it's hard to tell. The water temperature was higher-than-normal at 82-83F because of the hot summer, and the mbuna were all getting nasty and fighting. These were the first two of my cichlids to die since I got the tank a year ago.

It's hard to see the growth in all parts of the tank. It likes the glass best, but it also grows along the leaves of the plants, which is distressing to me. I don't want it to smother them. I haven't found any in the shadowy caves yet, so it might like the light, or it might just like the smooth glass. It has a really need effect of growing soft-looking pulpy fronds which sway in the current. They'd be kind of pretty if they weren't that pasty gray color. The fish usually eat the fronts pretty fast. Even my fat, lazy pleco will come out of his cave for that.

My brother Dan thinks its a carnivorous water plant.
The name might begin with "B L ...something"

Do you feed live baby brine?

Ned Bowers

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Okay, Ned's idea set off a bell in my head... i have seen a very similar structure in the zebrafish facility where I used to work.

I would look under a microscope or at least a magnifying glass and see if it looks like there are "polyps" that the animal retracts and then later expands again. If you are familiar with the smell of coral, you will find that when you crush the growth it smells similarly.

I think Dan is right.... only, it's a cnidarian, like a coral. I bet its either a hydra or a Bryozoa. They grow in fresh, marine, and brackish water and thrive in tanks with lots of particluate food. Baby brine shrimp are exactly the right size and that's what they lived on in our zebrafish nusery. In your tank, it could just be a little over feeding. Eradication is tricky with live plants, snails, and sensitive fish. But do a little research and look into plant dips if the problem continues.

I cant find a good picture, but heres some similar creatures:
http://depts.washington.edu/fhl/assets/ ... yozoan.jpg
http://members.optushome.com.au/chelmon/Hydra.htm


http://www.thekrib.com/Fish/hydra.html

Hope that helps,
Abby[/img][/quote]