# Pink alage



## Fansons (May 20, 2010)

Today, I feel that my water is not crystal clear, it has some milky white thing. At the beginning I thought it was my CO2 fine bobble until I see some pink spot my my surface skimmer suction cup. So I wipe it out using my hand and it came off like some dust. So, I feel something serious wrong. I google pink algae and found the pink stuff was some bacteria!!

Anyone has experience with it? Should I buy a UV light?

I recently add a very small piece of lava rock, that's the only change.

Any opinion is appreciated.


Thanks


Allen


----------



## Fansons (May 20, 2010)

Today I found it formed a dusty white first then turned pink.

No one ever seen it? Google said its not common tho.


----------



## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

Is this a freshwater tank or a saltwater tank? 

Lava rock can kick off some fine pink dust when you first put it in, even if you rinse it first. That's because it has so many crevices. (I'm thinking of the red lava rock, not lace rock.) Maybe that's what's at the top of your tank?

If it's a pink bacterial algae, then that's not something I've encountered at all. I'd probably just keep the water parameters as good as possible and skim off the algae, hoping that it will settle down when the tank is stable. Bacterias can be opportunistic so I'd try to reduce the opportunity. However, as I said, I haven't had pink algae. (Browny-red diatoms, yes...)


----------



## Fansons (May 20, 2010)

Thanks for your reply!

It's a FW planted tank.

No, they somehow like to form a coat on the suction cup of my spread bar and surface skimmer. I have two filters running on each side of the tank, I have not notice anything on the other side or rocks yet. I am thinking to add a UV sterilizer, I had no experience with it so not sure if it's going to help or not. 

Just googled more on the net, some people had this but their pink algae looks like pink hair! Yuck! But mine is like kids pink chalk one the suction cup.

I had like 20 fishes in the tank so chemical is not preferred.


----------



## cpool (Apr 30, 2010)

Sounds like a bacteria bloom to me, add a UV sterilizer if you can. Or wait it out but you will likely have an algae bloom (floating algae) and you tank will turn green after your bacteria bloom. Algae blooms can be solved without a UV light by leaving the lights out for 4-5 days. Not always great for a planted tank. Hope that helps anyway!


----------



## Fansons (May 20, 2010)

Thanks!

It's the 3rd day, things look normal, fishes are happy. Water is a little bit cloudy (I can tell very small difference), but my wife said it is clear. I still have no idea what that was. I'll keep monitoring. At least it has no smell like BGA.


----------

