How To Stop Green Dust Algae Growing in The Aquarium

In aquascaping, you may find some issues that affect our beloved tank. Starting with fish problems, then equipment problems. Algae invasion is a common problem that usually strikes the planted tank of many aquarists.

Many different types of algae are often seen in aquaria, including Brown Algae (Diatomaceae), Green Spot Algae (Choleochaete), Green Dust Algae, Green Fuzz Algae (Oedogonium), Green Beard Algae, Red Spot Algae, Black Brush Algae (Audouinella sp.), Green Water, Water Silk (Spirogyra), Green Thread Algae, Hair Algae (Rhizoclonium), Staghorn Algae (Compsopogon sp.), Blue-Green Algae – BGA (Cyanobacteria), and Blanket Weed (Cladophora).

A focus point we can discuss in full at this time is ‘Green Dust Algae.’ Keep reading, and do not move your display from this page.

What Is Green Dust Algae?

These algae types are primarily found in new aquarium setups. They usually stick to the glass, hard and smooth aquarium decorations, and equipment such as stones, wood, and aquatic plants.

In fact, green dust algae (GDA) are zoo-spores. They form a green film, dusty-looking on the glass; in a critical case, these algae could cover the entire surface of the tank glass.

The aquarium algae species actually love attaching to the glass, so the Germans named them “Grüne Scheibenpest,” which means “green glass plague.” Their growth is faster; when they begin to develop, you will see them immediately turning into a green carpet layer with a thicker size.

The algae clipping on the glass is usually lighter green than the algae that sticks to the equipment or hardscape. It is caused by the lights hitting the algae from both sides of the aquarium wall, making it seem brighter in tint.

How To Identify The Green Dust Algae?

These types of aquatic algae only cling to the glass without changing the water’s color. The water should not be unchanged when wiping the sticky algae with your finger. The GDA will float for 30-90 minutes before adhering to the glass again.

Many aquascapers are sometimes confused with green spot algae because they look very similar. But when they are compared by their characteristics, the distinctions become clear.

The green spot algae grow into unique circular shapes that slowly merge together. To ensure the difference between them, use your finger. Touch them softly; if they lift off easily, that is actually green dust algae. If they are stubborn, you have another one.

What Causes The Green Dust Algae to Thrive In The Tanks?

Unfortunately, there are still no universally agreed-upon reasons why the green dust algae could thrive in the aquarium. However, there is a reason why these algae bloom in the tanks.

According to some experts, overlighting the aquarium may promote the growth of these algae. However, it’s not a precise reason; obviously, these aquarium algae prefer to attach to brighter areas, such as in front of the glass wall.

The second theory is that the spores of green dust algae are introduced into your aquarium by riding on the bodies of fish, aquatic plants, hardscape, or equipment from an infected tank. Then, they wait for the perfect time to spread out in your tank.

The third is caused by the biological fact that the aquarium is still immature. This thing throws the water parameters out of balance, which helps push the algae to bloom.

Fourth, the GDA may appear with significant changes in the planted tank. For example, drastic changes in the equipment or plant mass (e.g., after an excessive trimming leaves session).

Fifth, some aquarists tell us that green dust algae infect their tanks and contain a ton of dissolved nitrogen in the water, caused by magnesium nitrate or urea, which leads to their growth (generally happens in tanks with high NO3 levels> 10 ppm).

Sixth, the accumulation of organic debris on the aquarium’s bottom can also help these algae develop.

Does the Green Dust Algae Harm Your Fish And Plants?

Nope, the green dust algae aren’t dangerous to fish. A particular fish can still be healthy and alive, even when kept in an aquarium covered by it. Even a bristlenose pleco will happily inhabit a tank that is full of it.

How about the plants? An aquarium hobbyist shares his experience: he says his aquatic plants’ appearance isn’t particularly affected by these algae. His plants were coated by it for a couple of months and are still alive. Once the green dust algae are removed, they grow healthy again.

How To Stop The Green Dust Algae from Growing in Your Tank?

The green dust algae cover your aquarium wall, plants, equipment, and soil. How do we fight and stop them from blooming again? We will show you how to get rid of green dust algae from your beloved tank.

There are some methods that can help you succeed in anticipation of GDA growth. Below are the ways:

Balancing The Water Nutrients

As stated above, one problem with green dust algae is the high dissolved nitrate level in the water. So, grab your aquarium test kit and check all the required nutrients of your aquarium plants, such as pH, CO2, phosphate, etc.

If there is an imbalance of elements, fix it immediately. It is a good list that could become a reference to create an environment with balanced nutrition, which is preferred by your aquatic plants:

• CO2: 20 – 30 mg/l
• Nitrate (NO3): 10 – 25 mg/l
• Potassium (K): 5 – 10 mg/l
• Phosphate (PO4): 0.1 – 1 mg/l
• Magnesium (Mg): >10 mg/l

Stopping The Green Dust Algae Spores From Developing With UV Sterilizer

The spores are incredibly tiny and cannot be seen with the naked eye. But, if you abandon them there, they will mutate and produce themselves more and more until coating all parts of the aquarium.

Using a UV sterilizer may become a powerful way to kill the spores. This innovative device can hit all tiny creatures floating in aquarium water with light beams. You can also combine this tool with a 100-micron polishing pad in the filter to catch them there. It will increase the effectiveness of stopping algae from developing.

Remove The Green Dust Algae Manually

This way is our favorite method, but we may spend more time fighting with them. Many fishkeepers also gain success by manually removing the green dust algae. Here is the trick:

The GDA is assumed to have a life cycle, so they will return if you clean them up early on. So, it would be best if you wipe them when they are old.

They usually take about four weeks to complete their life cycle. After 4 weeks, reduce the water level until the algae are exposed, about 3-4 inches above the waterline. Once the water is low, clean the algae that is attaching to the glass with paper towels. Be careful when brushing them; do not let any piece fall into the water.

After that, carefully pick up any equipment in the aquarium, such as the powerhead or heater, outside the aquarium. Next, clean it from the algae using an unused cloth.

To eliminate any remaining spores on the glass, take another fabric, spray it with 3% hydrogen peroxide, and then wipe it over the cleaned sections. After that, fill up the tank with clear fresh water. Distilled water is highly recommended when filling a new water tank. It is free of harmful metals, such as iron and manganese, which can degrade water quality. You can buy an RO water kit for home aquaria on the market to generate it by yourself. This will save your funds significantly than buying bottled distilled water in the stores.

Adding Algae Eaters

A simple way to fight green dust algae is to use algae eaters. Common freshwater snails like Zebra Nerite are effective at cleaning up green dust algae, but only at low levels. However, in many cases, they eat algae as they please and leave odd traces in the aquarium, as shown in the picture below.

But what if the algae spreads and coats almost every part of the aquarium? Indeed, you need a giant algae eater to control it.

Bristlenose plecos are the correct answer; they are freshwater fish with a strong appetite for algae, especially GDA and green hair algae. Many aquarists use these most popular algae-eating types to do away with it without wetting their hands.

You can integrate the manual removal method with bristlenose pleco; you will have a great punch to defeat the green dust algae in your tank. Ensure that you do not starve your fish when the algae are gone, giving them their favorite food, such as zucchini or algae wafers, will make them continue their duties happier.

Other Methods To Eliminate The Green Dust Algae

Maybe you want to try another easy way to cut the growth of green dust algae before using all the methods above. The first is to perform a blackout on your tank for 3-5 days. This thing might be preventing them from spreading out.

Use a thick blanket to cover the tank, do not overfeed your fish, and do not add fertilizers during the treatment. But if you keep a shrimp tank, you may unfeed your pets. Turn off the CO2 injection if you apply it, and supply more oxygen by installing an air pump into your tank.

Once the treatment session is complete, make sure to make your fish adapt to the normal environment by opening half of your tank and leaving it like this for around thirty minutes. After that, remove the blanket entirely and leave it off for another 30 minutes before turning on the aquarium lamp.

Next, clean all remaining algae on the objects, equipment, and wall glass. Then, do a water change of around 30%-50% depending on the conditions. The last step is installing any equipment and objects into the aquarium, switching on the lamp and carbon dioxide, and adding some doses of fertilizers.

The second uses a liquid algae remover or liquid carbon, such as “Seachem Flourish Excel,” that can be purchased from fish stores or online markets. It’s slightly effective in decreasing the growth of the spores. This liquid works well in mild cases.

Conclusions

Green dust algae are among the common problems that affect a new aquarium setup. Some new tank keepers probably quit their hobby because of this issue.

But do not be static; for every problem that comes to your tank, there must be a way to solve it. Always learn more about aquascaping to prevent any lousy conditions from happening to your tank, so keep on fishkeeping.