Algae or disease?

[Robert777]

I just bought 2 Dwarf Saggitaria, 1 Brazilian Sword and a plant they called "Star Plant".

The Sword and "Star" are looking good and green, but the Saggitaria is very light, almost a cream. I don't know if its supposed to be that color, but I know its not supposed to have little brown and green balls attached to it in the hundreds.

I initially thought it was algae, so I assumed I could rub it off. Didn't happen. The balls are hard and stick like glue.

Is this algae? Or is it a plant disease?

 

[Azhael]

I´d say it´s both.
There´s clearly a lot of algae, which is normal and as far as i know not a big problem.
But the lack of colour of those plants does look like it´s actually dead.
The water looks like it has an awful lot of chlorine (judging by the bubbles)...this might be causing the problems....

 

[Robert777]

The water is actually Reverse Osmosis water. It could possibly be what was in the tank before, I tried to clean it as much as I could..

The plants weren't green when I got them, they were already this color, although I think I see green creeping into them.

Is there any way to safely get rid of this algae? It is rather unsightly.

 

[Azhael]

I might be wrong, but i´m not sure that reverse osmosis water is good to use in tanks.
Where do all those bubbles come from then?
If the leaves are turning green it might be that they were perhaps kept with low light, or that the leaves are too new?
There are some products that preach to succesfully get rid of algae...in my experience they don´t. Algae (at least most kinds) are not bad for your tank, they actually contribute to the elimination of waste and oxygenation of water. To keep them under control, you can stuff the tank with live plants. They will compete with the algae and after some time they will most probably win the battle. Snails can also be of great help.

 

[ferret_corner]

I think you're going to have to leave them until you see new leaves on the plant. Once you've made sure the plant is healthy enough to sprout new leaves you can cut away the old leaves.

You could try running fingernail over them to see if they'll scrape off. But I think thats all you can do for now. I looked up a lot of aquarium plant articles. They all recommend removing algae from plants but they specified "loose" and "slimy" algaes that wipe off fairly easily.

 

[Robert777]

Ya I think its not good to use, but I have been using it for almost a year and nothing has happened. I can take tap water and treat it for when I remodel my tank. (that's why the plants are in an aquarium by themselves)

I hope they're just young and they will get green, if not I might just take them back. I have a snail in with them right now, he seems to be much more active when in with these plants. Maybe he is cleaning the algae. Hopefully it goes away soon.

Thanks for helping.

 

[Jennewt]

I think it's algae. Some kinds stick very tightly. New plants can be treated with various things to get rid of pests before introducing them to your tank.

I would encourage you to supplement the RO water with an approriate product (a pH buffer, RO Right, etc). There are very few fish or caudates that are well suited to live in straight RO water. It is stressful for the animals' kidneys, and the water tends to undergo pH crashes in long-term established tanks.

 

[sean n dad]

Robert,
From the picture it looks like either the tank was just setup or a water change was done recently. What happens when you do a water change with TAP water the plants will begin to use up nutrients in the water column and start to photosynthethis. Be sure to use a Dechlorinator of some type to remove chlorine and other chemicals in water. I would also reccommend using a product to get the biological bacteria growing to help with break down of ammonia, nitriates & nitrites.
The first plant you list as Star grass is Heteranthera zosterifolia, the second is a Sagittari type. The last plant looks like what is sold as Brazilian Sword and is not a truly aquatic plant.
On the first wo it does look like algae and the plants look like they are suffering from lack of nutrients & proper lighting. I have posted a link to a planted aquarium web site that you will find helpful. I have found that much of the information here will appy to setting up t anks for newts.
Regards,
Ed

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/

 

[Critter Mom]

Red algae will have a black appearance and will not come off easily. The affected leaves must be removed before it spreads, and the plants that are not truly aquatic removed before they rot and cause more problems. The non-aquatic plants could make a good house plant perhaps, or might live alright in a shallow water end of the tank if it has some substrate or gravel that slopes upward creating the land portion. Another great site for a listing of true aquatic plants is http://www.plantgeek.net and I hope this helps.

This website has a complete section on Algae too!