Red Slime Alge

Cyanobacteria is one of the oldest photosynthetic organisms.

Red slime alge. Red slime bacteria and algae is presented in a reddish brown color and it usually starts to grow inside of your aquarium in patches at first. This is actually a type of bacteria known as red cyanobacteria. This is actually a type of cyanobacteria and not a true algae at all.

Often considered to be the evolutionary link between bacteria and algae cyanobacteria are among the oldest forms of life on earth and date back at least 3 5 billion years. Often red slime algae is looked at as being a link between bacteria and the true algae and it is more than three billion years old. If there is not enough oxygen to go around your fish could be at risk for asphyxiation.

It will present itself in your pool as rust colored specks or bright reddish pink patches on the walls steps and or ladders. Red slime algae cyano. Red slime algae is the common name for an aquarium troublemaker otherwise known as red cyanobacteria since the term cyanobacteria sounds like either a bizarre crayola crayon color or the bacterial strain in a michael crichton novel how s that for a dated reference the more popular term red slime algae tends to fit quite well.

Carrageenan powder which is often made from red algae. Unlike other types of green filamentatious algae red slime algae can actually take hold even when there are very low nitrates in the tank. Red slime algae is actually a type of bacteria called cyanobacteria and it is photosynthetic.

What is red slime algae. Even with the best pool water care some pool owners will experience algae at some point during the swimming months. To make things more difficult a lot of invertebrates that will eat green algae will avoid red slime algae.

But if you don t treat the bacteria and algae of red slime then it has the ability to spread throughout your entire aquarium in a thick and flimsy layer. Red slime algae is actually not a true algae at all but classified as a cyanobacteria cyanobacteria are one of the oldest forms of life on earth and date back at least 3 5 billion years. It is generally perceived as an algae but this intrusive organism contains the properties of algae and bacteria.