# Regrowth of algae after drying out



## Cor (19 Sep 2020)

for example: if you have algae overgrown piece of driftwood, and you let dry it out outside the tank,  is it possible that algae be reactivated when placed back in the water?
(thinking of cryptobiosis)

TIA,  Cor


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## noodlesuk (19 Sep 2020)

I've had this with hair algae on driftwood, goes all crispy and almost grey, scraped most of it off,. Any small  bits I left did seem to come back to life, when back in the tank. But, I dont think I left it to dry out enough, was only a couple of days.


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## Cor (19 Sep 2020)

I have the same experience. Bought some old pieces of used wood. Full of algae. So I cleaned it and let it unused for nearly a month. Also kept it in a cool and dry environment.
When used it in een new set-up the algae popped-up very fast on the wood. Not anywhere in the tank itself, only on the pieces of used wood.
So looking for some scientific explanation for this.


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## noodlesuk (19 Sep 2020)

Sounds like it wasnt just me, being impatient! One thing I meant to try was putting in the freezer. Maybe the algae is like roaches though, could survive a nuclear blast!


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## tiger15 (20 Sep 2020)

Algae can pop up from spores.  Some algae spores can survive dryness and can even be spread by wind.


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## dw1305 (20 Sep 2020)

Hi all, 





tiger15 said:


> Some algae spores can survive dryness and can even be spread by wind.


Which is why you can find <"_Haematococcus pluvialis">_ in every bird-bath.

It is the commercial source of the carotenoid <"Astaxanthin"> which is now so valuable that <"TA aquaculture can't buy it for fish food">, because their supplier has moved over to supplying food grade for human supplement market.

cheers Darrel


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## tiger15 (20 Sep 2020)

The spores may not necessarily originated from the drift wood. They may already be present in your tank water waiting for the right surface, the drift wood, to sprout and grow on as the wood may still be  leaking organics.


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