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Cyanobacteria on Wabi kusa

a lot in the family.
Read the link that Darrel posted & also the wiki stuff. I tend to find it forms in dead spots especially at the surface around emergent plants. Always look for it in shop tanks. Been told it often occurs if fish have high protein diets. Wondering if it is associated with metabolic wastes. As cyanobacteria are every where it is still intriguing to know what causes gel film formation.

I have a spray bar that causes light surface movement and run a small surface skimmer for an hour or so most days. Also do not use flake fish food. Try and eliminate surface biofilm which you have identified as a possible food source or substrate for growth to start from.

I also follow a EI regime. Not tempting fate by saying no problems with the blue/green stuff.
 
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I've seen it grow in a rather very well maintained and very large high tech and high light aqauscape. It was a 1000 litre setup with a sump. The owner told cyano always grew on top of the sponge that was used at the overflow.

In general consunses it grows in eutrofic natural invironments meaning excess bioload or ferts via run off from crop fields etc.

In reality it doesn't seem to need so much at all as long as it is provided with a substrate to attach it will grow.. Usualy stagnant moist and high light with some bioload are most favorable for cyano. The Gel film formation is the bacterial collony.. I've seen bacterial colonies forming gel blobs in my outdoor tubs also without any algae present not green not blue just a transparent snotty blob of bacteria colony.
 
Hi all,
Are there particular species of cyanobacteria that form gelatinous films
The one that forms the "balls" of dark green gel is a <"Nostoc"> sp. I haven't had them in the rain-water tanks, but they've always grown in harder water tanks with mosses etc.

I think there is still some growing around damper paving slabs at the back of the building I work in.

Image from <"Phycokey">.

Nostoc_02_600x414_balls_david_dalton_reed.edu.jpg


The species that form <"stromatolites"> are embedded in a gel, so it may be something common to most species of Cyanobacteria, but that would be a guess.

cheers Darrel
 
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