General Care Discussion :: Brown/red algae or bacteria?

[socialmonsters]

Hey guys,

I searched the forum and found some similar posts on this but wanted to get a little more clarity.

I have what looks to be a brown/red slime building up in the clear XP3 hoses after about 3-4 weeks time. It's also coating the ramp to the basking platform (the ramp is a single piece of plastic that I covered with white kitchen cabinet liners for grip).

Does this sound like it is in fact algae or is it actually a beneficial bacteria? Last month I completely replaced the hoses and it still returned within a few weeks time, so before I replace them again (as well as the ramp liner) I just want to make sure this actually a good idea. Do you guys leave your algae/bacteria building up as long as it's not coating the actual pond or turtle's shell in anyway? His pond is outdoors but completely covered from direct sunlight as I use a UVB lamp.

Any clarity on whether I should remove or leave anything this stuff is building up on would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

[devilduck]

I believe the brown slime that covers that intake hoses are a type of algae. The problem is that the hoses let in enough light that this type of algae thrives. The solution for that is to get opaque hoses. Most algae is unsightly but harmless. I jsut scrub it off when I get sick of looking at it. You can decrease the algae by lessing the time that the UVB lamp is on, but you will never really be rid of it completely.

[socialmonsters]

Thanks for the advice! Is there a reason it's only in the hoses and on the ramp but nowhere else in the water/pond? I know you just said the hoses are transparent, which is the main problem, but I'm just wondering why it isn't found anywhere but those two areas.

Also, if it's building up on one side of the XP3, does that require a filter cleaning or is it again just unsightly? Thanks again!

[Into_the_Mystic]

I have that problem as well. I have rigged up a coat hanger attached to a bristle brush that is for cleaning tubes and just shove it down in each and and rinse. Mine builds up every couple weeks and slows down the flow. It's a pain to have to do, but it's worth it.

[socialmonsters]

Are you cleaning your filter each time you clean your hoses as well? I'm only wondering because I'm not sure if the algae affects the media in any way...

[TravisL]

I get the brown algae every so often on the ramp of my basking platform. Lighting generally causes this algae. I don't suggest reducing lighting as your turtle needs about 12 hours per day but one thing I did was adjust the basking bulb so it didn't shine on the part of the ramp that was submerged under water and that solved that issue almost instantly

[socialmonsters]

Okay, great, thanks for the tips on the ramp! Do any of you also get the algae building up in the actual filter though? It's definitely unsightly but I'm just wondering if it warrants a media cleaning or possibly change. Thanks again everyone!

[steve]

I have 2 XP3s and I stopped cleaning the hoses.... it's not worth the effort. I don't get a lot of algae in the tank and never seem to have any in the filter. How often do you clean it?

[socialmonsters]

This above ground pond setup has been running for about 3 months at this point. I've cleaned the filter twice, trying to stay with the once a month schedule. Last time I cleaned it, the hoses were filled with the brown algae but I didn't notice any at all in the filter...this time, obviously, I'm noticing it building up towards the bottom and middle baskets.

Should I be cleaning it more frequently or making any changes?

[steve]

It could just be turtle waste. For me, it's usually tan-brown colored and slimy or clumpy. Easy to clean off with minor effort. Algae on the other hand requires a bit of scrubbing. Is it the same as you're finding on the basking area, hoses and the filter?

[socialmonsters]

It looks to be the exact same stuff but I never bothered cleaning the hoses last time, as I just replaced them. I'm usually pretty on top of using a net to scoop out waste, skin, extra food, etc. but I obviously know that I can't get it all.

Does it sound to be more of an algae or waste problem?

[steve]

If it's red, I would clean it out. Is it spotty or just discoloring the hoses?

[socialmonsters]

After looking closer, it's definitely a brown and it wipes off easily from the ramp. The hoses look to be spotty but throughout the entire length of the hoses.

[steve]

The hoses sound similar to mine. I just stopped cleaning those.

[socialmonsters]

Okay, thanks for all the help! I think I'll give my XP3 its monthly cleaning and scrub off any algae from the ramp but the hoses seem like a lost cause. Maybe I'll replace them once every few months if it's not going to be harmful.