Need a biologist!

[Daddio]

We were sitting around the office and I was explaining how my tank is cycling and I was asked a question I can't answer or find a good explanation online...

- Where do diatoms, cyano and hair algae come from?

I am smack in the middle of the US, 1,000 miles from the nearest ocean, but yet these organisms will find their way into my tank. I know I have reused rock from a previous tank but even if I started with a brand new tank, new sand and even "unlive" rock, they would still appear.

Are they airborne spores? Are these the same organisms that grow in fresh water?



.................Or are they magic...............

 

[Reefing Madness]

Intro to Diatoms use of silica


Where Does It Come From?
Algae can come into your tank from many sources. Anything that goes into your tank that has been in another aquarium or natural body of water could potentially have algae on it. This includes plants, fish, snails, or any other living thing in your aquarium—including the water they came in with. Fish, shrimp, and most animals will be your least likely culprits. The shells of snails often have algae growing on them. Plants, as well as any decorations and equipment that have been in another aquarium, will most likely have some types of algae growing on them. There is even debate in the aquarium community as to what extent airborne spores might play in bringing algae in to the aquarium. Algae is very small and can come in to your tank from many sources.
"Tropicalfish Magazine"

 

[Daddio]

Thanks for the reply!

What about people that start off sterile - nothing that has touched the ocean? Would you still get the algae blooms if left totally alone, i.e. not adding any livestock or live rock and let the tank cycle by adding an ammonia source? You would still get a bloom, correct?

I know that this is pretty theoretical, but I have browsed a couple of builds where people have started with dry rock and a completely new setup and still get blooms.

It's totally fascinating what shows up in your tank that you did not put there - even after years of having a setup, I still would find new creatures that would populate and then decline. I know that those come is as hitchhikers on coral or livestock, but it is still amazing.

One of my favorite parts of this hobby - surprises!

 

[Reefing Madness]

The answers you look for are in there.
Bacteria is abound all around us. It gets into the tank, can't stop it. They are basically present all the time, just need fuel to make em visible. Like the silicates insome salts or tank glass, bacteria is there, just add water and light and BOOM, you just started a colony. When the silicates are eaten up by the Diatoms, they visibly go away, but if you add silicates back into the tank, you can make em bloom again.

 

[Daddio]

Pretty crazy... totally interesting that there is not a body of saltwater near me - but set up a small cube of it and organisms find it and thrive!

 

[PatW]

The photosynthetic bacteria can probably get into any aquarium on planet you are in a clean room.

The true algae, the eukaryotic algae, should be more challenged.

But have you ever seen a hay infusion? You just take a handful of hay and toss it into a quart of water. You take out a drop and look at it under 100x in a compound microscope. You will see all sorts of things: ciliates, amoeba, algae and so on. It does not take much to see your tank. Most of our houses are surrounded by mowed lawns. It only takes a few specks to seed the tank.

 

[Daddio]

I just find I fascinating that the thrive in salt water... I totally understand if I had a freshwater tank, we have streams, lakes and rivers everywhere.

 

[PatW]

I just find I fascinating that the thrive in salt water... I totally understand if I had a freshwater tank, we have streams, lakes and rivers everywhere.

The photosynthetic bacteria really don't care. Salt water, fresh water, polluted water, it is all good. The eukaryotic algae might be more fussy. But I would think that many of them like the diatoms would be fine in almost anything. Certain algae just seem to appear in salt water tanks really early. It might be that their spores are really resistant and they hitch hike on sand and dry rock.