Blackout For Removing Hair Algae?

[Shay2021]

I’m having the same problem with hair algae. Plus black spots on all my plants. Using homemade root tabs (osmocote slow release 8 capsules for 55 gallon tank)
Plus seachem flourish at weekly water changes, flourish excel (supposed to simulate CO2) every other day.
Fluval 58 LED light. I’m at my wits end with this.

 

[Byron]

I’m having the same problem with hair algae. Plus black spots on all my plants. Using homemade root tabs (osmocote slow release 8 capsules for 55 gallon tank)
Plus seachem flourish at weekly water changes, flourish excel (supposed to simulate CO2) every other day.
Fluval 58 LED light. I’m at my wits end with this.

This is fairly easy to resolve. First, you have Java Ferns and I think Anubias (?) which are low light and low nutrient requiring plants. They certainly do not need carbon from the toxic Excel which is glutaraldehyde (if you read up on this you will find it will kill some plants when used at recommended dose, but if overdosed can kill plants, bacteria and fish). The Echinodorus sword would greatly benefit from substrate tabs (but not osmocote, will come back to this).

The light may be too intense, or on for too long each day; floating plants can help with the intensity, and obviously reducing the photoperiod is an easy option.

Osmocote should never be added to an aquarium. Substrate fertilizers will not directly benefit plants like Java Fern that are not rooted in the substrate. But even more importantly, osmocote contains nutrient levels that benefit terrestrial plants, but not aquatic. The high (very) level of nitrogen (as nitrate) and phosphorus is known to cause algae, but these are not needed in an aquarium with fish. Aquatic plants do not take up nitrate, and there is plenty of ammonia/ammonium to supply their nitrogen need (especially here with these slow growers), and sufficient phosphates from feeding the fish.

You may or may not benefit from using Flourish Comprehensive, I have had Java Ferns and mosses do fairly well without it (and in my very soft water) but they do tend to perk up a bit with it. Depends upon the fish load, feeding, and source water. Will be more likiely to benefit the sword, but the Flourish Tab may be sufficient, certainly these would benefit the sword.

 

[Shay2021]

This is fairly easy to resolve. First, you have Java Ferns and I think Anubias (?) which are low light and low nutrient requiring plants. They certainly do not need carbon from the toxic Excel which is glutaraldehyde (if you read up on this you will find it will kill some plants when used at recommended dose, but if overdosed can kill plants, bacteria and fish). The Echinodorus sword would greatly benefit from substrate tabs (but not osmocote, will come back to this).

The light may be too intense, or on for too long each day; floating plants can help with the intensity, and obviously reducing the photoperiod is an easy option.

Osmocote should never be added to an aquarium. Substrate fertilizers will not directly benefit plants like Java Fern that are not rooted in the substrate. But even more importantly, osmocote contains nutrient levels that benefit terrestrial plants, but not aquatic. The high (very) level of nitrogen (as nitrate) and phosphorus is known to cause algae, but these are not needed in an aquarium with fish. Aquatic plants do not take up nitrate, and there is plenty of ammonia/ammonium to supply their nitrogen need (especially here with these slow growers), and sufficient phosphates from feeding the fish.

You may or may not benefit from using Flourish Comprehensive, I have had Java Ferns and mosses do fairly well without it (and in my very soft water) but they do tend to perk up a bit with it. Depends upon the fish load, feeding, and source water. Will be more likiely to benefit the sword, but the Flourish Tab may be sufficient, certainly these would benefit the sword.

I have well water, which is very hard. The plants had the black spots before I added the capsules.
is it true that hornwort can not be in a tank with other plants?

 

[Back in the fold]

I don't want to be a bummer but hair algae doesn't respond to anything less than a scorched earth type total tear down and clean. Freshwater shrimp of the Gammarus scud type will devour it but they will eat your Java Moss too. But, on a brighter note you can harvest it regularly to keep it somewhat in check but it's like your lawn, it always grows back.

 

[Back in the fold]

I have well water, which is very hard. The plants had the black spots before I added the capsules.
is it true that hornwort can not be in a tank with other plants?

Hornwort grows very well and very fast. It's thing is that you have to thin it often. You ought to see it take over an outdoor pond. Cut your water with 50% R/O or distiller water to reduce your hardness if that's a problem.

 

[Shay2021]

Hornwort grows very well and very fast. It's thing is that you have to thin it often. You ought to see it take over an outdoor pond. Cut your water with 50% R/O or distiller water to reduce your hardness if that's a problem.

I have an aquarium full of hornwort. I read it would kill other plants. I moved it to my 2 20 gallon tanks.
Does it have to be in its own tank?

 

[Shay2021]

This is fairly easy to resolve. First, you have Java Ferns and I think Anubias (?) which are low light and low nutrient requiring plants. They certainly do not need carbon from the toxic Excel which is glutaraldehyde (if you read up on this you will find it will kill some plants when used at recommended dose, but if overdosed can kill plants, bacteria and fish). The Echinodorus sword would greatly benefit from substrate tabs (but not osmocote, will come back to this).

The light may be too intense, or on for too long each day; floating plants can help with the intensity, and obviously reducing the photoperiod is an easy option.

Osmocote should never be added to an aquarium. Substrate fertilizers will not directly benefit plants like Java Fern that are not rooted in the substrate. But even more importantly, osmocote contains nutrient levels that benefit terrestrial plants, but not aquatic. The high (very) level of nitrogen (as nitrate) and phosphorus is known to cause algae, but these are not needed in an aquarium with fish. Aquatic plants do not take up nitrate, and there is plenty of ammonia/ammonium to supply their nitrogen need (especially here with these slow growers), and sufficient phosphates from feeding the fish.

You may or may not benefit from using Flourish Comprehensive, I have had Java Ferns and mosses do fairly well without it (and in my very soft water) but they do tend to perk up a bit with it. Depends upon the fish load, feeding, and source water. Will be more likiely to benefit the sword, but the Flourish Tab may be sufficient, certainly these would benefit the sword.

Thank you so much for the advice.

 

[Byron]

I have an aquarium full of hornwort. I read it would kill other plants. I moved it to my 2 20 gallon tanks.
Does it have to be in its own tank?

I m not aware of this with hornwort, but others may know more. What is involved here is plant allelopathy, which is a biological process where one plant inhibits the growth of another plant (of a different species) by releasing allelochemicals; this is normally used to reduce competition and thus ensure survival.

 

[Essjay]

I had hornwort a few years ago in the same tank as anubias, java fern and bolbitis. The only problem I had, and why I finallly removed it, was that it grew and grew and wound itself round the decor and the other plants until it was a tangled mess. It needed pruning regularly and it was difficult to do this when it was tangled with everything else.

 

[Colin_T]

The only reason Hornwort would kill other plants is if the Hornwort stops the light getting to the other plants. But it won't release anything that poisons other plants, it simply smothers them and stops the other plants getting light, water movement and nutrients.

 

[Back in the fold]

@Shay2021 The Hornwort itself doesn't have any lethal qualities, it just shades out the plants below it so that they get no light if left unchecked.