HAIR ALGAE

[jumpman]

I have been getting green hair algae in my tank. It is fairly well planted, and the algae only seems to grow on any floating plants or any plants in the middle near the surface. I have a 3ft tank, with an aqu glo lamp and a power glo lamp, both 25w. I have many different plants, but was thinking of putting some more fast growing plants in like various Hygropila to try to help. Is this worth it?

 

[Rose]

Adding some very fast growing plants will help with the algae. However it is only a short term solution. You need to find out what is causeing the algae and get rid of it. More water changes might help with this problem too. Less feeding, less light, less fertilizers and plant growth "stuff" will help as well.

Rose

 

[jumpman]

So add more plant grow and add some fast growing plants? The plant food I use Is in a little bag that you leave in the aqurium for 3 months. People I got the plants from swear by it, and my plants seem to be growing ok.

I read in PFK that you can use a product called Protozon 707, as this will not harm sensitive fish like my clown loaches. Anyone have any experience with this??

 

[Rose]

Can't say as I've even heard of that Protozon 707. Protozon is a nasty bug that makes fish sick so why you would want to use a fish medication to get rid of algae is confusing me . If you have the room you might want to get a Bristlenose Pleco to eat the algae. They are very very handy when it comes to algae. I have one in my planted tank and I can't remember the last time I saw a hint of algae. It was covered in it before I got him. They get to be 5" max. Just another thing to think about.

Rose

 

[johnq]

I hear that shrimp are the best of the algea eaters and they are cute little critters im getting 3 dozen in the mail this week hope this helps

 

[ste2k3]

the common cause of a lot of algae is either high organics in the water or most probbably phosphate. I would recamend that you use a product called rowaphos from D-D aquarium solutionsrowaphos

don't put it in the bag supplyed layer it in filter floss. this stops it compacting.

 

[jumpman]

thanks ste2k3. Have looked into this and sounds good. Will giv it a go I think, other people have suggested high poshpate levels in aquarium also.

thanks

 

[mrV]

Another way is to try reduce light:

time / on or off
9-11 lights on
11-14 lights off
14-21 lights on

Some hobbiest has been very pleased at the effect. Algaes have diminished but plants still grow.

 

[slt]

we have had this horrid hair algea in our tank it completly coverd one of the plants we tried all sorts to get rid but nothing worked, then H20 read an artical on
rosybarbs, some one had found them good at eating hair algea,
so we bought 4 of them and within only a matter of days the little darlings had cleared the tank of it so why not give them a try
our tank is now free of the stuff

 

[jumpman]

thanks for the suggestions.....never thought of rosy barbs!! Don't really have the room for them at the moment, as i have just got some Flying Fox's to help deal with the problem, and have added a phosphate remover to the filter, as well as buying a load of Water Wysteria.

mrV, have been doing the light gap method for quite a while, but doesn't seem to stop this type

Here's hoping this 'tripple wammy' will crush the wretched stuff!!!!!

ste2k3, you say take it out of the bag??? Is that so that the water passes through it a bit easier??

thanks all.....

 

[wetwetwet]

Use to have the same probs m8....

Lighting gap seemed to work for me - but was recomended to me that it needs to be at least a 4hr gap.....

Though I now also have sae's and ottos and ammano shrimps - and no serious algae probs lol

 

[Alien Anna]

I hear that shrimp are the best of the algea eaters and they are cute little critters im getting 3 dozen in the mail this week hope this helps

Unfortunately neither shrimps, nor bristlenosed plecs nor any of the other common algae eaters will touch hair algae. The only fish I know that does is the Siamese Algae Eater which is a pretty large fish (6") and is a schooling fish.

Better to try to cut the algae off at the pass by reducing the nutrients available to it in the first place.