Help!!! Big mistake with moss ball

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I had a hair algae issue a few months ago, i used anti hair algae, it took awhile but it did the job.

I use phosguard to remove any algae, have you ever had algae issues before this?
 
I was just doing my weekly water changes and the moss ball I had in my Betta tank spread (engulfed) a piece of hydrilla. It was course and tangly, like the moss ball.

The shrimp seemed to like picking at the stuff on the driftwood but they aren't eating the actual algae.

I'm removing moss balls from my tanks. Not worth the hassle. Maybe I'll put them in a vase.
 
I don't know if I would call it hair algae. I always though hair algae was more flexible. Looks like a type of Staghorn Algae to me, if so it is actually a red algae, not that that helps. I don't know how you would remove it short of disinfecting the entire tank if it spreads fast. Black Beard Algae is also a red algae that I have dealt with in the past. I pulled the infected items out of the tank and treated them with full strength 3% hydrogen peroxide and that killed it. BBA doesn't seem to grow very fast so that is really all I had to do with with it. In your case there is a lot of algae so you may have to take more drastic measures. Good Luck.
 
Are you feeding the live plants you do have with a liquid fertilizer? If so, how much?
How much and how often do you feed the fish?
Can you provide a photo of the full tank please?

As an initial suggestion, I'd reduce your photoperiod down to 6 hours per day and manually remove as much algae as possible. Also do a large water change.
 
So glad I found this thread! I've had two 1" moss balls quarantined in a large goblet with a bit of CaribSea Eco Complete. They've grown to a good 1½" in just 3 mo. My moss balls never float, but do produce bubbles like mad. I roll them when ever I pass to keep the round shape. They get rinsed and squeezed once a week.
Last week I starting getting green algae build up on the glass. This week I noticed it attached and clumped in some of the substrate too. I can see how this could get rapidly out of control!
It doesn't feel like moss ball algae, it's very slimey, like pond scum and it smells like too. I picked it all out of the substrate and put in it's own bowl. Now it's floating.
It's my understanding that moss balls spread by forming little extending clumps, one of mine had such a baby.
I removed the baby moss ball 2 weeks ago - he's a bit browner than should be, probably from the forced separation from mama ball.
Photo shows both baby ball and algae. Algae is deeper green in color, smells like pond scum type algae (please bear with my lack of the correct algae name). Moss ball has little to no odor. I picked them both apart a bit and the wad of algae is slimey and gooey, it smashed and disintegrated into the paper towel. The moss ball is more fibrous, resists pressure and being pulled apart.
But I do see some of the algae on the moss ball and some moss ball fibers in the algae. There are some free floating moss ball fibers generated from the rolling process sometimes I notice.
Thinking this is two different plants?
Cause is too much fertilizer? I do add recommended dosage of Fluval Florish at water changes.
Want to eventually add to my planted betta tank.
Wondering if my nerite snails would eat the "pond scum" off of the moss balls and but leave them unharmed?
 

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Looks similar to the algae I have in my tank. Hasn't yet got out of hand. Would love to know if there are any fish that eat the stuff. My snails don't seem to be touching it in favour of green on the glass.
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Next step, get rid of the damn mini Ramshorns. Got millions of them.

I've been overfeeding accidentally so have dropped down the level to see if that helps with algae and Ramshorns.
 

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