that nasty thread algae!

[mellowserra]

This stuff is threatening to take over my tank! From what I gather it is fluorishing from heavy lighting and the iron leaching out of my substrate. I read that the best way to remove it is with a toothbrush, which I will do today.

Has anyone had experience with fish eating this stuff? If so, what species will keep it trimmed off of the plants after it is manually removed? thanks.

 

[Nospherith]

I used to have tons of this thread algae. I'd take out with either q-tips or my hand raking through the plants and water. Lately, I've been really busy due to summer semester so I've been kindof slacking on my tank. So to reduce complications, I've reduced from 2.75 wpg to .75wpg. Since the transition the thread algae hasn't grown back with the intensity it once had. Perhaps decreasing the photoperiod to 8 hours for a week or two might help.

As far as fish eating this stuff, I've heard black mollies eat it like spaghetti but considering how fast thread algae grows I doubt adding fish would help. I've got 3 SAE's and 7 otos in my 20g and they haven't touched it.

 

[mellowserra]

The algae removed from the plants quite easily, but I won't be surprised to see it back in a day or two. I just brought home some mollies and flying foxes, maybe they'll help out a little bit.

My plants won't be too happy if I cut down my wpg, but I should be able to get my CO2 going this week, which may also make a difference.

 

[StarOrbs]

The algae removed from the plants quite easily, but I won't be surprised to see it back in a day or two. I just brought home some mollies and flying foxes, maybe they'll help out a little bit.

My plants won't be too happy if I cut down my wpg, but I should be able to get my CO2 going this week, which may also make a difference.

Flying Foxes I believe can get pretty violent when they get older.

 

[mellowserra]

Good news: the mollies are eating all kinds of thread algae that I must have missed

StarOrbs: thanks for the info, I will definitely look into that. Hadn't seen anything regarding aggression with the flying foxes, I will have to read more carefully.

EDIT: I've had good fortune today, apparently the "Flying Foxes" I purchased were mislabeled and are true SAEs. (YEA!!) I nearly didn't get them to begin with thinking they all had some kind of swimbladder disease with they way they sat on the bottom )

 

[StarOrbs]

Good news: the mollies are eating all kinds of thread algae that I must have missed

StarOrbs: thanks for the info, I will definitely look into that. Hadn't seen anything regarding aggression with the flying foxes, I will have to read more carefully.

EDIT: I've had good fortune today, apparently the "Flying Foxes" I purchased were mislabeled and are true SAEs. (YEA!!) I nearly didn't get them to begin with thinking they all had some kind of swimbladder disease with they way they sat on the bottom )

Lucky basterd. I wish I could find some lol.

 

[IMCL85]

I use sponge to remove them much more easier and it cover alot more area then a TB. But if ur tank is small you can use TB but I dont really see much difference between it. And some catfish species specailly love algea but I forgot which kind u can check their info over on fish index. Good luck

 

[Dorkhedeos]

i think otos eat it too.

 

[mellowserra]

Between the mollies and the SAEs it's still gone, I highly recommend Mollies as consumers of thread algae. It's in a 75 usgal, 6 of the 9 mollies I put in are dalmation, they're like a whole herd of cattle grazing on the stuff And that's on top of brine shrimp, plus the shrimp pellets and algae wafers that are supposed to go to the plecos, little pigs!

StarOrbs: if you scroll down a little bit past the info regarding Crossocheilus siamensis in THIS site, it lists a company that overnights them, if you are interested (I have not used this company before).