Thread Hair Algae Has Found Me At Last

[Teelie]

A few weeks ago, I noticed "shoots" coming off some anacharis in my 55g only to see it was in fact hair algae. The stuff literally choked the anaharis to death and has now firmly established iself on some wood and other ornaments. I've kept aquariums for several years and never got anything worse than the occasional spot algae or slimey green stuff everyone gets.

I've got several Oto's and now 4 Albino BN's in there, all of whom eat algae, but not this stuff. Figues. Now I've seen it trying to creep into my 29g foyer aquarium.

Most of it is gone. I did a big water change late last week and removed large clumps of the stuff and it really does feel like hair, even has the strength of not wanting to let go like it was rooted in.

 

[dwarfgourami]

My amano shrimps ate this- if my identification was correct. Bristlenoses don't seem to touch it.

 

[Silverlady]

I had this problem in one of my tanks , i bought some Seachem Flourish Excel and it really helped with the Hair Algea.

 

[jollysue]

True SAE eats it I was told by the plants guys. Only fish that does. Never could find any. But before it took over and killed everything, I took the advice of the plant guys. I put my tanks on 4 hour rotations. The plants need about 8 hours to do well but it can be broken into segments. The algae needs the light without breaks. It really controls all the algae. Check with the plant guys, Teelie; they've got this stuff down cold.

 

[Bex]

Interpret do quite a good hair algae treatment too. Got rid of ours a treat and we have now just reduced the light time, keeping it at bay quite nicely!

 

[Teelie]

I had the lights on a 10 hour cycle because it was planted, only the plants failed to outcompete the stuff. I haven't gotten around to fixing the timer yet to a normal 6-8 hour cycle yet. I should get up and do it now while I'm thinking about it or I'll forget it in 5 minutes.

 

[jollysue]

Break the cycles up. Not all eight hours at once. You can do more hours, just not all at one time.

 

[purple_drazi]

That algae took over my tank and nothing I did - light, SAE's, flourish Exel - made a difference until I got a bunch of amano shrimp. They ate it off of the rocks and everything else as if they were mowing grass. It was pretty neat to watch.
They didn't eliminate the algae but they did keep it under control enough that I could live with it.

 

[yvez9]

american flagfish will also eat hair algea
i had an outbreak once in my 20 gallon and got 2 females
didn,t feed for a few days and they took good care of it!