covered in hair algae - help! - Algae

ewok · 04-26-2008, 12:26 AM

hi i have a low tech aquarium that i have with narrow leaf java fern and anubias bartoni i believe along with something else. the problem is i have hair algae problems. there are fish (gymnogeophagus) in the tank along with a panda garro and two butterfly loaches. i thought the loaches controlled algae, but i guess they must not like hair algae!
i was told by a local aquarist in my area that CO2 dosing and NO algae control medications are the key... along with EXCEL.
i really am annoyed with the algae and i'm itching to douse the tank with algae control medications, but wanted to get some expert opinions.
i've cut off the light for the last day or so (i have a hagen H5 with dual bulbs) and i've reduced the feedings by half to once a day. i change my water around every 3-4 days (33-50% each time).

help!!

Erirku · 04-26-2008, 12:45 AM

We need tank specs, before giving you the best advice. Tank size, lights, filtration, etc. I hate this algae. It is the worst of all. That stuff just loves to tangle itself in everything. I have heard people manually removing it, but it takes forever to get rid of it! Just one tiny strand and it just fluorishes. Good luck.

ewok · 04-26-2008, 08:57 AM

mmm here goes

50 gallon
lighting (see above) 2x39W
filtration - two external canisters probably running in the area of 300-400gph combined
current temperature 78F
fish (see above)
substrate - fluorite ~ 2"
i don't have a test kit to test nitrates etc. but given my reduced feeding regime and frequent water changes, i'm guessing it's 'low' lol i know... not helpful...
right now i've got the lights switched off, and i can see that the hair algae is retreating a bit...

honestly, is there some additive that i can put in that will wipe out the algae but leave the plants ok?

i know i sound crude, but i'm just a simple fish only guy

for the most part and i'd like to have some simple plants without the algae haha... help!

thefishmanlives · 04-27-2008, 08:08 PM

Id start following Tom Barrs method for low tech tanks. You still need to dose ferts. I d also get some fast growers in there. Some wysteria or water sprite would work. Start dosing some flourish Excel to get that algae under control. First thing you should do is remove as much algae as you can by hand and cutt off all leaves with algae on them. If this means all of your plants then toss them and buy more, you can get stuff cheap in the for sale section on here.

davemonkey · 04-28-2008, 07:33 PM

SAE's (Siamese Algae Eaters) and Black Mollies eat hair algae in my tank. The only problem is that you have to keep them hungry. They would gladly fill up on flakes and leave the algae. But, they have kept my hair algae under control, and I wouldn't say I "starve" my other fish, but I do "underfeed" most days.

Also, Excel is not so much an algecide as it is a plant supplement (organic carbon...). In theory, the organic carbon allows the plants to utilize available nutrients more efficiently and in that way starves out the algae...only probably not that simple...

I prefer not to use chemicals in my tank, but I DO supplement with excel since I don't have a CO2 rig. With the algae eaters I have (SAE, Mollies, and Otto's) and the excel, I have noticed a dramatic reduction in algae problems. Of coarse, some of that could also be attributed to my tank maturing.

Hope that helps you more than it confuses you.

ewok · 04-28-2008, 10:42 PM

thanks for the advice. i'll get some excel as well as invest in some siamese algae eaters

orion2001 · 04-29-2008, 10:17 AM

Also for no excel/CO2 your lighting is a little too high if they are T5 bulbs. T5's tend to be much more efficient than T8's/CFLs. I would definitely check out Tom barrs article on low light/low tech aquariums over at barrreport.com

Cheers

Tex Gal · 04-29-2008, 10:21 AM

Ottos are great little algae eaters! I'm not sure any fish out there beats them for this. SAE's get big and sometimes lazy and stand on the corner with a sign saying "will work for food" but don't mean it. They just want a flake food hand out!

ewok · 04-29-2008, 09:34 PM

haha... flake food hand out

well the thing is i keep gymnogeophagus, so the tank stays relatively cooler (if that's possible in socal). right now at night it gets into the high 60s... so i guess i want some fish that can hang with the fluctuations without worrying too much

DanD5303 · 05-19-2008, 09:46 AM

you might read through the Excel got rid of my hair algae thread up in the stickys. I fought it forever, read the thread, used Excel then gluteraldehyde, and its gone. Dan