helenf

The last thread on this topic didn't get far.

Has anyone successfully controlled hair algae in a NPT?

My 5 gallon NPT has a steadily increasing case of hair algae. I don't know what to do about it.

I am removing the most affected leaves. If I removed every leaf that had some I would really strip the tank, and I don't want to do that.

I added a bunch of algae eating shrimp, but they don't seem to have touched this stuff (pity)

I've been adding a local version of Flourish Excel (Dino Spit), to increase the available carbon levels, for a couple of weeks now, at the recomended dose. I don't want to increase the dose lest it harm the fish or shrimp. It doesn't seem to be making any difference.

I have just moved one of my smaller Siamese Algae Eaters into the tank, temporarily. I am pretty sure he'll get the algae back under control, but I don't want to have him in this tank for longer than a week or two, as it is really too small for him. If he appears stressed to me I'll move him back to the larger tank sooner than that. So this might work to get this algae under control temporarily, but isn't a long-term solution.

The tank in question is 5 gallons, very heavily planted with mostly fast growing things (hygros, ambulia, duckweed, crypt, anubias, milfoil). Plants growing really well, fish are happy (several male guppies, loads of "algae eating" shrimp - they are an un-named caridina species native to northern Australia, and they certainly eat algae, just not this algae, it seems). The water has 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 5ppm nitrate, 0 iron, around 3ppm phosphate (coming out of the soil).

Any other suggestions?

mommyeireanne

Hi helenf. Mine will not be the popular answer, but I killed off black brush/beard algae with lots of Excel (gluteraldehyde) and my shrimp were ok. Initially I lost one, at the first and smaller dose. Maybe coincidental because I lost no more with subsequent higher doses (2cc per 10 gallons). I dosed for 10 days. At the same time, a rooted plant, water sprite, went nuts and finally found the surface. I think the Excel killed off the algae, but the sprite's overall growth & going aerial has kept it at bay.
I also did all of the recommended things before the Flourish Excel; I vac'd the bottom debris in case it was too much nutrient. I lowered my lights to 2-3 watts per gallon. I added extra plants including duckweed...
So far so good. I just stirred up the soil transplanting a few days ago, so I am watching it closely. I no longer think we can totally avoid algae. Hang in there. Best wishes!

bartoli

In a NPT tank that I had been having algae problem, I cut the lighting in half and the algae became a non-issue.

alcion

I had red hair algae in the past. I added CO2 by DIY (1 bubble every 4 seconds) and a branch of Ceratophyllum demersum. They disapeared in two weeks. I don´t know if it was CO2 or Ceratophyllum, or both.

Good luck!

Dustymac

Helen,
If your tap water comes out nutrient-free, try some major water changes. Try to get the nitrate and phosphate levels down to zero. If you recall the thread on Duckweed and Frogbit root length, the tank with long roots and no nitrates also has no BBA or any other type of thread/hair algae. I even transplanted an Amazon Sword from another tank teeming with BBA. After a week in the nitrate-free tank, the algae on the sword was a thin gray ghost of it's former self.

You can also institute a light blackout - something I've done before without problems. Your plants won't grow but neither will the algae. Coupled with a reduction in water nutrients, a few days without light might just do the trick.

If that works, you might try reducing the amount of food you give the little beasties to keep nutrient levels down.

If that doesn't work, I would try to get ahold of some genuine Excel, (don't know what's in your Dino Spit) remove the fish and then dose the heck out of your tank. If you have invertebrates in the tank that you can't get out, run an aerator to keep oxygen levels high. I lost a mature Angel Fish to Excel and I think that was the culprit.

Hope this helps,
Jim

helenf

Thanks guys,

I don't know whether I can get the tank to be phosphate free, because it is leaching out of the soil, but I can certainly aim for it to be nitrate free, probably reducing my feeding will achieve this. I'm currently feeding much more, I think, than the fish actually eat, though the snail cleans up a lot of the leftovers. I'll try reducing the amount I feed and see what happens.

Red_Rose

Is hair algae also referred to as thread algae? If so then from a couple of sites that I came across during a search on this awhile back, they state that this type of algae is caused by an excess of iron in the water column. Do you know if your water source has a lot of iron in it?

Also, wouldn't it be a little difficult to keep a planted tank phosphate free since plants need phosphates just as much as any other micro/macro nutrient? As for the nitrates, I'd try to keep a bit in your tank, if I were you. After my 10g had removed all ammonia and nitrites when it was first set up, it quickly used up the nitrates and until just last month, it has been nitrate free but I started noticing a change in the plants around December of last year. The plant growth slowed down quite a bit and my Wisteria gradually started to look pathetic. Since I added KNO3 to the tank, my plants have perked up a lot compared to what they were a few months ago.

bugs

If it is thread algae AND thread algae is caused/supported by excess iron then try masking your substrate from sunlight. Light reaching the soil encourages it to realease iron in to the water column.

DataGuru

The only areas I have hair algae in my NPTs is on the window side. So my vote would be for decreasing light levels.

If you wanted to remove your critters temporarily, peroxide is an option for killing it.

helenf

I don't think there is any measurable iron in my water at all.

I've been doing some water changes and reducing the feeding, and the nitrate level has dropped to less than 5ppm so far. The algae is still growing, though the SAE is making a dent I think. The bad thing I noticed today is that the algae has started to take root on the top leaf of my favourite plant - the anubias nana - this is bad! I really like that plant!!!

Going to keep reducing the nitrate, try to get it to zero and keep it there for 2-3 weeks. Hopefully that will be enough to get rid of the algae.

Wish me luck!