I have a 50 gallon tank with a Fluval 304 and 2x40 watt globes that has been up and running for about 4 months now and about 3 months ago long dark green hairy algae started to grow. I have had 1 bristle nose cat fish since the start and just recently have bought 6 Ramshorn snails and 1 chinses algae eater. I have also been using algae killing tablets and liguid but his does not seem to be doing anything. I have also cut down on the amount of food that I am feeding to the fish. Please help me as this algae is very ugly and is slowly killing my plants. I have tried manual removal but it attatches it self too hard and it kills the plants. It attaches it self to everything ???
Long hairy dark green algae?
- Thread starter Ujima
- Start date
From what I know about this algae, it is a pain in the but. But these fishes will slowly but surely eliminate them if it is not too infested: Siamese algae eaters, rosy barbs, amano shrimps, and sometimes american flagfish. Usually when the green algae appears, it is due to excess iron and nitrates.
You can manually take them out slowly everyday to speed up the process and even cut away and throw away effective leaves because those leaves aren't doing much in terms of photosynthesis if the algae is choking it.
BTW, I am not sure if those algae tablets are good for your plants. Usually chemicals that affect the algae also effects your plants.
Good luck,
Dat
You can manually take them out slowly everyday to speed up the process and even cut away and throw away effective leaves because those leaves aren't doing much in terms of photosynthesis if the algae is choking it.
BTW, I am not sure if those algae tablets are good for your plants. Usually chemicals that affect the algae also effects your plants.
Good luck,
Dat
I get this algae in my 10 gallon q-tank. I don't use any ferts or Co2 anymore in it, this is when it started to grow.
For a while I had just a few baby guppys in there, they didn't seam to touch it. As they grew they constantly picked at it. Right now, 3 ottos, a few guppys and a few cherry barbs have kept it looking good. Also Gourmis and Mollys are good at picking algae like this.
For your non-alive decorations...I would dip them in a diluted bleach bath or let them soak for an hour. It will kill everything, and you just rinse it till it doesn't smell anymore like bleach.
What plants and how many do you have?
You can dip some plants as well.
Do you add anything for the plants like liquid nutrients?
Your nitrAtes under 15 ppm? Plants don't like too much N.
For a while I had just a few baby guppys in there, they didn't seam to touch it. As they grew they constantly picked at it. Right now, 3 ottos, a few guppys and a few cherry barbs have kept it looking good. Also Gourmis and Mollys are good at picking algae like this.
For your non-alive decorations...I would dip them in a diluted bleach bath or let them soak for an hour. It will kill everything, and you just rinse it till it doesn't smell anymore like bleach.
What plants and how many do you have?
You can dip some plants as well.
Do you add anything for the plants like liquid nutrients?
Your nitrAtes under 15 ppm? Plants don't like too much N.
I too am in the process of battling this. I noticed that when I was adding iron to the water, the algae increased. I've stopped adding extra iron and have scrubbed away anything and removed the leaves of plants that have the algae on it.
From what I've read, this can be a long battle. You have to get on it pretty much right away. Lower your fertlizing if you're doing that, get a couple of true siamise algae eaters, and keep at it.
From what I've read, this can be a long battle. You have to get on it pretty much right away. Lower your fertlizing if you're doing that, get a couple of true siamise algae eaters, and keep at it.