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It has started to develop in my Betta tank. It is less than 30mm from the top of the water.

One cure is plenty of plants I dont think I could add many more see link.

Also it can be treated if thread Algae with Sera algopur

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Keith

keithgh attached this image:


Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do.
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Yep, that's the stuff.

It's nasty stuff, sucking up nutrients that your plants will want, and generally being an eyesore. It thrives on high light and you can remove it by using algae eating fish (sometimes barbs and mollies work well) or manual removal. Since adding fish most likely isn't in your plans, the solution would be to remove what you can manually, and control the nutrient levels and lighting on the tank.

How long are you lighting the tank, and are you manually adding ferts?

Keith, is this the big tank that has the thread algae?

Only if I recall correctly from your photo album, you have Siamese Algae Eaters in there. Let them go hungry for a couple of days and they'll nuke it. I bought SAEs for that specific purpose back in 1999. And in a week, they had demolished every last scrap of thread algae that existed in my aquarium.

If this is the Betta tank that has the thread algae, let one of your SAE's loose in it for a week and watch that algae vanish.

SAEs will demolish thread algae with gusto once they're hungry. Lay off the veggie treats for a couple of days and they'll soon look around for alternatives


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

I got it recently Keith!

I have upped water changes, and just manually removed it, cut all ferts, and crossed my fingers.

I'm *just* keeping it at bay.

For animals, the entire universe has been neatly divided into things to (a) mate with, (b) eat, (c) run away from, and (d) rocks. - Terry Pratchett

If you can get your hands on some American Flag Killies, they love the stuff. I purchased three of them when my tank had an outbreak of thread algae, and within two weeks it was gone.

Or you can purchase a small SAE for the purpose and then return it when the algae is gone, but IME, they do not eat thread algae with as much gusto as the Killies.

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I'm not your neighbor, you Bakersfield trash.

Keith,

In case you didn't see [link=This Article]http://www.thekrib.com/Plants/Algae/hair-algae.html" style="COLOR: #ff6633[/link] from The Krib before.

It talks about various treatment attemps and multiple subtypes of Thread Algae.

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Yep, Keith that would be the stuff

I had it sometime back in the spring about the same time I got duckweed

Since then I haven't done anything to uh do away with it, but it's now goneI guess lucky me:%)

heidi

"I've got a great ambition to die of exhaustion rather than boredom." Thomas Carlyle

Hallehluya - I was going to post a question on this stuff myself today. I hope you don't mind me jumping on this one Keith but I've got loads of the stuff in my 10g. It moved on from the hairy stuff to hairy stuff plus bobbly spores! Plus cloudy water ... it's driving me mad.

I had my water tested at the weekend at the LFS.
ammonia - 0
PH: 7.2
Phosphate: moderate

So I bought some 'stuff' to lower the phosphate. Water is clearing. I've tried removing the algae by hand but finding it impossible. There are spores and algae all over the place. I have kept my apartment as dark as possible during the day, (while I'm at work) and have only had the light on for a few hours day. I'm changing the water regularly. I have Ottos in there with a Betta and they don't seem to be eating it. Infact a couple of Ottos have died. Doing a search on other threads someone thought 'white algae’ might be a bacteria.

It certainly started looking like Keith's algae but has since grown several heads. If you think this needs a separate thread let me know. Any help gratefully received - it's driving me mad.
]:|]:|

thank you!

Yes it is in the Betta Tank all the info about that tank is in My Profile.

My readings tell me it is a sign of good water conditions.
Sera have a product to remove it called "Algopur" Does any one know about it or used it.

Getting a SAE would be no problem at all.

I use Flourish Xl 1Ml three times a week and a general plant food 2Ml at the 30% water change.

Fishymama not a problem we are all here to learn and help each other.

Little Fish I have booked marked it and will read it very carefully.

Sorry Heidi
If there is one thing I will do any thing to remove it is "Duck Weed" If I see a plant and it is in a tank with DW I will never buy it.

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Keith

Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do.
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Sorry I forgot to add my 4 very young Ottos are not even looking at it.

Keith

Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do.
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You have a ton of Polysperma in that tank. They don't come much faster growing or greedy then that plant.

So is it really an issue of too much nutrients (which in itself is illogical) OR one of possibly not enough of one or more creating an imbalance?

With the plants you have there and the fact you are adding Excel I'd take a shot at bottomed out Nitrate and or phosphate. Stalling plant growth and leaving a niche for algae to settle in. One mans perfect water is anothers plant killing field

I'm sure most will know my feelings on algae removing chemicals. They have no place in a planted aquarium. Algae is a lower form of plant life, any chem that kills them is going to damage the plants resulting in more and bigger issues down the line. It's a short term fix.

Algae eating fish will probably do a decent enough job of keeping new algae at bay but may not touch the stuff that's already there. Shrimp are an option too, especially the Amano's.Ottos won't look at it.

Check NO3 and PO4 make sure at least 10ppm and 1ppm respectively.

Many have reported success at killing algae by using Excel at 3-4 times dosage. It also has the benefit of giving the plants a boost.

Check the macro levels, adjust as neccessary, trim off effected leaves and maybe try the triple excel.

Last edited by bensaf at 07-Oct-2005 21:47

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Some days you're the pigeon and some days you're the statue.

Remember that age and treachery will always triumph over youth and ability.

As to the so called Algae removers they do work and are safe for fish. BUT and a very BIG BUT is as the algae dies and the some fish eat the dead or dying algae it is this that kills the fish not the algae remover its self. This is one thing not listed on the instructions. This applies especially to all algae eaters.

The Thread Algae was basically on the Anubias Nanna which I pinched from the 5ft Anubias tank it literally grows wild there and never an algae problem. I just ripped it out and sent it on its merry way via the kitchen tidy (rubish bin)
This way I think I was best to just get rid of it rather than a long drawn process of trying to remove it.

I will be getting the water tested just to make sure if there is a problem there.

I also have in the Anubias tank some serated leafed Java Fern I will transfer some of this when I get the remainder of the Thread Algae under control.

A small SAE will be going into the tank as soon as I can get one. Then it will go onto the 5fttank.
The shrimp can be a bit touchy as I have never kept them.

I wish the computer was around when I first started 35+years ago. Most of my knowledge was obtained by trial and error and did I make plenty of those.

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Keith

Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do.
I VOTE DO YOU if not WHY NOT?
VOTE NOW VOTE NOW

At work, I read an article in TFM that cherry barbs mow down hair algae, so I took a plastic plant that was COVERED with that stuff, that was like 2" or 1 1/2" thick, and it was gone in a week.

Are Cherry Barbs compatable with the Cardinals, Khulis, & the Ottos?

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Keith

Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do.
I VOTE DO YOU if not WHY NOT?
VOTE NOW VOTE NOW

Yes.

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I'm not your neighbor, you Bakersfield trash.

As to the so called Algae removers they do work and are safe for fish.

They do work. Problem is unless the root cause is tackled the algae will always return.

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Some days you're the pigeon and some days you're the statue.

Remember that age and treachery will always triumph over youth and ability.