FishProfiles.com Message Forums

Are you certain? A product named "Alage Fix" kills all plant organism? Thanks for the warning!

Thanks for the tips. I got a 3inch SAE yesterday but it hasn't ate any of the BBA.

I found a great way to remove hair algae from plant leaves. You know those nice soft green "glass sponges" that you pay around 4 bucks for in any local chain pet store? The really softish ones? Take the plant, remove the worst leaves. Look at the leaf and determine which way the veins run (in my java fern the veins run up toward the tip, in my anubias, the veins run outward to the sides of the leaf). The under gently running warm water, scrub gently and rapidly against the direction of the leaves. (So on my anubias, I scrubbed side to side against the leaf, the same direction the veins run).
This quickly and easily removed all but the toughest peices. Once this happens, weekly cleaning will eventually remove the algae from your plant. Siamese Algae Eaters, Gouramis, Mollies, and some other fish will eat young hair and beard algaes, but not the old long stuff!
Keep it trimmed short with an SAE or two, and you should see the stuff fade away. Also, I found since the addition of a large amount of asian ambulia to my tank, my algae has been rapidly decreasing. A quick growing "fluffy" plant may help reduce nutrients in the water as well.
Keep feeding to a minimum, reduce lighting by 1/3 to 1/2 and keep doin water changes every 3-4 days.
Or, employ a quality DIY or purchased C02 system to your tank- which should also kill the algae.


Come Play Yahtzee With Me!
http://games.atari.com
Http://www.myleague.com/yahtgames

- I'm shocked. I was just reading up on Algae Fix in the Drs. Foster & Smith catalog. It claims to be safe in planted aquariums.

Go figure

I'm wondering if the ingredient isn't an overdose of what is in Flourish Excel. We know when that is overdosed, it kills algae , but seachem won't admit that it can be used to control algae

I would use with caution. I would try a half dose before a full dose or fully read instructions to make sure it is not a different set for planted versus non planted.

Algae Destroyer and other algaecides claimed to be for "non-planted tanks". Only Algae Fix claimed to be safe for planted tanks.

I was also considering cutting off the leaves that had the algae if all else fails.

Fishowner: So AlgaeFix did not remove the blackbeard algae?

Last edited by sly at 03-Jan-2005 10:52

I'm fighting what might be the same algae in my tank. Can't quiet identify it yet, people dissagree on what it might be.

I've tried lots of things, but this algae is still flourishing in my tank for about 2 months now.
I also can not remove mine by hand or with a toothbrush, it just doesn't come off, or I take the whole plant leaf with it!

i bought some of that algaefix a while back to take care of some beard algae i had failed to eradicate with lowering light hours, nitrate/nitrite removers, etc. although it didn't kill my plants, im sure it affected them negatively and it did nothing for my algae problem

I'm pretty sure it will kill the plants Sly. Maybe you can make a separate post in the planted tank forum and the experts there can tell you

Hmm...after googling algae and looking at different pics, I would say that it is Staghorn alage.

Sly, that looks very much like staghorn algae to me, I used to have it in my tank as well. I got rid of it by reducing the photoperiod to about 5 hours and doing 40% water changes every third day. After about one week I started increasing the photoperiod with one hour every second day until it was back at 12 hours.

Staghorn algae is a tough algae and although from some fish it is said that they supposedly eat it (Florida flagfish is one of the best I heard) I have not seen it being eten even once in my tank. The algae tend to show up when phosphate levels are high, nitrate levels do not seem to be that important for this algae. You may want to check the food that you use, whether it contains large amounts of phosphate, or maybe you're just overfeeding a bit.

Good luck.

It seems I have an epidemic of alage growth which type I can't identify. If someone can tell me what kind it is and any remedies, thanks.

I some some photos below:
http://photobucket.com/albums/v347/djsly/Algae%20Problem/

I do have 5 Ottos but they don't seem to touch that algae so I was wondering about a Bristlenose Pleco. Please advise.

Last edited by sly at 01-Jan-2005 22:15

Last edited by sly at 01-Jan-2005 22:16

Algae Fix will kill your plants. Not a good idea . It would be nice tho, if an algaecide could kill just algae and not the plants, wouldn't it.

Thanks for the help guys. I"m thinking of buying some Salvinia, I like the look of it and since I don't have space in my tank, it would be perfect floating. I'll take a trip to a garden store. How much would I need for noticeable decrease in nitrate?

I might also consider using "Algae Fix"...but I"ll see what the Salvinia does first.

Hey sly!

I have the exact same problem as u did. I reduced lighting to 5-6 hrs a day. The BN won't do anything at that rate. I'll have to agree with Falsaf, I bought this plant that grew like was mutating and the algae was out competed. Some how it just disappeared. U should get a nitrAte absorbing plant as that would be the best solution.

Gee

Note: The BN is only good when the algae is just sprouting

Last edited by BigGee168 at 02-Jan-2005 00:27

Gee

!!I think I just learned somthing new!!

Never tried a bristle nose, since they don't import them here, the only thing that had worked for me with that algae is the snails, sorry if i can't be of more help.

It is almost imposible to scrape it off the plants, since it "roots" in the leaves.

I tried scraping off the hairs with a toothbrush but the algae felt like its glue to the plants

I'm leaning towards a Britlenose, would they consume that algae?

I also thought it was black beard algae, but looking it really close it looks more like thread, hair algae, it also comes in those colors . Black algae usualy appears when nitates are low.

If it's really new, you can do the following:

-Do more water changes even up to 3, change all filter media.
-Reduce the light hours to 5
-Get some really fast growing plant like hornwort, or a floating plant as salvinia. These will suck your nitrates. and mantain them steady till the bio load is balanced again.
-Get an algae eating snail, for my case of thread algae apple snails worked magic.

Good Luck

30g Long, 2x AC150, AC Powerhead
10hours/day Light
-------------------
9 Zebra Danios
6 Cardinals Tetras
6 Three-Lined Cories
2 Bolivian Rams
-------------------
NH3 ~60ppm reduced to 20ppm

Note: the appearance occurred when I introduced the Danios (3 months ago) resulting in the increase of the bioload a bit which also increased the nitrate level to a rather high level. I"m trying to stablize it at ~20ppm. The powerhead was not active during those months and I"ve only turned it on in the last month. I"m hoping these two measures will help fight the alage.


Last edited by sly at 01-Jan-2005 22:28

Can you provide us with more info?

It is good to know nitrate level for one.

Also tell us the size tank, how many fish are in it and what kind.

I believe that is beard algae. Nasty ]:|