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	Algae remover - Kill my plants?
Gomer Ultimate Fish Guru Small Fry with BBQ Sauce Posts: 3602 Kudos: 1709 Votes: 106 Registered: 29-Mar-2002	My parents want to know if they can use an algae remover to kill and remove the black beard algae from my fish tank. But i am not sure if it will actually kill the algae and i am not sure whether it will kill my plants. The plants i have are Java Fern, Windlov (sp?) Java Fern and Anubis varieties. Feed back will be great. -- Gomer
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:44
tankie Fish Addict Posts: 857 Kudos: 848 Votes: 230 Registered: 15-Mar-2005	it will defintely harm ur plants and eventually kill it.
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:44
Falstaf Fish Addict Posts: 785 Kudos: 1211 Votes: 196 Registered: 12-Feb-2004	and what is worse... it iwll come back! watch put your nitrates, black algae appears when these are low
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:44
keithgh Ultimate Fish Guru Posts: 6371 Kudos: 6918 Votes: 1542 Registered: 26-Apr-2003	Gomer As far as killing possibly not but it will not agree with them. Find the cause first and with constant water changes and corecting the cause it should dissapear. 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
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:44
trystianity Mega Fish Posts: 1028 Kudos: 926 Votes: 49 Registered: 20-Mar-2004	BBA is also common with low CO2/carbon. If you're not injecting CO2 and your lighting is low-ish you'd be better off picking up some flourish excel. Also check NO3 like falstaf mentioned. A lot of algaecides are copper based, so if you have inverts and you use them they are toast, something else you might want to consider. Much better to find the cause of the algae and correct it. Affected leaves can just be removed or if you're feeling adventurous a quick dip in diluted hydrogen peroxide will strip the BBA too. Just make sure you fix the issue or it will just return and dipping will weaken even very tough plants eventually.
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:44
Gomer Ultimate Fish Guru Small Fry with BBQ Sauce Posts: 3602 Kudos: 1709 Votes: 106 Registered: 29-Mar-2002	I don't CO2 inject the tank, it only has Java Fern and Anubis (sp?) plants in it with 40 watts on a 50 gallon tank. I have no inverts in my tank, so copper based or not it won't matter. Maybe i should tell my parents to half dose or three quater dose the tank with some algaecide? So it will kill BBA? If so i may just tell them to give it a whirl. -- Gomer
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:44
FRANK Moderator Posts: 5108 Kudos: 5263 Votes: 1690 Registered: 28-Dec-2002	Hi, This site describes the various types of algae and how to control it: [link=http://www.otocinclus.com/articles/algae.html]http://www.otocinclus.com/articles/algae.html" style="COLOR: #FF00FF[/link] You have very slow growing plants in that tank and you did not describe how much light you have on the tank (type, wpg, durration, etc.) Other than the suggested fish, removing the affected leaves and correcting the cause is the solution. Frank -->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:44
fishy Big Fish Posts: 407 Kudos: 24 Votes: 0 Registered: 20-Jun-2002	I am having the same problem with the black algae. Apparently, this fish - Siamensis will eat it But what is it Is that the sientific name or the common name? Thanks.
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:44
trystianity Mega Fish Posts: 1028 Kudos: 926 Votes: 49 Registered: 20-Mar-2004	Maybe i should tell my parents to half dose or three quater dose the tank with some algaecide? So it will kill BBA? If so i may just tell them to give it a whirl. Yeah, it will kill the BBA but it might kill your plants too. I would try flourish excel on that tank. I am having the same problem with the black algae. Apparently, this fish - Siamensis will eat it But what is it Is that the sientific name or the common name? Siamese Algae Eaters, SAEs. They will eat BGA but they're hard to find. Most fish sold as SAEs are CAEs - Chinese Algae Eaters and "false SAEs" that don't eat too much algae and get aggressive when they get big. link: http://www.thekrib.com/Fish/Algae-Eaters/ You can control BBA without fish that eat it pretty easily, jut takes a bit of fiddling. Higher CO2/carbon for the plants usually does it. Flourish Excel for low light tanks, more CO2 for higher light/tech setups. Last edited by trystianity at 11-Aug-2005 17:17
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:44
sham Ultimate Fish Guru Posts: 3369 Kudos: 2782 Votes: 98 Registered: 21-Apr-2004	Algae killing products are not a permanent solution. The algae will come back again and the chemicals aren't good for the tank. I would second the flourish excel. I use in all my tanks without fast growing plants.
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:44
Gomer Ultimate Fish Guru Small Fry with BBQ Sauce Posts: 3602 Kudos: 1709 Votes: 106 Registered: 29-Mar-2002	When Tryst said they will eat BGA she ment BBA (black beard algae) because i don't think they do eat blue green algae. I told Mum to clip the worst affected leaves back when the plants recover from the last intense clipping Dad done on the tank. I can't get any Flourish ferts from the pet stores near my parents house. But i may tell them to try a plant fert. Anyway, thanks for the help people and sorry for the lack of details given at the beginning and the slow responses on my behalf. Cheers. -- Gomer
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:44
trystianity Mega Fish Posts: 1028 Kudos: 926 Votes: 49 Registered: 20-Mar-2004	Yep. As far as I know nothing we keep in tanks eats BGA. I meant BBA.....sorry Hope that works for you, gomee
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:44


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