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hi guys

i am having such problem with this stuff it is green and thin and spreads all over the plant leaves so quick. It looks realy bad. How do i get rid of it! my flying fox does not want to know and i dont want to put a killer into the tank. The only way i can think is to keep the lights off most of the time any other ideas

Hi,
Algae spores are everywhere, and have evolved over
millions of years to fill niches.
Keeping an aquarium algae free can be a real chore and
really next to impossible. Controlling algae is relatively
easy once you realize that it is a sort of balancing act.
Too much of one thing will lead to algae, too little of
something else will also lead to algae. If you read
through the many logs in the Planted Aquaria section you
will read about the authors many bouts with the opponent,
algae. You will also learn about fertilizing your tank
and the macro and micro nutrients that are involved.

Plant heavily. Plants consume, and compete with the
various types of algae for available nutrients. Watch
what your plants are telling you about the water and
nutrient conditions.

This is a site that will help in translating their
"language":

http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua/art_plant_nutrient.htm

This site will help you determine the best starting
mixture of nutrients for your tank. Begin with this and
then fine tune it over time:

http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua/art_plant_dosage_calc.htm

As to the algae that you have in your tank, it sounds
like "hair algae." While it can look absolutely
beautiful growing on a piece of driftwood gently waiving
in the currents of the tank, the durn'd stuff just won't
stay put. The pieces break off and find new homes, and
soon it's everywhere in the tank and a real pest.

Here is a site that will help you identify various types
of algae:

http://www.otocinclus.com/articles/algae.html

As with pretty much anything these days, you can control
it, or get rid of it, naturally, or chemically.

Various types of fish or shrimp will eat algae, and
attention to your tank lighting, will bring it under
control, or perhaps even eliminate it.
Try reducing your photo period to 10 hours/day.
When was the last time you changed your fluorescent
bulbs? They wear out over time, and while they don't
burn out, they change "K" ratings and amount of
light energy they give off. Bulbs should be changed
annually.
What type of bulb do you use? Try using bulbs with a
"K" rating of 6700K to 8800K. Bulbs that have SUN-light
or DAY-light, tend to be best for plants.
How much light do you have on your tank and what kind of
plants do you have in the tank?

Read the thread http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/threads/13454.1.htm?37#
at the top of this forum.
In it you will find that plants are divided into groups and
types. Floating, non-floating, low, medium, and high light
demand, fast and slow growing, etc.

Look at the bulb(s) you have on your tank, and total the
wattages shown on the bulbs. Then divide that total by the
capacity of the tank. That will give you the "Watts per
Gallon" (wpg) of your lighting system. If you have 1+ but
less than 2 wpg, then you should stick with low light
demand plants. These are plants like crypts, Anubis, and
others. If you have 2+ but less than 3 wpg, you can use
a mix of low and medium light plants including most of the
plants found in your LFS. If you have 3+ wpg you should
be injecting CO2 into the tank and adding fertilizers.
Light is the engine that drives the plants, and nutrients,
mainly Carbon, is the fuel for that engine.
Most of us eventually wind up with a blend of low and
medium light plants that are also a blend of fast
and slow growing plants. The fast growers are primarly
stem plants or floaters, and the slow growing ones are
anubis, crypts, and swords, etc.

Lastly, you can wipe out algae with chemicals such
as Algone. When you add any chemical to eliminate algae,
it will kill it off very rapidly. The dead and dying algae
can pollute the tank just as rapidly. Read the instructions
carefully and follow the instructions to the letter or you
could loose some sensitive and expensive fish.
However, until you resolve the out of balance situation
(the cause of the algae) the algae will return within
a few weeks.

Hope this helps...
Frank

-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

thanks Frank i change my light tubes every christmas. I think i will cut down the light amount it is on a day. it is on about 11 hours a day at the moment. So i will prob cut it down to about 9. they are both day light tubes. Are there any fish that i can get to help me cut down on it? As i said my flying fox just will not eat it but hay

Hair Algae or Beard Algae, are the scourge of the planted aquarium. It loves to grow in Hornwart and will devistate the plant in a short time. It will also grow on other plants as well. I have been told that true Flying Foxes will eat it along with true Siamese Algea Eaters and ghost shrimp, but I have had no luck with any of these and used the chemical method.
Algae Destroyer Advanced will kill it and if not careful every other living plant too. Use the recommended dosage and perform a water change after 24hrs. Other wise, normal plants will also be harmed, but the most dangerous thing to a tank will also occur...AMMOINIA SPIKE! The spike is caused by the dead and dying algea. They dont put it on the bottle but a WATER CHANGE is a must after use. I ussually do 25-50% after dosaged, depending on how much algea was killed off and how bad the spike is.

Good luck will killing that nasty algae.

"There is also a Clown Pleco in this tank some where. I am telling you, HE IS IN HERE."

I have the same problem please tell me how u get rid of it.

10gallon: 8neons 5gallon: 1betta
1oto
2platys