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Hello All,
I have a small problem with hair algae. How do you clean it off of your ornaments, rocks, and air stones without breaking, scratching, or destroying them? My eldest tried to scrub it off with a toothbrush and was attacked by the angelfish. (They're like the seagulls in "Finding Nemo". They look as if they are staring and saying 'Mine, mine, mine'.)[It's a little creepy.] I'm sorry, I went a little off point. I'm back. Anywho, how do you get this crap off? It's getting so thick, it looks like fur on my dragon. My dragon has a beard now! I've also realised just how scratched this tank is. There's hair even in the scratches. (We got it used. ) There's hair everywhere!

TTFN --->Ta-Ta-For-Now
Kelly ;o}

Try Turning the lights off for longer periods of time during the day maybe? It wont kill it all off but it could slow the growth. It will be pretty hard to get the algae out of scratches in the glass. You could try to take minerals/nutrients out of the tank. Not sure how. Maybe more frequent water changes to get rid of nitrates? Just thoughts here, Hopefully someone more experinced can help.

The true test of character is not how much we know how to do, but how we behave when we dont know what to do.

It can be removed manually but even if you do it 110% it will return apparently its spores will continue happily along in your tank.

It is encouraged to grow by the excess of nitrates and too much light.
Many of the algae eaters apparently will not touch it. Golden barbs seem to love it and will clean a tank quickly.

Don't be tempted to use any chemicals at all as this will cause you more problems than you will ever want.

I would get the parameters tested fully to establish why you are getting it then combat it that way.

To help it along the way remove each ornament and rock one by one and give a real good cleaning with a soft tooth brush for the ornaments and a hard brush for the rock then leave the rocks out in the sun to completely dry out if rocks are small enough I would try to boil them as well.

Seachem Flourish Excel will help to remove it (It is a plant fert not a weed killer) BUT and a big BUT dont use it if you have any Val in the tank as it can and will kill it. Double dosing is recommended that is how I removed all of mine including all my Val

Have a look in [link=My Profile] http://www.fishprofiles.com/forums/member.aspx?id=1935[/link] for my tank info
Look here for my
Betta 11Gal Desktop & Placidity 5ft Community Tank Photos

Keith

Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do.
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Are you feeding the plants?
What sort of tubes are you using? (brand and model makes a difference)
How long do you leave the lights on for?

A cheap green scouring pad (soap-free, the cheap ones seem to be good for it) should help with getting it out of the scratches in the glass.

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

We use 2 40 watt daylight bulbs in a regular 4 foot shop light. I think the problem is the light is on for too long. (From the time we wake, until I go to bed, and most times that's late.) I have anubias, crypt, java moss, cabomba, frill, and anacharis. It's a 48 in x 12 in x 18 in tank. Parameters are great :
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 20
Ammonia 0
PH 7.6
These readings were taken before a water change, to vac the gravel. Hubby wanted to neatten up the gravel. (Who's going to argue with that?) He did add half dose of API Leaf Zone when he was done. I've learned to leave the light off for at least a day after a vac. (Brown bloom will happen if a put it on). I don't usually put the Leaf Zone in unless I've added a new plant that day. I used to have 2 vals but they've given up the ghost on me. (one is completely gone, the other is barely there). I'm always finding the leaves floating...

TTFN --->Ta-Ta-For-Now
Kelly ;o}

Hi,
Some thoughts...
Go back to the hardware store and purchase a timer for the
lights. I use one similar to this:
http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&productId=100026919
You actually don't need any more than 10 hours of light for
the plants. The idea is to simulate the noonday sun that
you would have at the tropics. This can range from 10 to
nearly 13 hours of "daylight." However in most tanks, 10 is
perfect. I've mine set to be on when I get up (around 7:30)
to act as a night light in the winter months while I'm
stumbling around w/o my first cup of coffee, and it
shuts off around 5:30.
Your length varying all from day to day is not helping, nor
is the lengthy (extended) "on" cycles, the timer will
settle that down. If everyone is out of the home during
the day, then shift the 10 hours to come on later in the
day so that it goes off around 10 or 10:30 after the news.

Here is a site that describes the types of algae, its
causes, and cures:
http://www.otocinclus.com/articles/algae.html

And another:
http://www.algone.com/hair_algae.php
While this last link is a blatant advertisement for their
product, their comments about the cause/cure is correct
and their product does work, but if you do not eliminate
the cause(s) of this stuff, it will return, sometimes with
a vengeance.

Hair algae, if you can control it, is actually an amazing
"ornament" for the tank with the hairs rippling in the
tank currents. It's almost hypnotic along with the fish
movements in the currents. It's also an excellent food
for the herbivores in the tank. American Flag Fish,
sometimes called Florida Flag Fish love the stuff and
a pair can quickly decimate the algae.

And next, a caution...
In the various grocery stores here in the states, and
the large warehouse stores they sell a scrubbing pad,
the rough side is green and the softer sponge side is
yellow. Read the label ... In the fine print on the
back - It specifically says "Not for Aquarium Use."

Hope this helps...

Frank

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

Thanks guys,
I love getting advice here! No worries about the scouring pad. I've found, if I'm patient, I can scratch a lot of the beard algae off the glass myself. (Now I just can't break any of my nails, or at least, not trim them to short.) We're going to try to minimize the light time. I know the timer is only about $20 bucks. But, I just had to spend $200 on a garbage disposal. So, I'm feeling kinda stingy.

I want to let my eldest do the scrub down with the toothbrush and set the rocks out, but it's winter and freezing. That will have to wait until summer.

Frank, I always love the tips and links you send. I was watching the angels and they actually take nips at the algae. The dragon is rather intimidating (not a bad thing to me) now that it has a "beard" and "fur" down it's back. I don't mind it so much as my eldest & hubby takes offense to it. (It's like they feel it's mocking their cleaning skills.) It only bothers me on the glass & heater. I can live with it everywhere else. It is beneficial after all. Oh, by the way, that first link was awesome. Great info. Now I know what the "bad" algae looks like too.

TTFN --->Ta-Ta-For-Now
Kelly ;o}

Hi,
A toothbrush! That reminds me of a cleaning experiance
I once had in bootcamp.

Try using an old, expired, credit card on the inside tank
surfaces.

Frank


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

Frank! You're the greatest! The old credit card works like a charm!!! My tank looks sooooo much clearer now. And the best thing about it is, I can put all the fake cards that come in the mail to good use. I actually got a cramp in my hand scraping the algae off the glass. I was able to do the front and sides. The back will have to wait until I have the energy for the stretch back there. (I'm praying I don't fall in and make a mess. My family will get a kick out of watching me. The little buggers!)

TTFN --->Ta-Ta-For-Now
Kelly ;o}