Trio123

I am having a problem with hair algae all over my plants. Any idea what I could do? I have T5 lighting, a DIY CO2 system, and I fertilize with Nature Aquarium Goods bottom fertilizer (I fertilized a month ago). The plants getting the hair algae badly are my cryptocoryne species and java fern. See aquarium info for more information about tank. And I cant add Amano shrimp because my African Knife would think I was giving him a treat or my angel would eat them.

Best pics I could get.

Attached Images

	Plants 003.JPG (79.1 KB, 124 views)
	Plants 011.JPG (77.7 KB, 113 views)

mathas

Unfortunately, there is more than one type of algae that has thin, hair-like filaments.

Try looking through these sites and see if you can find anything that looks exactly like what you've got:

http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/algae.htm
http://plantgeek.net/article_viewer.php?id=9
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/f...lgaefinder.php

Trio123

Looks most like Oedogonium but I cant see the last link cause I have to sign up. My CO2 is very low, my DIY CO2 is not producing bubbles anymore... cant figure out why... need to change the formula I guess. I also havent added any fertilizer for a month and often suck it out by accident when I gravel vacuum. It makes sense that it would be low nutrients and low CO2 that are causing the problem. Adding water movement would probably help too... The power head is now working my CO2 reactor and not creating circulation at the bottom like it was...

Butterfly

Here's another link with pictures
http://www.plantgeek.net/article_viewer.php?id=9
Carol

Trio123

This definately looks like what I have but the description for hair algae doesnt sound right, "Grows in bright green clumps in the gravel, around the base of plants like Echinodorus and around mechanical objects", because it is growing in strands off of my plant leaves... although when I clean my filter I had a large thick mat growing on it that really fit that discription. It doesnt seem easy to remove with a tooth brush though

Butterfly

I'm beginning to think there aren't any definites where Algae is concerned. One type may look one way in one tank and slightly different in another but the basics are there. Some of it is sure hard to ID.
Carol

Randall

Florish Excel can help with algae in CO2 tanks.It is generally used with pressurized CO2,but it might be worth a shot.What other kinds of plants do you have?It can melt leaves on some plants.

Butterfly

Flourish Excel can help with algae in a non-co2 tank as well. I have it used successfully for that purpose before and I don't have co2.
carol

Trio123

I unfortunately have a spiral vallis but Im thinking of pulling it out because 1) it is covered in hair algae stuff and isnt growing very well 2) I read that it shouldnt be kept with the common cryptocoryne, which I have right next to it... opps