Hair algae (again)

I'm also having a problem with hair algae at the moment. I've got a 260l planted tank with Amano and Cherry shrimp, nerite, ramshorn and bubble snails, and ottos as well as a Siamese Algae Eater, but nothing is touching the hair algae. I've tried removing the stuff manually with a toothbrush but it just fragments and spreads. I'm using a CO2 diffuser with 2 bubbles/second. Are there any off-the-shelf treatments or home remedies that won't kill my invertebrates?
I can't alter the light intensity. I understand periodic blackouts can help - does this mean simply not turning on the light for a few days, or does it mean actually blacking out the tank so no ambient light gets in?

 

I'm also having a problem with hair algae at the moment. I've got a 260l planted tank with Amano and Cherry shrimp, nerite, ramshorn and bubble snails, and ottos as well as a Siamese Algae Eater, but nothing is touching the hair algae. I've tried removing the stuff manually with a toothbrush but it just fragments and spreads. I'm using a CO2 diffuser with 2 bubbles/second. Are there any off-the-shelf treatments or home remedies that won't kill my invertebrates?
I can't alter the light intensity. I understand periodic blackouts can help - does this mean simply not turning on the light for a few days, or does it mean actually blacking out the tank so no ambient light gets in?

Before reaching for chemicals id try and work out what else could be causing the algae.

Too much light (in terms of time rather than intensity), too many nutrients/not enough nutrients, overfeeding etc can all be contributing to your algae growth and can be addressed relatively easily. You may have tried all of that already though but mentioning it just in case.

 

Thanks. I'm now increasing my CO2 infusion. I had high hopes for the Siamese algae eater, but all he seems to do is swim around and wait for the next feed! Never seen him touch the algae!

 

Thanks. I'm now increasing my CO2 infusion. I had high hopes for the Siamese algae eater, but all he seems to do is swim around and wait for the next feed! Never seen him touch the algae!

My SAE were the same, had to give them away. I found a small patch of hair yesterday too. Need to cut my lighting time down. Always the same tank!

 

Me too! The driftwood in my tank is full of hairy algae! And I tried using a chemical, Flourish excel for a few days and now the hairy algae kinda decreased and i can easily wipe the hair off with steel wool but there are still some in the tank and some covered the leaves of the plants!

 

I managed to get hold of a CO2 refill and have got it in the correct 20+ mg/l level on the bubble gauge. Also, exchanged my ladder style diffuser with a ceramic diffuser, which seems to be more economical. I bought a number of CO2-gobbling plants for additional ground cover, reduced the photoperiod to 7 hours a day and ruthlessly cut back all the algae-infested plants - especially the moss, which was full of algae. I use a daily iron supplement and a general fertilizer. I also reduced the amount of food I was feeding the fish. Now I'm finally seeing a lack of increase in hair algae (see photo). I'm not out of the woods yet though, because I'm going to be away for a week, which means no daily fertilizers. Watch this space!

 

I said I'd update on whether the measures I was taking to reduce algae were working, and I'm pleased to say the algae problem is now manageable. Just thought I'd also show you how my water moss (Fontinalis antipyretica) has been growing madly lately. This is a common wild species that I collected from our local canal and thought I'd try in my tropical aquarium. I had read that it doesn't do well in aquaria, but mine is flourishing, and so much faster-growing that the Java and Christmas mosses. Also, the cherry shrimp prefer it as it has a more open texture and they can hide inside it. If you decide to use this moss I'd suggest you wash it well first as it harbours lots of little critters such as worms and leeches, some of which could possibly prove parasitic to fish.