Infuriating hair algae

Hi all,

Tank info: 10 gal, 80F, filtered, cycled (7.2, 0, 0, 10-15). Weekly wcs. 1 betta.

Plants: Anubias Barteri and Nana, Bucephalandra, Java Fern Lettuce and Windelov, Dwarf Sag, Crypt Wendtii Green and Brown, Amazon sword and Rosette sword, Hygrophila Corymbosa, Dwarf Water Lettuce and Salvinia Minima on top.

Ferts: Flourish tabs for the rooted plants replenished every few month. Thrive 1x/week.

Lighting: Nicrew Classic LED 8hrs/day: 4 on, 4 off, 4 on. It is raised 5" above the tank on risers to reduce the intensity.

I have hair algae It is wispy and white. It's on the Anubias, JF, some even on the driftwood, and on the swords plus it's on the roots of the floating plants. It is so annoying. I use a bottle brush to get what I can since the bristles grab it well. But I need it to go away.

I started with 6hrs/day lighting for months, then as I added plants, I cranked it to 7hrs. Then now 8 hrs for the past week. It's about the same amount of algae as when I had it at 6 hrs. I thought it was because the plants weren't getting enough lighting to use the nutrients. But now I don't know anymore.

What should I do? Any solutions? I decided to go back to 7hrs/day for now. It looks like it the pic below but it's everywhere. Amanos would prob take care of it but my betta is just too aggressive (had them in the 5 gal with him).

Ty so much!

 

You should try and play around with your lights. 4 hours on and 4 hours off and 4 on. Algae can happen when your plants are getting too much light.

 

You should try and play around with your lights. 4 hours on and 4 hours off and 4 on. Algae can happen when your plants are getting too much light.

I'm doing 7 hrs now to see if that's the case. 3 on, 4 off, 4 on. Thanks!

 

a large part of your issue is that your plants are unhealthy. i see some clear deficiencies in that picture. you will want to address those problems without over fertilizing. algae will grow on unhealthy leaves under any conditions

 

a large part of your issue is that your plants are unhealthy. i see some clear deficiencies in that picture. you will want to address those problems without over fertilizing. algae will grow on unhealthy leaves under any conditions

I have taken that one (an old pic but it shows what kind of algae are on the plants), and others out that have died over time. I have root tabs for the rooted plants every 3 months or so. They do grow but they're also affected by the hair algae. I have cut back on ferts as well, and lighting.

Do you suggest any other fert brands for root tabs? And/or liquid ferts?

Tysm!

 

I feel like your ferts are fine brand wise. Thrive is a great fertilizer. Maybe another plant person will chime in. Sometimes algae can be caused by to little ferts especially if have some fast growing plants.

 

I feel like your ferts are fine brand wise. Thrive is a great fertilizer. Maybe another plant person will chime in. Sometimes algae can be caused by to little ferts especially if have some fast growing plants.

Ty!

I had another post a month or two ago with the same things happening. It's really frustrating. I might even change my light to the Nicrew Sky LED instead of the Classic. It might be too strong for my tank?

Nitrates are at 10-15ish constantly by the end of the week when I do a wc.

I hate seeing it on plants

 

Its very frustrating, mine is way worse but couple members on here have pointed me in the right direction and I'm getting it under control finally. Its definitely going to take a little time. Maybe start like other members have said by breaking up lighting schedule, you have to consider its going to take probably 2 weeks before starting to see changes. Tougher leaf plants can be cleaned with a toothbrush.

 

Its very frustrating, mine is way worse but couple members on here have pointed me in the right direction and I'm getting it under control finally. Its definitely going to take a little time. Maybe start like other members have said by breaking up lighting schedule, you have to consider its going to take probably 2 weeks before starting to see changes. Tougher leaf plants can be cleaned with a toothbrush.

I already do break up the lighting schedule. It started at 6 hrs, then 7, then recently moved to 8. But I dialed it back to 7 for now. 3 on, 4 off, 4 on.

 

5 hours of light per day max - consider dimming the lights to 50%-75% intensity if possible.

Dose Seachem Excel or the equivalent MET14 at the "After water change" rate once per day.

Consider spot treating bad areas once per day with H2O2 3%.

Increase the frequency of water changes and the amount of water changed.

Manually remove as much algae as you can, whenever you can.

Manually remove as much decaying organics and decaying / algae effected plants as you can.

Vacuum the gravel every water change, and clean out the filter in old tank water as much as you can.

Ensure your 1 x weekly dose of Thrive is enough for the plants (I personally don't think it is, but you haven't said how little or how much you are dosing).

Limit any other light sources from reaching the tank.

That should get yourself ahead of the algae.

 

5 hours of light per day max - consider dimming the lights to 50%-75% intensity if possible.

Dose Seachem Excel or the equivalent MET14 at the "After water change" rate once per day.

Consider spot treating bad areas once per day with H2O2 3%.

Increase the frequency of water changes and the amount of water changed.

Manually remove as much algae as you can, whenever you can.

Manually remove as much decaying organics and decaying / algae effected plants as you can.

Vacuum the gravel every water change, and clean out the filter in old tank water as much as you can.

Ensure your 1 x weekly dose of Thrive is enough for the plants (I personally don't think it is, but you haven't said how little or how much you are dosing).

Limit any other light sources from reaching the tank.

That should get yourself ahead of the algae.

Ty for this detailed response!

I do 1 pump of it 1x/week for liquid ferts. I was looking into Excel, would it melt the dwarf sag like it does vals?

I do gravel vac thoroughly with each wc.

I do manually remove it as I see it daily. I do treat with h2o2 as well.

Light does not have a dimmer. I'm thinking of switching it completely to a different light, something less strong overall. Will keep cutting lighting period. No other light reaches the tank.

Tysm!

 

Update: I did a 50% wc tonight, cleaned everything thoroughly, gravel vac ofc, and clipped all dead/dying plants, removed the algae. And sat down to pick out the healthy floating plants to set back in the tank. Everything else went in the trash.

Lights are on 6hrs/day.

Ty to all who offered advice

 

Hi all,

Tank info: 10 gal, 80F, filtered, cycled (7.2, 0, 0, 10-15). Weekly wcs. 1 betta.

Plants: Anubias Barteri and Nana, Bucephalandra, Java Fern Lettuce and Windelov, Dwarf Sag, Crypt Wendtii Green and Brown, Amazon sword and Rosette sword, Hygrophila Corymbosa, Dwarf Water Lettuce and Salvinia Minima on top.

Ferts: Flourish tabs for the rooted plants replenished every few month. Thrive 1x/week.

Lighting: Nicrew Classic LED 8hrs/day: 4 on, 4 off, 4 on. It is raised 5" above the tank on risers to reduce the intensity.

I have hair algae It is wispy and white. It's on the Anubias, JF, some even on the driftwood, and on the swords plus it's on the roots of the floating plants. It is so annoying. I use a bottle brush to get what I can since the bristles grab it well. But I need it to go away.

I started with 6hrs/day lighting for months, then as I added plants, I cranked it to 7hrs. Then now 8 hrs for the past week. It's about the same amount of algae as when I had it at 6 hrs. I thought it was because the plants weren't getting enough lighting to use the nutrients. But now I don't know anymore.

What should I do? Any solutions? I decided to go back to 7hrs/day for now. It looks like it the pic below but it's everywhere. Amanos would prob take care of it but my betta is just too aggressive (had them in the 5 gal with him).

Ty so much!

Try adding a plant that feeds from the water column some floating plants frogbit,water lettuce, wystera,sprite even some pothos just stick the root in the water and drape the plant on the top of the tank they absorb a lot of the nutrients in the water and the floating stuff will also lower ur light intensity going down in the tank just know these types of plants grow fast but are easy to remove if needed

 

Hi all,

Tank info: 10 gal, 80F, filtered, cycled (7.2, 0, 0, 10-15). Weekly wcs. 1 betta.

Plants: Anubias Barteri and Nana, Bucephalandra, Java Fern Lettuce and Windelov, Dwarf Sag, Crypt Wendtii Green and Brown, Amazon sword and Rosette sword, Hygrophila Corymbosa, Dwarf Water Lettuce and Salvinia Minima on top.

Ferts: Flourish tabs for the rooted plants replenished every few month. Thrive 1x/week.

Lighting: Nicrew Classic LED 8hrs/day: 4 on, 4 off, 4 on. It is raised 5" above the tank on risers to reduce the intensity.

I have hair algae It is wispy and white. It's on the Anubias, JF, some even on the driftwood, and on the swords plus it's on the roots of the floating plants. It is so annoying. I use a bottle brush to get what I can since the bristles grab it well. But I need it to go away.

I started with 6hrs/day lighting for months, then as I added plants, I cranked it to 7hrs. Then now 8 hrs for the past week. It's about the same amount of algae as when I had it at 6 hrs. I thought it was because the plants weren't getting enough lighting to use the nutrients. But now I don't know anymore.

What should I do? Any solutions? I decided to go back to 7hrs/day for now. It looks like it the pic below but it's everywhere. Amanos would prob take care of it but my betta is just too aggressive (had them in the 5 gal with him).

Ty so much!

I agree w pfrozen address plant health.

But I have had hair algae issue in a few tanks. And after thinking it over and over and over I realized the 55gal w no algae issue at all has nerites rabbits and mystery snails. They gobble the algae.

Now here is my issue I have assasin snails in some tanks so cant put others in there to clean plants. So what I do is rotate plants lol. When get too much algae into 55 and snails get food then I put cleaned plant back into tank.

 

Try adding a plant that feeds from the water column some floating plants frogbit,water lettuce, wystera,sprite even some pothos just stick the root in the water and drape the plant on the top of the tank they absorb a lot of the nutrients in the water and the floating stuff will also lower ur light intensity going down in the tank just know these types of plants grow fast but are easy to remove if needed

I do have a lot of floating plants, I think I mentioned that in the og post. Dwarf water lettuce and Salvinia Minima. They grow wild but got algae even on their roots so I took time to do a wc last night and clear a lot out to curb the algae.

I agree w pfrozen address plant health.

But I have had hair algae issue in a few tanks. And after thinking it over and over and over I realized the 55gal w no algae issue at all has nerites rabbits and mystery snails. They gobble the algae.

Now here is my issue I have assasin snails in some tanks so cant put others in there to clean plants. So what I do is rotate plants lol. When get too much algae into 55 and snails get food then I put cleaned plant back into tank.

Good idea! I had a nerite but she passed away 2 days from getting her. I might look back into amano shrimp, they're incredible algae eaters and so fun to watch!

 

I do have a lot of floating plants, I think I mentioned that in the og post. Dwarf water lettuce and Salvinia Minima. They grow wild but got algae even on their roots so I took time to do a wc last night and clear a lot out to curb the algae.



Good idea! I had a nerite but she passed away 2 days from getting her. I might look back into amano shrimp, they're incredible algae eaters and so fun to watch!

I have ammano in all my tanks they help but when bad snails can eat faster

 

I have ammano in all my tanks they help but when bad snails can eat faster

I thought nerites prefer soft algae like diatoms, etc over hair algae. But I might look into getting another one if they help control all types!

 

Update: I exchanged the light for the Nicrew Sky LED. It's much better already. But I'm currently doing a 3 day blackout jic. I see some still on the leaves and the floating plant roots. Am doing wcs daily and clearing out what I can. I'm also using just a bit of h2o2.

The dwarf sag has been propagating a lot despite the issues. Crypts are doing alright. It seems to accumulate on the hygrophila leaves and the floating plant roots. But they both grow well anyway lol.

I raised the light the same height as the last one, about 5" or so above the tank.

 

It's been a week or so. The light definitely helped. I scooped out more than half of the affected dwl and salvinia, clipped everything dying or dead off. Lights on 7hrs/day. Reduced the fert.

Floating plants are going wild again but this time, healthy roots, crypts are doing good, dwarf sag kinda iffy but throwing off runners, jf is just eh like normal lol, hygrophila has little holes in the leaves and a little browning/yellowish. I think it needs more root tabs?

Nitrates without dosing is 15-20ppm. I'm doing a wc today. I might slip in a Purigen baggie to control nitrates during the week.

Anyway, things are looking up. Still a bit of hair algae ofc, I don't think I'll ever rid of it 100% but hey progress, right?