Algae hair growing on my anubias

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You need to either reduce the light period, light intensity, add co2, or increase waterchanges. The algae is only a symptom of the larger issue. There is excess nutrients in the water. Without running co2, your plants cannot consume nutrients fast enough, and algae will thrive. Adding an algae eating fish is only putting a bandaid on a much larger issue and will not truly get rid of the algae.


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Is it hair algae or bba? They are totally different algae woth different causes. Adding fish to try and eat it isn't going to solve the issues.

I'd bet its bba. Bba is an issue with light. Predominantly to much intensity and or to much photo period. The effected plants will need to have the leaves and parts of the plant that have bba on them trimmed off. Scraping while removing some of it won't get it all. As well as anywhere the algae is attached the plant will be damaged. If the algae is on any decorations or substrate you should remove and treat the decoration with hydrogen peroxide. After treating the decoration for 30 minutes rinse and return to the tank.

You will need to correct the issue that is causing the BBA algae bloom. What are your lights that you are using? How many inches above the substrate are the lights? How many hours are your lights on? Does the room have any windows that allow light in? Direct or even indirect light can create issues.

The absolute main cause of BBA algae is lighting issues.

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Anchovie said:
You need to either reduce the light period, light intensity, add co2, or increase waterchanges. The algae is only a symptom of the larger issue. There is excess nutrients in the water. Without running co2, your plants cannot consume nutrients fast enough, and algae will thrive. Adding an algae eating fish is only putting a bandaid on a much larger issue and will not truly get rid of the algae.


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I agree with a majority of your post but I have a question about excess nutrients. I'm asking not to be rude just have yet to see someone explain it when it has not been proven. Are we actually talking about dissolved organics? Or are we talking macro/micro nutrients?

If excess nutrients are the cause how do fertilization dosing strategies like estimative index dosing work by supplying non limiting or excess nutrients but no algae issues?

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What are your nitrate levels. Have you checked for high phosphates? High phos and Nitrates could trigger BBA. Seachem Excel and Phos gard (if phosphates are high) are two produces the will help eliminate BBA along with increased water changes and complete substrate vacuming. Get a phos test kit and start there, test before water change to get an accurate base line to work from.
 
Here is a pic of the anubias with the hair on it. It looks grey but in person its really green...I leave the light on for 12 hrs a day im gonna knock it down to 9 or 10 per day

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That is BBA.

What are your lights that you are using? How many inches above the substrate are the lights? How many hours are your lights on? Does the room have any windows that allow light in? Direct or even indirect light can create issues.
 
Aquanero said:
What are your nitrate levels. Have you checked for high phosphates? High phos and Nitrates could trigger BBA. Seachem Excel and Phos gard (if phosphates are high) are two produces the will help eliminate BBA along with increased water changes and complete substrate vacuming. Get a phos test kit and start there, test before water change to get an accurate base line to work from.
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I run in my planted tanks Nitrate levels over 100 and Phospate at 2.0 to 3,0. No issues with BBA ever. Im curious of the relation that there is. Why it doesnt do it on many peoples tanks like mine that run Estimative index dosing By Tom Barr. but in a case like this is dose.

Ive also seen in the case where lacking nutrients such as Nitrate, Potassium, Phosphate and Micro nutrents where light is sufficent can cause the same issues with BBA. The problem is when plants struggle to grow and cannot consume the nutrients due to lacking them allows them to have issues with nutrient deficency and allows algae to thrive on the nutrients that are there as they are oportunistic. Looking at the picture in the center of one of the leaves looks to be a hole. As well as some of the other leaves look ragged (and not talking about the BBA) These can be signs of nutrient deficency.


Im also curiuos if its the top of the plants only? As the plants get closer to a higher light they can have this issue. Having done really nothing but planted tanks for some time ive dealt with this evil algae. If your PAR output on your lights is higher and the distance of the light to the substrate is shorter then your going to have issues. Even more so if the lights are on for to long. I still stand by lighting as the number 1 culprit as my experince has seen and with others.
 
Lighting, duration and output, par proximity to the surface as it relates to distance from light source could very well be th issue. The balance of all the parts is what becomes the critical issue. Finding what is out of balance by process of elimination is trial and error. Only change one variable at a time. The picture makes me think it's more water (nutirant) based than photo based or a combination of the two. I could be wrong.
 
Its a 40 gallon breeder tank just a regular light my nitrates are in between 20 and 40 I keep my light on 12 hrs at least and over feed and do 30 to 40% water change every week...im going to cut back on feeding to once a day and drop the light to about 9 hrs a day...shoukd I see a differnce??

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CrazyLegz said:
Its a 40 gallon breeder tank just a regular light my nitrates are in between 20 and 40 I keep my light on 12 hrs at least and over feed and do 30 to 40% water change every week...im going to cut back on feeding to once a day and drop the light to about 9 hrs a day...shoukd I see a differnce??

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A 40 breeder is pretty short actually. So it won't take a lot of light to create an issue. When you say a regular light I assume you mean fluorescent. What type of fluorescent is it? T8, T5? What manufacture? Does it have a polished metal reflector?

Yes reduce your time. Treat the water with excel but don't over dose. Trim off the damaged parts increase water change amount to more per change. Does the room have natural sunlight coming in?

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