hair algae problem
- Thread starter JAWZ
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Get SAEs.. they would eat up the hair algae in no time at all. However, the long term solution would be to increase Co2 levels to around 30ppm in your tank. I doubt DIY Co2 can reach that levels. Another solution would be to lower your lighting duration or maybe to have sort of a blackout during the day where you leave your lights on for 3 hours, off them for 2 and then turn them on for 3 again. These are just suggestion that i have tried and worked but it still depends on your tank conditions. If you could provide a list of your tank conditions then maybe we can help better. Provide Ph values, your fert regime.. etc
thank you for the reply. my ph is about 6.8. i dont not fert. i am looking into buying a co2 kit. i have a 8 in long black piranha in this tank so, other fish are out of the question. i will try the lighting times. thanks again.
Let me know what you find that works as I've been fighting the same battle in several of my tanks. I've been doing more frequent and thorough water changes, using some anti-algae chemicals (YUCK!), reducing light and food. Thigns are getting better, but are still not great.
Yes please keep us up to date.
I have been having problems with hair algea for a long time.
Here is my advice:
I bought this stuff called green-X- its like atea bag thing that you bury in the gravel and it absorbs nitrates and ammonia etc, and gets rid of most algea, it isnt a poison, it just makes water unpleasant for algea, and it doesnt harm other plants or fish. pretty much it's like an extra filter.
Oh and btw, since you have a piranha, maybe try getting rid of fish corpses or extra meat left in the tank, it'd probably be hard to find in a tank that size.
I've also stopped keeping my lights on as long, although my tank isnt that planted, so it might effects your tank growth?
Oh, beautiful tank by the way
I have been having problems with hair algea for a long time.
Here is my advice:
I bought this stuff called green-X- its like atea bag thing that you bury in the gravel and it absorbs nitrates and ammonia etc, and gets rid of most algea, it isnt a poison, it just makes water unpleasant for algea, and it doesnt harm other plants or fish. pretty much it's like an extra filter.
Oh and btw, since you have a piranha, maybe try getting rid of fish corpses or extra meat left in the tank, it'd probably be hard to find in a tank that size.
I've also stopped keeping my lights on as long, although my tank isnt that planted, so it might effects your tank growth?
Oh, beautiful tank by the way
Yeah,I would say that changing your lighing schedule would be most effective.you can put your lights on for 4-6 hours,off for 2-3 hours,then back on for 4-6 hours.I use this arangement,and have never had a problem since..large,frequent water changes would be the next thing I would advise(30-40% per week).You migt want to pull out as much by hand as possible,leaving it in may just add to the problem.Might be interesting with a piranaha though.... 
Co2 doesnt really affect te algea either way,I wouldnt really worry about that to much
Co2 doesnt really affect te algea either way,I wouldnt really worry about that to much
Hmm.. good luck with pulling it out by hand.. i hope the piranah likes you alot.... 
Anyway try not to put any chemicals inside to kill the algae.. most of the time is doesnt work and just leaves the aquarium further imbalanced. The trick to solving your algae problems is to make sure that all your plants are photosynthesising and absorbing nutrients from the water efficiently during the photo period, hence leaving the algae no food to grow. You can add fast growing plants like hydrilla or water wysteria. Duck weed can also be used to absorb the excess nitrate from the water but its a floating plant. However do be careful as these plants can alo become pests as they grow very fast. Hair algae needs to be removed physically as the measures that u have taken above will only impede and stop its growth. The hair algae will not die off if you do not remove it from the aquarium, it just remains dormant.
Anyway try not to put any chemicals inside to kill the algae.. most of the time is doesnt work and just leaves the aquarium further imbalanced. The trick to solving your algae problems is to make sure that all your plants are photosynthesising and absorbing nutrients from the water efficiently during the photo period, hence leaving the algae no food to grow. You can add fast growing plants like hydrilla or water wysteria. Duck weed can also be used to absorb the excess nitrate from the water but its a floating plant. However do be careful as these plants can alo become pests as they grow very fast. Hair algae needs to be removed physically as the measures that u have taken above will only impede and stop its growth. The hair algae will not die off if you do not remove it from the aquarium, it just remains dormant.The semaprochilodus are also great consumers of soft green and hair algeas. When physicaly removing the algae try to use a siphon or vacuum to catch the fragments or it will spread, duck weed and elodea are cheap effective competitors for nutrients and can always be discarded as they grow to prolific.
i have lowered my time and i clean the tank by hand every other week and pull out about 4 lbs of algae. the piranha is in my avatar picture, he seems to not mind when i clean the tank, but my gold piranha is a different story. i would love to get some sort of an algae eating fish but it wouldnt last over night. i will try the other suggestions, thanks for all the replys.
