See if you have an Agricultural extension Office near you, they would know of any suppliers in the area and what grows best (I know you don't want many but you maybe able to get better stock and maybe some freebies ).
Dr Joe
Hair/string algae is so fine it can break off from fish having to swim thru it and clogs the gill passages in some fish (particularly small ones since they don't have the force to move it out/thru).