evey71 Posted February 1, 2009 Report Share Posted February 1, 2009 Hi MY filter, one stone and a few bits on the back wall of the tank which I don't usually clean. I have heard it is not good to let this get a hold in the tank. Can anyone update me on how to get rid of it out of the this tank without hurting my plants which are ok and my fish? I though maybe I could just pick it off before it got big. Thanks for any help in advance...Evey :roll: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HaNs Posted February 1, 2009 Report Share Posted February 1, 2009 flourish excel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted February 1, 2009 Report Share Posted February 1, 2009 after a lot of reading on the hydrogen peroxide topic... it seems that it too can be used to get rid of it. you need a v small amount. the tank will be covered in small oxygen bubbles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowman Posted February 1, 2009 Report Share Posted February 1, 2009 Flourish Excell at double doses may work, or as in my case it might just kill your loaches, after spending $300 odd on Flourish Excell trying to rid it from my tanks i came up with a much cheaper method. I've had the gunk in several tanks and pulling it off is not an option, you will only get the longer stringy bits. Double the frequency of your water changes, its usually caused by excess phosphates. Shrimp pellets are high in phosphates and if you feed blood worms rinse them thoroughly in a fine net to get rid of the blood. In my 3ft 120ltr GBA tank (200 odd fish between 3-8cm) because of the amount of food i have to feed i had BBA 40mm long, i was doing 20ltr daily water changes, have increased that to 30ltrs daily and its nearly all gone. As it comes off it will need vacuming from the tank. It wont come off your plants but new leaves should grow free from it. Good luck with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whetu Posted February 1, 2009 Report Share Posted February 1, 2009 I tried the flourish Excel method and it didn't work for me. When I moved house I even threw out all my old plants, boiled the gravel, scrubbed the tank walls, boiled the filter media and ran hot, salty water through everything overnight. And it STILL CAME BACK! :evil: Eventually I did get rid of it - three Siamese Algae Eaters in my 4 foot planted tank work wonders. Little spots of BBA still grow, but the fish hunt it down and eat it before it gets established. Brilliant little workers. That's the method I recommend! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caserole Posted February 27, 2009 Report Share Posted February 27, 2009 There is phosphate in your tap water, so water changes only adds more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evey71 Posted February 27, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 27, 2009 thanks. Phosphates. In this tank I do use filtered water only maybe a little boiled tap water to heat up the cold water. I have been doing water changes anyway, but have done more since the advice. I have totally cleaned the tank though EXCEPT for the back wall to see if the water changes helped/ I couldn't stand the algae type in there. The blackbeard algae on the back wall is still there. It would have been nice if it had dispeared with the water changes. Since the clean a piece has popped up on my front inside glass. It sounds like it is quite hard to get rid of once established. thanks for the advice though. EVEY Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caserole Posted February 27, 2009 Report Share Posted February 27, 2009 There are phosphate removers. Some are Iron based others are Aluminum Based I don't however know their trade names, check with the Marine guy's and girl's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishcrazzy Posted February 27, 2009 Report Share Posted February 27, 2009 you could try some 'phoszorb'.....it goes in your filter..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkLB Posted February 27, 2009 Report Share Posted February 27, 2009 Whetu has got it right.....Siamese Algae Eaters are the answer. I have one in my 4 footer and it works wonders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caserole Posted February 27, 2009 Report Share Posted February 27, 2009 They do work, however as there is phosphate in our water when ever a water change is made phosphates are added. :-? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bedazzled Posted February 27, 2009 Report Share Posted February 27, 2009 I also recommend the siamese algae eater. I got one when I still had my smaller tank and he cleaned it up in no time at all, I have never seen any since I moved the fish to a bigger tank but I am not sure if that is because there is none or if the SAE is eating it before I see it lol They are also quite and entertaining fish to watch. They say that the younger ones eat algae better but mine is fully grown and he cleaned it up very quickly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evey71 Posted March 1, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2009 The idea of the siamese algae eater sounds good. How would they mix with three clown loaches and a cat fish? Would you know how big they grow also? I saw a tank yesterday with black beard TUFT algae and this is what I have......I didn't realize there was a variation as the form I have looked like little beards. They had cylinders covered in it and I must admit it looked very nice. I was quite worried about the effect of this in my tank at first as it seemed very invasive. However I am thinking that if I wanted a piece of an ornament covered in it I would have to be forever cleaning it up from everywhere else in the tank. I will also look at the phosphate levels. I am presuming I can buy a tester kit like for PH testing. For cleaning all the bits in my tank I used a 1% mix of bleach and this killed all the algae well. The one bit I did not do this with was the heater and just today I notice the top of it and the cord is covered in it. Grrrrrrrrrrrrr............ :evil: Thank you again for all the advice as I have tried to sort this out. You all have been really helpful. Evey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evey71 Posted March 1, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2009 I have just done a search and found the following on the Siamese Algae Eaters. It is good info as it points out that some other fish called a chinese algae eater is sold as the siamese sometimes in mistake and gives advice on how to ID them correctly. Definitley off this morning to see if I can locate one. http://www.aquahobby.com/gallery/e_sae.php EVEY :bounce: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrienne Posted March 1, 2009 Report Share Posted March 1, 2009 Just letting you know that the Siamese Algae eater is also known as the Blackline Flying Fox and seems to be called this at more fish shops up here than not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bedazzled Posted March 1, 2009 Report Share Posted March 1, 2009 Goods point adodge, mine was being sold as a black line flyingfox, but it is definately a SAE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evey71 Posted March 2, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2009 Arrrr thanks for that. I tried to buy one today but I will have to order one in as the pet shops in Lower Hutt do not have one. Great to know it has another name though as I may have overlooked it when it was really in the shop. Thanks Evey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caserole Posted March 2, 2009 Report Share Posted March 2, 2009 Yes I saw some today in the Hutt evey71. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted March 2, 2009 Report Share Posted March 2, 2009 In my experience siamese algae eaters don't eat it. It is caused by an imbalance of phoshate/nitrate. Removing phospate or adding nitrate will help. squirting it with H2O2 helps. Flourish excell works but it takes a while. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrienne Posted March 2, 2009 Report Share Posted March 2, 2009 Mine nibble at it until they get bigger and lazier then they eat anything that is fed in the tank including the bloodworms. However have the SAE and flourish excel does seem to keep it in check although it never entirely disappears. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evey71 Posted April 27, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 27, 2009 I wanted to add to my original question about the blackbeard algae. I did strip the tank and left some algae. I bought 2 Siamese Algae eaters or confusingly Flying Foxes. It has been a couple of months now and I have a very clean tank and plants. I have NEVER seen my plants look so good. I am now affording one for each tank. Oh and yes eventually they ate the little bit of BB I left in the tank. Thanks guys hugz evey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
axolotl-danio Posted April 29, 2009 Report Share Posted April 29, 2009 Actually flying foxes and SAEs are 2 different species of fish (take a look at http://fins.actwin.com/aquatic-plants/m ... 01024.html). The SAEs are more likely to eat the algae. I have had allot of luck with flourish excel. Good luck :bounce: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whetu Posted April 29, 2009 Report Share Posted April 29, 2009 Actually flying foxes and SAEs are 2 different species of fish (take a look at http://fins.actwin.com/aquatic-plants/m ... 01024.html). The SAEs are more likely to eat the algae. I have had allot of luck with flourish excel. Good luck :bounce: Yes, they are two different fish. But unfortunately shops don't distinguish between the two, so they are often mis-labelled and sometimes the fish in a single tank are a mix of the two species. I bought mine from Hollywood Fish Farm in Mt Roskill. They were labelled "black line flying fox" on the tank. I brought them home, put them in my tank, and they have been gobbling up my black beard algae ever since. They are the only answer I have found for my tank, after having tried several other methods for getting rid of the algae. It has been a few months now since I got them and the algae has not returned. I'm delighted! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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