SanityChelle Posted October 22, 2013 Report Share Posted October 22, 2013 Hi guys, I'm having some trouble with hair like algae growing on my plants. It's on my glass too, but I'm scrubbing it off on the front side. The tank is about a month old now, and the plants are cuttings about the same age, so I was hoping they might start fighting back soon, but I don't want the algae to overwhelm them before they can get decent roots going. Is there a plant safe way to get it off? Rubbing the leaves and rinsing them doesn't seem to have much of an effect. The types are ambulia, hygrophila polysperma and a myriophyllum. There's also a fair bit of brown algae on the ambulia, but I've been told that goes away after the first few months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamH Posted October 22, 2013 Report Share Posted October 22, 2013 To help you we need the following information: What type of lighting do you have over the tank? How long is said lighting on for each day? Does the tank receive any direct sunlight? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SanityChelle Posted October 22, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 22, 2013 Sorry, still getting the hang of things around here. What type of lighting do you have over the tank? The inhood strip of LEDs in the AquaOne Ecostyle 47. Not sure what else about it. How long is said lighting on for each day? 4 hours after I get home from work. I have a north facing apartment, and there's a lot of indirect sunlight in the room. Does the tank receive any direct sunlight? About two hours worth max in the afternoon, but I try pull a curtain across in time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamH Posted October 22, 2013 Report Share Posted October 22, 2013 As you already know, any sunlight can have huge effects on the tank. Try to reduce it to zero if possible. Otherwise a three day total blackout may be needed to kill off algae. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SanityChelle Posted October 22, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 22, 2013 I might have to give a blackout a go. Will it screw with the fish at all, or the plants? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamH Posted October 22, 2013 Report Share Posted October 22, 2013 Healthy plants survive a 3 day blackout but I usually trim them all right back afterwards anyway. Adding an extra oxygenator is helpful as the plants and fish will both be using oxygen without light. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SanityChelle Posted October 24, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 24, 2013 I've made up a blackout cover from rubbish bags (preparing to do the blackout this weekend), and I'm wondering if keeping the cover and putting it over during the day while I'm away at work, and then taking it off for four hours of light in the afternoons/evenings would work to keep the algae away. I know too much light is my main issue, so I'm trying to figure a fix in the long run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaide Posted January 20, 2014 Report Share Posted January 20, 2014 I'm having a real problem with hair and black beard algae. The tank gets too much light as I put it near a window but I can't move the tank as I'm out of walls to put it against. So I need a long term solution to combat the ongoing algae issue. I have done the black out thing and that works to get rid of basic algae but the hair and black beard persist. I have looked at getting snails that eat these types of algae but most kinds you can get in NZ breed like rabbits - so combat algae but then get an infestation of snails. I have thought about loaches (chain as I don't want them too big) to keep the snails in check but they'll probably decimate them. So, can the algae issue be sorted somehow or will I just have to shut down the tank? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrienne Posted January 20, 2014 Report Share Posted January 20, 2014 Your only option is to move the tank if its the light causing the algae. The only solution is to remove the cause of algae. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaide Posted January 20, 2014 Report Share Posted January 20, 2014 Is it possible to have a balance of snails and loaches in a tank - or will the loaches decimate the snails regardless? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrienne Posted January 20, 2014 Report Share Posted January 20, 2014 Depends on what type of snails. My chain loaches either can't or don't eat malaysian trumpet snails but my clown loaches cleaned my tank of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SanityChelle Posted January 21, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 21, 2014 Can you paint the sides of the tank that get direct sunlight? I found after painting the back and one side, it blocked out the sun wonderfully. I'm also dosing Flourish Excel, and cover the tank when I'm not home during the day. Plants are (relatively) algae free and growing like crazy. Snails aren't that bad. I had an infestation that I was squishing, but after leaving a few of the bigger ones to grow and cutting down on fish food, the small ones aren't appearing anymore, so it seems like a balance has been found somehow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Discusguru Posted January 21, 2014 Report Share Posted January 21, 2014 What about putting a curtain or blind on the window Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamH Posted January 21, 2014 Report Share Posted January 21, 2014 Your only option is to move the tank if its the light causing the algae. The only solution is to remove the cause of algae. :iag: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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