farmchick Posted July 4, 2006 Report Share Posted July 4, 2006 help me oh wise ones............ I have, over the last week or so, noticed that a few of my plants have got like a wispy black hairy fungus growing on the tips . It only seems to be on the ones closest to the lights. My lights are on for about 10 hours a day. Is this too long? I have tried pulling the stuff off the leaves but its like someone has glued it there :oops: . It doesnt budge. Can anyone tell me what it is and how I get rid of it? The guy at my LFS said I had to take all the fish out and run bleach through the tank . Is there any other options? I am using flourish excel once a fortnight and they all seem to still be growing okay. :-? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evilknieval69 Posted July 4, 2006 Report Share Posted July 4, 2006 sounds like it is black beard algae (bba) Double dose flourish excell and it should die off. make sure you have no very sensitive fish in the tank though. Otherwise, i know a couple people who have used algae fix and it has worked wonders. Good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
farmchick Posted July 4, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 4, 2006 I have Gold, Blue and Royal red gouramis, black widow tetras, Kribensis and babies, a pleco and some bristlenose. Oh and some lemon tetras and a RTB shark. Would any of these be called sensitive? Will the flourish stuff not hurt the wee kribensis babies? All the plants in the livebearer tank are great and that tank gets pretty much the same done to it as the community one with the exception of some salt. How would it have got in the tank? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evilknieval69 Posted July 4, 2006 Report Share Posted July 4, 2006 salt often kills it aswell so it is probably what has kept it from the other tank. It may hurt the krib babies yea. i would dose the flourish everyday at the recomended dose rather than just once a fortnight. this **should** kill it/ keep it away. Double dosing is a faster method of doing it but i would be a bit weiry with the babies and also even the scaleless fish like the pleco and BN. How much light do you have on the tank and how many litres is it etc. etc. etc. All this info will help the doagnosis HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
farmchick Posted July 4, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 4, 2006 Thanks. It is a 120 ltr, 3 foot with the lights in built into the hood. Im not sure what sort they are though. The lights are on for between 10 and 11 hours a day max. I havent ever put salt in the comm tank due to having the plec and BN's. I could always try and catch the kribs and take them out? The babies are about 4 weeks old now? Is that too early to take them away from the parents? The parents are still REALLY defensive altough the bubs are a decent size now. None of the BN's are eating the algae stuff so Im assuming its yucky stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evilknieval69 Posted July 4, 2006 Report Share Posted July 4, 2006 ohk. 10 - 11 hours is about right. Are the krib babys eating normal flake food ?? if they are, then you can probably take them out yes. Salt still can be used in a tank with BN etc. but only at half the rate.(about 1 tblspoon to 40L) Algae doesnt like salt very much. some people keep there tank slightly salted all the time but i personally dont think its necessary. If you wanted to take your time and hack away at the algae slowly then i would just dose flourish excel daily at 1 capful per 200L(I think it is) and possibly add salt at 1 tblspoon per 40L. The algae Should eventually die off. Otherwise you could get some algae fix or double dose the flourish.(jus keep an eye on your fish after doing this and if they act funny then water change it out) Maybe you could get some siamese algae eaters as they love the black hair algae. and i think ottos do aswell. HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishboi Posted July 4, 2006 Report Share Posted July 4, 2006 If you wanted to take your time and hack away at the algae slowly then i would just dose flourish excel daily at 1 capful per 200L(I think it is) and possibly add salt at 1 tblspoon per 40L. i've never tried using flourish excel cuz of the cost and how much u need to use it. i thought 100ml [small bottle $14] only treats 90L. can anyone confirm this cuz if it just a capful per 200l then it sound like a good way to go. thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freakyfish Posted July 4, 2006 Report Share Posted July 4, 2006 Hey yeah definalty sounds like BBA the easiest way to remove is to get a fish that eats True Siamese flying fox (Crossocheilus siamensis ) will devour it over night They are amazing Im not sure if these fish are avail. in NZ If not yeah Flourish Excel will work but its tough on fish if over dosed Try for the natural method before adding chemicals to the water Brad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted July 4, 2006 Report Share Posted July 4, 2006 They are available here Brad but you must research first to check you recognise it from the other 2 fish commonly sold as a Siamese flying fox but that do not eat the dreaded algae. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keri Anne Posted July 4, 2006 Report Share Posted July 4, 2006 I have Bristlenoses in all my livebearer tanks and even a clown loach that's moved around to fight snails, I half dose the tonic salt and they seem fine. Maybe a 1/2 recomended dose of tonic salt in your common tank would help?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharronpaul Posted July 4, 2006 Report Share Posted July 4, 2006 We've seen these fish sold as black line flying foxes (crossocheilus siamensis) and they're not too bad for price - retail $12-$15 each, and they're great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rory Posted July 4, 2006 Report Share Posted July 4, 2006 We've seen these fish sold as black line flying foxes (crossocheilus siamensis) and they're not too bad for price - retail $12-$15 each, and they're great. Any of these available in welly? I also have a MEGA bba problem. Rory Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharn Posted July 4, 2006 Report Share Posted July 4, 2006 i was reading the other day about double dosing with flourish, apparently according to a knowledgable person its a big no-no. they said that a normal dose of flourish will get rid of the BBA but it does take longer than double dosing. alot of people do double dose with no effect, but i know a few people that have and its caused fish to die Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
farmchick Posted July 4, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 4, 2006 I am in the middle of setting up a bigger, new tank, so I might wait till thats ready, shift all the fish and then start treating it. So, once all the fishies are out and claiming territory in their new tank, can I hit the tank hard with salt? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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