Green Brush Algae Problems - I need HELP!!!

[Matt C.]

I am having a real tough time with some GBA. I have four oto's and they
don't touch it. I can not locate a local source for real SAE's either. It is
really starting to take over some of my small Echinodorus Tennellus (pygmy
chain swords).Its on my Ludwigia also. I am worried about whether or not
this plant can cause harm to my chain swords. It has fully engulfed several
leaves and even some runners. will my sword still get enough light through
the algae? Is there a way to kill it? I would possibly even consider a
chemical if necessary.
thanx!
--
Matt C.
http://home.comcast.net/~amgock

[Brian S.]

Dip the part of the plant that has the algae in a little bleach water. I
think it is a 50-to-1 type of mix.

I did this with some red ludwigia I had and it took care of the problem.

I wouldn't keep it in the bleach water for more than two minutes though.

After you dip, put it in some dechlorinated water. The water may turn green
as the algae falls off.

I would say to do this three times; dip in bleach for two minutes, put back
in dechlorinated water for five minutes, etc.

Brian S.

"Matt C." > wrote in message
...
> I am having a real tough time with some GBA. I have four oto's and they
> don't touch it. I can not locate a local source for real SAE's either. It
is
> really starting to take over some of my small Echinodorus Tennellus (pygmy
> chain swords).Its on my Ludwigia also. I am worried about whether or not
> this plant can cause harm to my chain swords. It has fully engulfed
several
> leaves and even some runners. will my sword still get enough light through
> the algae? Is there a way to kill it? I would possibly even consider a
> chemical if necessary.
> thanx!
> --
> Matt C.
> http://home.comcast.net/~amgock
>
>

[js1]

On 2004-11-10, Matt C. > wrote:
> I am having a real tough time with some GBA. I have four oto's and they
> don't touch it. I can not locate a local source for real SAE's either. It is
> really starting to take over some of my small Echinodorus Tennellus (pygmy
> chain swords).Its on my Ludwigia also. I am worried about whether or not
> this plant can cause harm to my chain swords. It has fully engulfed several
> leaves and even some runners. will my sword still get enough light through
> the algae? Is there a way to kill it? I would possibly even consider a
> chemical if necessary.
> thanx!

SAE's will help if you're not feeding them anything else. If you have
other fish, you really have no choice but to feed the tank. And, the
SAE's will go for the easy food before working on the algae.

The slower, less toxic way to go is try using some barley straws. The
decaying barley straw is suppose to release some acid that prevents the
growth of new algae. When I did this, the brush algae seemed not to
have stuck to surfaces as tightly as before. There's a bunch of
websites that talk about the barley straw theory. It's mainly used to
control algae in ponds.

--
"I have to decide between two equally frightening options.
If I wanted to do that, I'd vote." --Duckman

[Steverd]

On Sun, 14 Nov 2004 07:25:21 GMT, js1 > wrote:

>On 2004-11-10, Matt C. > wrote:
>> I am having a real tough time with some GBA. I have four oto's and they
>> don't touch it. I can not locate a local source for real SAE's either. It is
>> really starting to take over some of my small Echinodorus Tennellus (pygmy
>> chain swords).Its on my Ludwigia also. I am worried about whether or not
>> this plant can cause harm to my chain swords. It has fully engulfed several
>> leaves and even some runners. will my sword still get enough light through
>> the algae? Is there a way to kill it? I would possibly even consider a
>> chemical if necessary.
>> thanx!
>
>SAE's will help if you're not feeding them anything else. If you have
>other fish, you really have no choice but to feed the tank. And, the
>SAE's will go for the easy food before working on the algae.
>
>The slower, less toxic way to go is try using some barley straws. The
>decaying barley straw is suppose to release some acid that prevents the
>growth of new algae. When I did this, the brush algae seemed not to
>have stuck to surfaces as tightly as before. There's a bunch of
>websites that talk about the barley straw theory. It's mainly used to
>control algae in ponds.


My SAE didn't help with my brush algae when I had it.

My Rosy barbs and black molly's eat it much better than my SAE, otto's
and amano shrimps I have it the tank.
I gave up and pulls ALL plants and did a 4 minutes bleech treatment
in very dilute bleech. It solved my problems and now I don't have any
problems. I think the fish are now able to keep up with any algae,
plus I doubled the plants in my tank in hope that they out compete
algae for food.

Steverd

[js1]

On 2004-11-14, Steverd > wrote:
> My Rosy barbs and black molly's eat it much better than my SAE, otto's
> and amano shrimps I have it the tank.
> I gave up and pulls ALL plants and did a 4 minutes bleech treatment
> in very dilute bleech. It solved my problems and now I don't have any
> problems. I think the fish are now able to keep up with any algae,
> plus I doubled the plants in my tank in hope that they out compete
> algae for food.
>

When I gave a friend some of my water to help cycle his tank, he said
he noticed brush algae in its infancy forming on his tankt he next day.
Since his tank wasn't next to direct light, the algae stayed white and
under control. He recently got some kissing gouramis and said they ate
all the algae along with any plants they could get their mouths on.


--
"I have to decide between two equally frightening options.
If I wanted to do that, I'd vote." --Duckman

[js1]

On 2004-11-15, Rick > wrote:
>
>
> 20-1 mixture for no more that 2 minutes, 50-1 is too strong.
>

Uh, no. 20-1 = 100-5. 50-1 = 100-2. 50-1 is more diluted.


--
"I have to decide between two equally frightening options.
If I wanted to do that, I'd vote." --Duckman

[[email protected]]

"Matt C." > wrote in message >...
> I am having a real tough time with some GBA. I have four oto's and they
> don't touch it. I can not locate a local source for real SAE's either. It is
> really starting to take over some of my small Echinodorus Tennellus (pygmy
> chain swords).Its on my Ludwigia also. I am worried about whether or not
> this plant can cause harm to my chain swords. It has fully engulfed several
> leaves and even some runners. will my sword still get enough light through
> the algae? Is there a way to kill it? I would possibly even consider a
> chemical if necessary.
> thanx!

Matt, rather than chemicals, deal with the poor plant growth, that's
why algae grows.

Your goal is to grow the plants, not kill algae.
If you grow the plants, the algae will not grow.

Even if something kills the algae, it'll keep coming back till you
learn to grow the plants.

Start with CO2.
20-30ppm for the entire light cycle.
Check this, make sure it's in this range.

Do you dose KNO3, PO4, K, Traces etc?
Pruning infected leaves and providing good conditions will allow the
new growth to come in without algae.
This(good plant growth) is the ONLY long term solution to algae
issues.

It has nothing to do with getting rid of the algae and THEN this will
somehow magically make plants grow(killing all the algae).

If that was the case how'd the algae appear in the first place?
Think about it, poor plant growth, not magic made the algae bloom.

Something is going to grow in there, you have a choice of what.

Regards,
Tom Barr