Hair algae infestation continued

[Bill Stock]

"Ook" > wrote in message
...
> My hair algae infestation continues. It is growing on the glass and
> ornaments, but worse it's growing on my hornwort and choking the plant. Is
> there any good way to get rid of it short of removing the fish and
> sterilizing the tank? It used to be interesting, but now it's becoming a
> nusiance. In all the years I've had fish tanks, I've never had hair algae,
> and don't know where it even came from. Has anyone been able to
> sucessfully get rid of it?
>
> Water has trace nitrites, pH is 7.0, nitrates at 10ppm. Temp at 78F.

This stuff is a real plague in the pond this year, I can pull it out by the
handfuls every day. It just covers the Water Hyacinth roots and Hornwort. I
plan to get the surface covered in plants and starve it of light.

I also have a small outbreak in the Tropical aquarium, which was the pond
plant winter home at one time. After I took the pond plants out it really
took off. But now that I have more plants and pressurized CO2 it seems
manageable again. Although I think I'll cut back on my lighting hours to
control it even more.

[Ook]

My hair algae infestation continues. It is growing on the glass and
ornaments, but worse it's growing on my hornwort and choking the plant. Is
there any good way to get rid of it short of removing the fish and
sterilizing the tank? It used to be interesting, but now it's becoming a
nusiance. In all the years I've had fish tanks, I've never had hair algae,
and don't know where it even came from. Has anyone been able to sucessfully
get rid of it?

Water has trace nitrites, pH is 7.0, nitrates at 10ppm. Temp at 78F.

[Dick]

On Sat, 16 Jul 2005 16:44:57 -0800, "Ook"
> wrote:

>My hair algae infestation continues. It is growing on the glass and
>ornaments, but worse it's growing on my hornwort and choking the plant. Is
>there any good way to get rid of it short of removing the fish and
>sterilizing the tank? It used to be interesting, but now it's becoming a
>nusiance. In all the years I've had fish tanks, I've never had hair algae,
>and don't know where it even came from. Has anyone been able to sucessfully
>get rid of it?
>
>Water has trace nitrites, pH is 7.0, nitrates at 10ppm. Temp at 78F.
>
>

My 75 gallon tank had a bad case of "Black Hair Algae" after being set
up for about 6 months. I think it came with some plants. It was
growing out of everything including the gravel. Once gone, it has not
returned (2 years later).

One clue I worked from, there are fish that will eat the young growth,
but not the old growth. So, I pulled any longer growth by hand and
threw all plants with old growth away. I bought live bearers
especially mollies and platties as well as SAEs.

I don't know if it helped, but at the same time I got religion about
doing partial water changes. I have done 20% twice weekly starting
with that effort.

Search Google for "Black Hair Algae." There is a lot of ideas
available.

By the way, at no time did I use any commercial chemical to rid the
tank. Another part of my religion, "do no harm."

dick

[Frank]

The only fish I know of that eats hair algae (and BGA) are; FFF
(florida flag fish, procatopus, and ameca splendens (butterfly
googeid). Red ramshorns snails also do a good job on eather of the
algaes. Till you get the fish to take care of it, try twisting a
hairbrush or toothbrush in it. A 5% bleach dip for 1 to 4 mins. will
kill any algae on your plants. I"ll be out of town till next
week..............Frank

[ross]

Bill Stock wrote:

>
> "Ook" > wrote in message
> ...
>> My hair algae infestation continues. It is growing on the glass and
>> ornaments, but worse it's growing on my hornwort and choking the plant.
>> Is there any good way to get rid of it short of removing the fish and
>> sterilizing the tank? It used to be interesting, but now it's becoming a
>> nusiance. In all the years I've had fish tanks, I've never had hair
>> algae, and don't know where it even came from. Has anyone been able to
>> sucessfully get rid of it?
>>
>> Water has trace nitrites, pH is 7.0, nitrates at 10ppm. Temp at 78F.
>
> This stuff is a real plague in the pond this year, I can pull it out by
> the handfuls every day. It just covers the Water Hyacinth roots and
> Hornwort. I plan to get the surface covered in plants and starve it of
> light.
>
> I also have a small outbreak in the Tropical aquarium, which was the pond
> plant winter home at one time. After I took the pond plants out it really
> took off. But now that I have more plants and pressurized CO2 it seems
> manageable again. Although I think I'll cut back on my lighting hours to
> control it even more.

I've got a pair of Albino Bristle nose catfish, in a 65 gallon tank. They
seem to be keeping up with the Hair type algae, pretty well. They don't get
much larger than 4 inches, and are really interesting looking
creatures. :0)

Ross T

[Bill Stock]

"Ook" > wrote in message
...
> The last time I did a bleach dip with my hornwort, they all died :( I've
> reduced the lighting, as I noticed that the only place it grows on the
> glass is right under the extra plant light. I'm wondering if further
> reduction of light might help, as hornwort seems to thrive with lower
> lighting levels.
>
> "Frank" > wrote in message
> oups.com...
>> The only fish I know of that eats hair algae (and BGA) are; FFF
>> (florida flag fish, procatopus, and ameca splendens (butterfly
>> googeid). Red ramshorns snails also do a good job on eather of the
>> algaes. Till you get the fish to take care of it, try twisting a
>> hairbrush or toothbrush in it. A 5% bleach dip for 1 to 4 mins. will
>> kill any algae on your plants. I"ll be out of town till next
>> week..............Frank
>>

I took a bunch of Hornwort out of the Tropical tank today, as it was getting
so thick that the fish couldn't get to the top to feed. I noticed that one
spot of HW on top of the water was so tightly bound with hair Algae that it
seemed to be damaging the plant. I don't know if it was a combination of
heat from the lights and the Algae or just the Algae alone. Have you seen
this with your HW?

[Ook]

The last time I did a bleach dip with my hornwort, they all died :( I've
reduced the lighting, as I noticed that the only place it grows on the glass
is right under the extra plant light. I'm wondering if further reduction of
light might help, as hornwort seems to thrive with lower lighting levels.

"Frank" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> The only fish I know of that eats hair algae (and BGA) are; FFF
> (florida flag fish, procatopus, and ameca splendens (butterfly
> googeid). Red ramshorns snails also do a good job on eather of the
> algaes. Till you get the fish to take care of it, try twisting a
> hairbrush or toothbrush in it. A 5% bleach dip for 1 to 4 mins. will
> kill any algae on your plants. I"ll be out of town till next
> week..............Frank
>

[lgb]

In article >,
says...
> The last time I did a bleach dip with my hornwort, they all died :(
>

I'd heard that potassium permanganate is a better dip. But it seems to
be hard to find. One druggist I asked looked at me like I was a mad
bomber, which reminded me that it's a powerful oxidizer. Probably on
the "do not sell" homeland security list by now :-).

--
BNSF = Build Now, Seep Forever

[Elaine T]

lgb wrote:
> In article >,
> says...
>
>>The last time I did a bleach dip with my hornwort, they all died :(
>>
>
>
> I'd heard that potassium permanganate is a better dip. But it seems to
> be hard to find. One druggist I asked looked at me like I was a mad
> bomber, which reminded me that it's a powerful oxidizer. Probably on
> the "do not sell" homeland security list by now :-).
>
It's available as Jungle's Clear Water.

--
Elaine T __
http://eethomp.com/fish.html <'__><
rec.aquaria.* FAQ http://faq.thekrib.com

[lgb]

In article >, eetmail-
says...
> lgb wrote:
> >
> > I'd heard that potassium permanganate is a better dip. But it seems to
> > be hard to find. One druggist I asked looked at me like I was a mad
> > bomber, which reminded me that it's a powerful oxidizer. Probably on
> > the "do not sell" homeland security list by now :-).
> >
> It's available as Jungle's Clear Water.
>
Thanks. And I also found it (also a solution and not the crystals) as
Kordon's Permoxyn

--
BNSF = Build Now, Seep Forever

[dc]

"Ook" > wrote in
:

> My hair algae infestation continues.
> Is there any good way to get rid of it

Algae blooms are usually caused by a number of contributing factors. There
are a few things you can try to remove the algae, but until you deal with
what has caused it in the first place, the algae will always return, even
after chemically removing it.

Excessive nutrients and excessive light are the two key contributes to
algae growth. Test your water for nitrates. Some nitrate in the aquarium
is normal and beneficial to plant growth, but an abundance of it can stress
your fish and provide algae with a huge food source. If you have a lot of
nitrates in your water, start doing larger water changes (as much as 50%
per week if you don't have extremely sensitive fish) and reduce the amount
of food you feed your fish.

Sunlight or intense unnatural light will contribute to algae growth. This
is one of the reasons aquariums should never be placed near a window.
Several sources I've read recommend introducing "siesta" periods during the
day to combat algae growth--this means turning your aquarium lights off for
two hours mid-day. Lights on for six hours, off for two, and then on for
another six should suit your plants well and is easily programmed with any
automatic timer. Plants are biologically much more advanced than simple
algae and can switch from photosynthesis to aerobic respiration very
quickly, but algae cannot cope with changing lighting conditions so easily.
A siesta period can give your plants the edge in the competition for
nutrients in your aquarium.

The Siamese flying fox (Epalzeorhynchus siamensis) is one of the few fish
that will eat brush or hair algae eagerly. Do not confuse it with the
similar species also referred to as a Flying fox (Epalzeorhynchus
kallopterus), as it is more aggressive and not nearly as useful for eating
algae. The two can be distinguished by a vibrant yellow band that appears
just above the prominent black horizontal stripe that runs down the fish's
flank, E. siamensis lacks this vivid yellow band. E. siamensis is also
primarily a bottom stratum dweller, while E. kallopterus tends to hog the
entire tank.

[dc]

> "Ook" > wrote in
> :
>
>> My hair algae infestation continues.
>> Is there any good way to get rid of it


I just re-read your original message. Nitrates at 10 ppm is not excessively
high. A reduction in the amount of light or the introduction of a siesta
period would probably prove to be the most beneficial long-term solution to
your problem.

The introduction of E. siamensis to your tank would certainly be a more
natural and less toxic way to deal with the current brush algae you have,
rather than resorting to chemical baths. Don't forget that chemical
treatments for any problem are almost always only a short-term temporary
fix; the problem will return if you don't deal with the cause.

[Ook]

"dc" > wrote in message
...
>> "Ook" > wrote in
>> :
>>
>>> My hair algae infestation continues.
>>> Is there any good way to get rid of it
>
>
> I just re-read your original message. Nitrates at 10 ppm is not
> excessively
> high. A reduction in the amount of light or the introduction of a siesta
> period would probably prove to be the most beneficial long-term solution
> to
> your problem.
>
> The introduction of E. siamensis to your tank would certainly be a more
> natural and less toxic way to deal with the current brush algae you have,
> rather than resorting to chemical baths. Don't forget that chemical
> treatments for any problem are almost always only a short-term temporary
> fix; the problem will return if you don't deal with the cause.

I've read all of the messages posted by various people, and I see some
common elements: reduce nitrates if too high, which is really isn't. Reduce
light, which I did. I used to have a lot of aponogen and lillies, but they
lived a few months and started to rot, so I removed them all. I only have
hornwort and a java fern in one corner, so I don't need the extra plant
light. Chemicals are out of the question. I've not had much luck with
chemicals. In less then a week it seems to have reduced the amount of hair
algae already. Most of it seems to have been growing under the plant light,
so I wonder if the excessive light was the main cause?

On the bright side, a long running cloudy water problem in my wife's 15
gallon tank cleared up almost overnight. After weeks and weeks of cloudy
water, I got tired of doing massive water changes. I reduced the light and
went back to 10% a week. After about 10 days, we noticed that the water was
crystal clear. Go figure?

[Elaine T]

Ook wrote:
> "dc" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>>"Ook" > wrote in
:
>>>
>>>
>>>>My hair algae infestation continues.
>>>>Is there any good way to get rid of it
>>
>>
>>I just re-read your original message. Nitrates at 10 ppm is not
>>excessively
>>high. A reduction in the amount of light or the introduction of a siesta
>>period would probably prove to be the most beneficial long-term solution
>>to
>>your problem.
>>
>>The introduction of E. siamensis to your tank would certainly be a more
>>natural and less toxic way to deal with the current brush algae you have,
>>rather than resorting to chemical baths. Don't forget that chemical
>>treatments for any problem are almost always only a short-term temporary
>>fix; the problem will return if you don't deal with the cause.
>
>
> I've read all of the messages posted by various people, and I see some
> common elements: reduce nitrates if too high, which is really isn't. Reduce
> light, which I did. I used to have a lot of aponogen and lillies, but they
> lived a few months and started to rot, so I removed them all. I only have
> hornwort and a java fern in one corner, so I don't need the extra plant
> light. Chemicals are out of the question. I've not had much luck with
> chemicals. In less then a week it seems to have reduced the amount of hair
> algae already. Most of it seems to have been growing under the plant light,
> so I wonder if the excessive light was the main cause?

Too much light, too few plants, and no CO2 probably. Under bright
lighting or sunlit conditions, plants have to be growing well enough to
starve out any algae not eaten by fish. This actually isn't that
difficult to arrange but requires a lot of plants, some test kits, C02,
and a bit of study on correct fertilization.

> On the bright side, a long running cloudy water problem in my wife's 15
> gallon tank cleared up almost overnight. After weeks and weeks of cloudy
> water, I got tired of doing massive water changes. I reduced the light and
> went back to 10% a week. After about 10 days, we noticed that the water was
> crystal clear. Go figure?
>
Not surprising. Many bacteria grow rather well on nutrients in tapwater
so massive water changes rarely improve bacterial clouding.

--
Elaine T __
http://eethomp.com/fish.html <'__><
rec.aquaria.* FAQ http://faq.thekrib.com

[Ook]

>> On the bright side, a long running cloudy water problem in my wife's 15
>> gallon tank cleared up almost overnight. After weeks and weeks of cloudy
>> water, I got tired of doing massive water changes. I reduced the light
>> and went back to 10% a week. After about 10 days, we noticed that the
>> water was crystal clear. Go figure?
> Not surprising. Many bacteria grow rather well on nutrients in tapwater
> so massive water changes rarely improve bacterial clouding.
>

To me it was a surprise, but that is just my ignorance showing :-P

When I got tired of it and just left it alone long enough, it want away.

[Elaine T]

dc wrote:
> "Ook" > wrote in
> :
>
>
>>My hair algae infestation continues.
>>Is there any good way to get rid of it
>
>
> Algae blooms are usually caused by a number of contributing factors. There
> are a few things you can try to remove the algae, but until you deal with
> what has caused it in the first place, the algae will always return, even
> after chemically removing it.
>
> Excessive nutrients and excessive light are the two key contributes to
> algae growth. Test your water for nitrates. Some nitrate in the aquarium
> is normal and beneficial to plant growth, but an abundance of it can stress
> your fish and provide algae with a huge food source. If you have a lot of
> nitrates in your water, start doing larger water changes (as much as 50%
> per week if you don't have extremely sensitive fish) and reduce the amount
> of food you feed your fish.
>
> Sunlight or intense unnatural light will contribute to algae growth. This
> is one of the reasons aquariums should never be placed near a window.
> Several sources I've read recommend introducing "siesta" periods during the
> day to combat algae growth--this means turning your aquarium lights off for
> two hours mid-day. Lights on for six hours, off for two, and then on for
> another six should suit your plants well and is easily programmed with any
> automatic timer. Plants are biologically much more advanced than simple
> algae and can switch from photosynthesis to aerobic respiration very
> quickly, but algae cannot cope with changing lighting conditions so easily.
> A siesta period can give your plants the edge in the competition for
> nutrients in your aquarium.

This is not in agreement with what I've read. Photoperiods in excess of
13 hours are clearly a problem and contribute to nuisance algae, but
I've not seen the mid-day blackout idea substantiated. Do you have any
references or do this in your own tanks? I'm also a big fan of putting
fishtanks in indirect sun, but I CO2 inject or use Flourish, keep algae
eating critters, stock lightly, and monitor iron, N, and P levels. I
have yet to find an affordable lighting setup that stimulates flowering
like a north window does.

I'd suggest Ook plant lots of lower light plants like java moss, java
fern, swordplants, or Crypts. Java moss is a great nutrient sponge.
Also try some Flourish Excel both as a carbon source for the plants and
for its mild algicidal properties. I've also personally had more
trouble with hair algae in conditions of high iron and low nitrates, so
I'd keep iron at or below 0.2 ppm.

> The Siamese flying fox (Epalzeorhynchus siamensis) is one of the few fish
> that will eat brush or hair algae eagerly. Do not confuse it with the
> similar species also referred to as a Flying fox (Epalzeorhynchus
> kallopterus), as it is more aggressive and not nearly as useful for eating
> algae. The two can be distinguished by a vibrant yellow band that appears
> just above the prominent black horizontal stripe that runs down the fish's
> flank, E. siamensis lacks this vivid yellow band. E. siamensis is also
> primarily a bottom stratum dweller, while E. kallopterus tends to hog the
> entire tank.

Renamed to Crossocheilus siamensis and a wonderful fish. Also, my
current C. siamensis lives in the top 1/3 of the tank, spending much of
its time hovering in midwater with the rasboras.

--
Elaine T __
http://eethomp.com/fish.html <'__><
rec.aquaria.* FAQ http://faq.thekrib.com

[Gill Passman]

"Elaine T" > wrote in message
m...
> dc wrote:
> > "Ook" > wrote in
> > :
> >
> >
> >>My hair algae infestation continues.
> >>Is there any good way to get rid of it
> >
> >
> > Algae blooms are usually caused by a number of contributing factors.
There
> > are a few things you can try to remove the algae, but until you deal
with
> > what has caused it in the first place, the algae will always return,
even
> > after chemically removing it.
> >
> > Excessive nutrients and excessive light are the two key contributes to
> > algae growth. Test your water for nitrates. Some nitrate in the
aquarium
> > is normal and beneficial to plant growth, but an abundance of it can
stress
> > your fish and provide algae with a huge food source. If you have a lot
of
> > nitrates in your water, start doing larger water changes (as much as 50%
> > per week if you don't have extremely sensitive fish) and reduce the
amount
> > of food you feed your fish.
> >
> > Sunlight or intense unnatural light will contribute to algae growth.
This
> > is one of the reasons aquariums should never be placed near a window.
> > Several sources I've read recommend introducing "siesta" periods during
the
> > day to combat algae growth--this means turning your aquarium lights off
for
> > two hours mid-day. Lights on for six hours, off for two, and then on
for
> > another six should suit your plants well and is easily programmed with
any
> > automatic timer. Plants are biologically much more advanced than simple
> > algae and can switch from photosynthesis to aerobic respiration very
> > quickly, but algae cannot cope with changing lighting conditions so
easily.
> > A siesta period can give your plants the edge in the competition for
> > nutrients in your aquarium.
>
> This is not in agreement with what I've read. Photoperiods in excess of
> 13 hours are clearly a problem and contribute to nuisance algae, but
> I've not seen the mid-day blackout idea substantiated. Do you have any
> references or do this in your own tanks? I'm also a big fan of putting
> fishtanks in indirect sun, but I CO2 inject or use Flourish, keep algae
> eating critters, stock lightly, and monitor iron, N, and P levels. I
> have yet to find an affordable lighting setup that stimulates flowering
> like a north window does.
>
> I'd suggest Ook plant lots of lower light plants like java moss, java
> fern, swordplants, or Crypts. Java moss is a great nutrient sponge.
> Also try some Flourish Excel both as a carbon source for the plants and
> for its mild algicidal properties. I've also personally had more
> trouble with hair algae in conditions of high iron and low nitrates, so
> I'd keep iron at or below 0.2 ppm.
>
> > The Siamese flying fox (Epalzeorhynchus siamensis) is one of the few
fish
> > that will eat brush or hair algae eagerly. Do not confuse it with the
> > similar species also referred to as a Flying fox (Epalzeorhynchus
> > kallopterus), as it is more aggressive and not nearly as useful for
eating
> > algae. The two can be distinguished by a vibrant yellow band that
appears
> > just above the prominent black horizontal stripe that runs down the
fish's
> > flank, E. siamensis lacks this vivid yellow band. E. siamensis is also
> > primarily a bottom stratum dweller, while E. kallopterus tends to hog
the
> > entire tank.
>
> Renamed to Crossocheilus siamensis and a wonderful fish. Also, my
> current C. siamensis lives in the top 1/3 of the tank, spending much of
> its time hovering in midwater with the rasboras.
>
> --
> Elaine T __
> http://eethomp.com/fish.html <'__><
> rec.aquaria.* FAQ http://faq.thekrib.com

I had a terrible problem with the hair algae as the tank in question is in a
very brightly lit room (a conservatory)....BTW I chose to take on the extra
work

I'm starting to see a reduction now but actually don't want rid of it all
because of its benefits as a food source for my clean up crew. Because of
high temps in the UK at the moment the lights are usually off for the
hottest 4-6 hours of the day but on the rest of the time because I want to
see the fish. The tank is heavily planted - if the plants get covered in
algae I take them out and remove it. I do feed the plants but don't have a
CO2 unit. Additionally, most of the blinds are down in the conservatory to
cut down the heat which also cuts down the light - so I guess it is pretty
much shaded at the moment. Currently the back of the tank is spotless and I
don't have to clean the front quite as much as I used to. I still have
algae, but not as much, on the driftwood - I can even see the brown of the
wood.

My cleaning crew are a Queen Arabesque Pl*co, 3 Siamese Flying Foxes (can't
make up my mind if they are true SAE's but the hair algae has greatly
reduced since their introduction even with lights on) and 7 Ottos (although
I've not seen all of them at once).

So, my experience has been more plants (fed), less light, and a cleaning
crew...

Gill

[dc]

Elaine T > wrote in
m:

> dc wrote:
>> "Ook" > wrote in
>> :
>>
>> Sunlight or intense unnatural light will contribute to algae growth.
>> This is one of the reasons aquariums should never be placed near a
>> window. Several sources I've read recommend introducing "siesta"
>> periods during the day to combat algae growth--this means turning

> This is not in agreement with what I've read. Photoperiods in excess
> of 13 hours are clearly a problem and contribute to nuisance algae,
> but I've not seen the mid-day blackout idea substantiated. Do you
> have any references or do this in your own tanks? I'm also a big fan
> of putting fishtanks in indirect sun, but I CO2 inject or use
> Flourish, keep algae eating critters, stock lightly, and monitor iron,
> N, and P levels. I have yet to find an affordable lighting setup that
> stimulates flowering like a north window does.

"Plants are able to regulate the rate of photosynthesis relatively
easily, and quickly respond to changes in light conditions. In other
words, they do not take long to warm up and start photosynthesizing once
there is sufficient light. However, algae are not as biologically
advanced as plants and need a long and relatively uninterrupted period
of light to function properly. It is possible to combat algae in the
aquarium by controlling the intensity and period of light in the
aquarium and creating a "siesta" period."

Peter Hiscok, Encyclopedia of Aquarium Plants, published by
Barron's Educational Series, Inc., 2003, p. 59.

I can probably dig up a few more sources on this sort of thing from work
if you need them.

I've used this technique to combat a brush algae bloom in my
girlfriend's aquarium. What had been a rampant bloom of black beard
algae seems to have completely halted in its tracks. What remains is
slowly being mopped up by C. siamensis. I have instituted two siesta
periods in her tank while still providing her plants with a full 12
hours of light per day--her plants appear completely unaffected, and she
gets to enjoy her lit aquarium in the early morning and later into the
evening.

I've never had algae problems in my own tanks, but I have begun
implementing preventative siesta periods ever since I started using CO2
injection.

[Elaine T]

dc wrote:
> Elaine T > wrote in
> m:
>
>
>>dc wrote:
>>
>>>"Ook" > wrote in
:
>>>
>>>Sunlight or intense unnatural light will contribute to algae growth.
>>>This is one of the reasons aquariums should never be placed near a
>>>window. Several sources I've read recommend introducing "siesta"
>>>periods during the day to combat algae growth--this means turning
>
>
>>This is not in agreement with what I've read. Photoperiods in excess
>>of 13 hours are clearly a problem and contribute to nuisance algae,
>>but I've not seen the mid-day blackout idea substantiated. Do you
>>have any references or do this in your own tanks? I'm also a big fan
>>of putting fishtanks in indirect sun, but I CO2 inject or use
>>Flourish, keep algae eating critters, stock lightly, and monitor iron,
>>N, and P levels. I have yet to find an affordable lighting setup that
>>stimulates flowering like a north window does.
>
>
> "Plants are able to regulate the rate of photosynthesis relatively
> easily, and quickly respond to changes in light conditions. In other
> words, they do not take long to warm up and start photosynthesizing once
> there is sufficient light. However, algae are not as biologically
> advanced as plants and need a long and relatively uninterrupted period
> of light to function properly. It is possible to combat algae in the
> aquarium by controlling the intensity and period of light in the
> aquarium and creating a "siesta" period."
>
> Peter Hiscok, Encyclopedia of Aquarium Plants, published by
> Barron's Educational Series, Inc., 2003, p. 59.
>
> I can probably dig up a few more sources on this sort of thing from work
> if you need them.
>
> I've used this technique to combat a brush algae bloom in my
> girlfriend's aquarium. What had been a rampant bloom of black beard
> algae seems to have completely halted in its tracks. What remains is
> slowly being mopped up by C. siamensis. I have instituted two siesta
> periods in her tank while still providing her plants with a full 12
> hours of light per day--her plants appear completely unaffected, and she
> gets to enjoy her lit aquarium in the early morning and later into the
> evening.
>
> I've never had algae problems in my own tanks, but I have begun
> implementing preventative siesta periods ever since I started using CO2
> injection.

Thanks! I'm a scientist and a total reference junkie. So much
information gets propagated incorrectly by word of mouth. Real
physiology is much more helpful. I don't have that book yet, but the
Barron's ones are decent. Would you say it's worth buying? Most of my
plant books are somewhat older.

Speaking of word of mouth, about 10 years ago a bunch of people on
Usenet were trying siestas in tanks with very mixed results. That's why
I was skeptical. I tried it in my own planted tank and didn't get any
improvement with fuzzy, green algae. Adding CO2, more otos, and herd of
glass shrimp on a 12 hour uninterrupted photoperiod worked much better.

So far I've been able to keep algae at bay on a 12 hour photoperiod in
all my tanks except in one that is now running out of phosphorus. I've
addressed the "problem" by adding more fish. ;-)

--
Elaine T __
http://eethomp.com/fish.html <'__><
rec.aquaria.* FAQ http://faq.thekrib.com

[Frank]

Now that you said that, I remember telling you about the bleach dip a
few months ago and after trying it, you saying it killed your hornwort.
Well - the dip killed the algae, didn't it ? - grin.... No really, with
fine leaf plants, I have used a 3% 30 sec. dip. Sometime they go
through somewhat of a shock, but come back quickly. If I told you about
the bleach dip in the past, I must have also told you about the hair
algae eating fish and snails? The butterfly Goodeids can be hard to get
a hold of, but the others should be easy enough to find. I don't think
the reduction of light is going to help with killing hair algae - mabe
no light at all for a week or two. I can see that it might help with an
algae bloom (green water). I think you would do much better cutting
back on that endless supply of plant nutrients (DOCs).......... Frank

[Dick]

On Fri, 22 Jul 2005 21:09:33 GMT, Elaine T >
wrote:

>dc wrote:
>> Elaine T > wrote in
>> m:
>>
>>
>>>dc wrote:
>>>
>>>>"Ook" > wrote in
:
>>>>
>>>>Sunlight or intense unnatural light will contribute to algae growth.
>>>>This is one of the reasons aquariums should never be placed near a
>>>>window. Several sources I've read recommend introducing "siesta"
>>>>periods during the day to combat algae growth--this means turning
>>
>>
>>>This is not in agreement with what I've read. Photoperiods in excess
>>>of 13 hours are clearly a problem and contribute to nuisance algae,
>>>but I've not seen the mid-day blackout idea substantiated. Do you
>>>have any references or do this in your own tanks? I'm also a big fan
>>>of putting fishtanks in indirect sun, but I CO2 inject or use
>>>Flourish, keep algae eating critters, stock lightly, and monitor iron,
>>>N, and P levels. I have yet to find an affordable lighting setup that
>>>stimulates flowering like a north window does.
>>
>>
>> "Plants are able to regulate the rate of photosynthesis relatively
>> easily, and quickly respond to changes in light conditions. In other
>> words, they do not take long to warm up and start photosynthesizing once
>> there is sufficient light. However, algae are not as biologically
>> advanced as plants and need a long and relatively uninterrupted period
>> of light to function properly. It is possible to combat algae in the
>> aquarium by controlling the intensity and period of light in the
>> aquarium and creating a "siesta" period."
>>
>> Peter Hiscok, Encyclopedia of Aquarium Plants, published by
>> Barron's Educational Series, Inc., 2003, p. 59.
>>
>> I can probably dig up a few more sources on this sort of thing from work
>> if you need them.
>>
>> I've used this technique to combat a brush algae bloom in my
>> girlfriend's aquarium. What had been a rampant bloom of black beard
>> algae seems to have completely halted in its tracks. What remains is
>> slowly being mopped up by C. siamensis. I have instituted two siesta
>> periods in her tank while still providing her plants with a full 12
>> hours of light per day--her plants appear completely unaffected, and she
>> gets to enjoy her lit aquarium in the early morning and later into the
>> evening.
>>
>> I've never had algae problems in my own tanks, but I have begun
>> implementing preventative siesta periods ever since I started using CO2
>> injection.
>
>Thanks! I'm a scientist and a total reference junkie. So much
>information gets propagated incorrectly by word of mouth.

Yes, and so much more information is propagated incorrectly in
writing.

dick

>Real
>physiology is much more helpful. I don't have that book yet, but the
>Barron's ones are decent. Would you say it's worth buying? Most of my
>plant books are somewhat older.
>
>Speaking of word of mouth, about 10 years ago a bunch of people on
>Usenet were trying siestas in tanks with very mixed results. That's why
>I was skeptical. I tried it in my own planted tank and didn't get any
>improvement with fuzzy, green algae. Adding CO2, more otos, and herd of
>glass shrimp on a 12 hour uninterrupted photoperiod worked much better.
>
>So far I've been able to keep algae at bay on a 12 hour photoperiod in
>all my tanks except in one that is now running out of phosphorus. I've
>addressed the "problem" by adding more fish. ;-)

[A Man]

I have 2 crayfish called orconectes virilis, and they LOVE hair algae. I
collected 2 golfball sized bunches from my pond, put it in my tank, and the
next morning it was all gone. O. virilis lives in streams where hair algae
grows and I think it is their primary forage. I think they eat it better than
an amano shrimp would.

The trouble is, this is not stocked by petshops and there's only 1 person on
the internet that sells them, since they are wild creatures.

--
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