Hair/Beard Algae
 

I've been fighting a losing battle with hair/beard on my plants and black
brush algae on a piece of driftwood.
Tank is 130 litres, my nitrates are always within 5-10 mg/l, tested every
2-3 days, regular (every 7 days) 25% water changes, thorough and deep
vacuuming of the substrate and reasonably well planted with crypts, swords,
ludwegia, bacopa, elodea, java fern and dwarf anubia.
Filters are a 1000 l/hr canister filter and a 700 l/hr internal.
Lighting is a 30watt bio-lux and a 20watt bio-lux on for a timer 12 hours
per day
I was using DIY CO2, but have disconnected it as it only seems to encourage
the algae.
I have been reading about treating the plants using a 5% bleach solution and
realise the trauma this must cause the plant, but I am desperate.
The only thing I haven't been able to find on the subject is whether the
dead algae falls off or whether it persists on the leaves and needs removal.
Does anyone have any views?

Thanks!

"cabaloz" wrote in message
...
I've been fighting a losing battle with hair/beard on my plants and black
brush algae on a piece of driftwood.
Tank is 130 litres, my nitrates are always within 5-10 mg/l, tested every
2-3 days, regular (every 7 days) 25% water changes, thorough and deep
vacuuming of the substrate and reasonably well planted with crypts,
swords, ludwegia, bacopa, elodea, java fern and dwarf anubia.
Filters are a 1000 l/hr canister filter and a 700 l/hr internal.
Lighting is a 30watt bio-lux and a 20watt bio-lux on for a timer 12 hours
per day
I was using DIY CO2, but have disconnected it as it only seems to
encourage the algae.
I have been reading about treating the plants using a 5% bleach solution
and realise the trauma this must cause the plant, but I am desperate.
The only thing I haven't been able to find on the subject is whether the
dead algae falls off or whether it persists on the leaves and needs
removal.
Does anyone have any views?

Thanks!

I struggled for years trying to rid my tanks of this stuff, but it always
came back. A few Siamese Algae eaters (Chrossocheilus samensis ) and the
problem solved.

Tony

"cabaloz" wrote in message
...
I've been fighting a losing battle with hair/beard on my plants and black
brush algae on a piece of driftwood.
Tank is 130 litres, my nitrates are always within 5-10 mg/l, tested every
2-3 days, regular (every 7 days) 25% water changes, thorough and deep
vacuuming of the substrate and reasonably well planted with crypts,
swords, ludwegia, bacopa, elodea, java fern and dwarf anubia.
Filters are a 1000 l/hr canister filter and a 700 l/hr internal.
Lighting is a 30watt bio-lux and a 20watt bio-lux on for a timer 12 hours
per day
I was using DIY CO2, but have disconnected it as it only seems to
encourage the algae.
I have been reading about treating the plants using a 5% bleach solution
and realise the trauma this must cause the plant, but I am desperate.
The only thing I haven't been able to find on the subject is whether the
dead algae falls off or whether it persists on the leaves and needs
removal.
Does anyone have any views?

Thanks!
Well, I will take a stab at your problem. I'm not an expert, this just
comes from my own experience. First of all you have about a 35 gallon tank
correct? The lighting seems a little low for the CO2. Not too sure of all
the plants you have but I would go with pressurized CO2 and lots of fast
growing plants with 2.5 to 3.0 watts of light per gallon. I have found for
my set up about 10 hrs. a day is good. What ferts are you using? Amounts
may need to be adjusted for optimum growth. Basically what is required is
patience, tinkering to get everything right, then the algae will go away.
But be carefull it will return when things get out of whack, then it's a
matter of figuering what is out of whack. I don't think you ever really get
rid of algae, you just keep it under control. Hope this helps some and good
luck.
--
Paul O.

You didn't mention what your phosphate levels are. What I've read is that
it is critical to keep the phosphates as low as humanly possible, at which
point the plants will use all that's available because they're more
efficient at using it, and the algae will die off without access to it. I
am having the same problem with beard algae as you. I have very high levels
of phosphates in my well water, and I'm now trying phosphate removal
products.
Allison

"Paul O." wrote in message
om...

"cabaloz" wrote in message
...
I've been fighting a losing battle with hair/beard on my plants and
black
brush algae on a piece of driftwood.
Tank is 130 litres, my nitrates are always within 5-10 mg/l, tested
every
2-3 days, regular (every 7 days) 25% water changes, thorough and deep
vacuuming of the substrate and reasonably well planted with crypts,
swords, ludwegia, bacopa, elodea, java fern and dwarf anubia.
Filters are a 1000 l/hr canister filter and a 700 l/hr internal.
Lighting is a 30watt bio-lux and a 20watt bio-lux on for a timer 12
hours
per day
I was using DIY CO2, but have disconnected it as it only seems to
encourage the algae.
I have been reading about treating the plants using a 5% bleach solution
and realise the trauma this must cause the plant, but I am desperate.
The only thing I haven't been able to find on the subject is whether the
dead algae falls off or whether it persists on the leaves and needs
removal.
Does anyone have any views?

Thanks!
Well, I will take a stab at your problem. I'm not an expert, this just
comes from my own experience. First of all you have about a 35 gallon
tank
correct? The lighting seems a little low for the CO2. Not too sure of
all
the plants you have but I would go with pressurized CO2 and lots of fast
growing plants with 2.5 to 3.0 watts of light per gallon. I have found
for
my set up about 10 hrs. a day is good. What ferts are you using? Amounts
may need to be adjusted for optimum growth. Basically what is required is
patience, tinkering to get everything right, then the algae will go away.
But be carefull it will return when things get out of whack, then it's a
matter of figuering what is out of whack. I don't think you ever really
get
rid of algae, you just keep it under control. Hope this helps some and
good
luck.
--
Paul O.

I fought with BBA in my low light aquarium for over a year with picking it
off and cutting off leaves etc.
All of my water parameters were fine except my phosphate level was high. I
started adding the phosphate removal sponges to my filter and also bought a
siamese algae eater and eventually all of the BBA dissapeared and
I haven't had a problem with it since. I think it was more the phosphate
than adding the alage eater.
Hope this helps.

Brian A.
"cabaloz" wrote in message
...
I've been fighting a losing battle with hair/beard on my plants and black
brush algae on a piece of driftwood.
Tank is 130 litres, my nitrates are always within 5-10 mg/l, tested every
2-3 days, regular (every 7 days) 25% water changes, thorough and deep
vacuuming of the substrate and reasonably well planted with crypts,
swords,
ludwegia, bacopa, elodea, java fern and dwarf anubia.
Filters are a 1000 l/hr canister filter and a 700 l/hr internal.
Lighting is a 30watt bio-lux and a 20watt bio-lux on for a timer 12 hours
per day
I was using DIY CO2, but have disconnected it as it only seems to
encourage
the algae.
I have been reading about treating the plants using a 5% bleach solution
and
realise the trauma this must cause the plant, but I am desperate.
The only thing I haven't been able to find on the subject is whether the
dead algae falls off or whether it persists on the leaves and needs
removal.
Does anyone have any views?

Thanks!

I didn't have a Phosphate test kit at the time of posting, but have just
come back from my LFS with a test kit which indicated .5mg/l of phosphate.
I also bought some Zeospeed which is apparently modified zeolite, to suck up
any excess phosphates.
I'm surprised at how low it was and was expecting a much higher reading,
though I have been fasting the fish for the past couple of days and I wonder
now whether I may have been overfeeding them all this time.
At any rate I'll take all of your suggestions on board and see what
develops.
Thanks everyone for your input.

|| I was using DIY CO2, but have disconnected it as it only seems to
|| encourage the algae.

This is exactly the 'cause' of it... I know... it's hard to believe... but
true...

|| I have been reading about treating the plants using a 5% bleach
|| solution and realise the trauma this must cause the plant, but I am
|| desperate.

Yep, I learned that the hard way too... bleach is the only thing that
'really' worked...

|| The only thing I haven't been able to find on the subject is whether
|| the dead algae falls off or whether it persists on the leaves and
|| needs removal. Does anyone have any views?
||
|| Thanks!

FWIW, I too asked this question about a hundred times... and Tom Barr would
always answer, CO2 2 low... until I learned how to measure my kH and pH to
get my CO2 levels, I had all types of algae... but I learned.... it's
better to have the upper limit than the lower limit... DIY barely puts out
enough to get you to the upper limit... Keep it up and chugging and your
algae might just vanish....

--
| RedForeman ©® fabricator and creator of the ratbike streetfighter!!!
| ==========================
| 2003 TRX450ES
| 1992 TRX-350 XX (For Sale)
| '98 Tacoma Ext Cab 4X4 Lifted....
| ==========================
| ø¤°`°¤ø,¸¸¸,ø¤°`°¤ø,¸¸¸,ø¤°`°¤ø,¸¸,ø¤°`°¤ø,¸¸¸,ø¤° `°¤ø,¸¸,ø¤°`°¤ø
| ((((º`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸.·´¯`·.¸. ((((º ·´¯`·. , .·´¯`·.. ((((º
| for any questions you may have....
| Gmail - the ultimate in disappointment...

I ignored the BBA and its gone for already 3 month.

--
Paulo
"RedForeman ©®" wrote in message
...
|| I was using DIY CO2, but have disconnected it as it only seems to
|| encourage the algae.

This is exactly the 'cause' of it... I know... it's hard to believe... but
true...

|| I have been reading about treating the plants using a 5% bleach
|| solution and realise the trauma this must cause the plant, but I am
|| desperate.

Yep, I learned that the hard way too... bleach is the only thing that
'really' worked...

|| The only thing I haven't been able to find on the subject is whether
|| the dead algae falls off or whether it persists on the leaves and
|| needs removal. Does anyone have any views?
||
|| Thanks!

FWIW, I too asked this question about a hundred times... and Tom Barr
would
always answer, CO2 2 low... until I learned how to measure my kH and pH to
get my CO2 levels, I had all types of algae... but I learned.... it's
better to have the upper limit than the lower limit... DIY barely puts out
enough to get you to the upper limit... Keep it up and chugging and your
algae might just vanish....

--
| RedForeman ©® fabricator and creator of the ratbike streetfighter!!!
| ==========================
| 2003 TRX450ES
| 1992 TRX-350 XX (For Sale)
| '98 Tacoma Ext Cab 4X4 Lifted....
| ==========================
| ø¤°`°¤ø,¸¸¸,ø¤°`°¤ø,¸¸¸,ø¤°`°¤ø,¸¸,ø¤°`°¤ø,¸¸¸,ø¤° `°¤ø,¸¸,ø¤°`°¤ø
| ((((º`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸.·´¯`·.¸. ((((º ·´¯`·. , .·´¯`·.. ((((º
| for any questions you may have....
| Gmail - the ultimate in disappointment...

Red, I wonder if you could clarify something - you initially say that DIY
CO2 is the cause of the algae, and that he was right to turn it off, and
then at the end you say that high CO2 levels are the answer. Do you mean
that the low levels of CO2 produced by DIY causes more algae than no CO2 at
all? - Thanks!


"RedForeman ©®" wrote in message
...
|| I was using DIY CO2, but have disconnected it as it only seems to
|| encourage the algae.

This is exactly the 'cause' of it... I know... it's hard to believe... but
true...

|| I have been reading about treating the plants using a 5% bleach
|| solution and realise the trauma this must cause the plant, but I am
|| desperate.

Yep, I learned that the hard way too... bleach is the only thing that
'really' worked...

|| The only thing I haven't been able to find on the subject is whether
|| the dead algae falls off or whether it persists on the leaves and
|| needs removal. Does anyone have any views?
||
|| Thanks!

FWIW, I too asked this question about a hundred times... and Tom Barr
would
always answer, CO2 2 low... until I learned how to measure my kH and pH to
get my CO2 levels, I had all types of algae... but I learned.... it's
better to have the upper limit than the lower limit... DIY barely puts out
enough to get you to the upper limit... Keep it up and chugging and your
algae might just vanish....

--
| RedForeman ©® fabricator and creator of the ratbike streetfighter!!!
| ==========================
| 2003 TRX450ES
| 1992 TRX-350 XX (For Sale)
| '98 Tacoma Ext Cab 4X4 Lifted....
| ==========================
| ø¤°`°¤ø,¸¸¸,ø¤°`°¤ø,¸¸¸,ø¤°`°¤ø,¸¸,ø¤°`°¤ø,¸¸¸,ø¤° `°¤ø,¸¸,ø¤°`°¤ø
| ((((º`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸.·´¯`·.¸. ((((º ·´¯`·. , .·´¯`·.. ((((º
| for any questions you may have....
| Gmail - the ultimate in disappointment...

I'm no expert, but I think .5 is pretty high according the the sears/conlin
method of eradicating algae http://www.cam.org/~tomlins/algae.html , which
is what I'm going by. You should test your tap water. That's where mine
comes from.

"cabaloz" wrote in message
...
I didn't have a Phosphate test kit at the time of posting, but have just
come back from my LFS with a test kit which indicated .5mg/l of phosphate.
I also bought some Zeospeed which is apparently modified zeolite, to suck
up
any excess phosphates.
I'm surprised at how low it was and was expecting a much higher reading,
though I have been fasting the fish for the past couple of days and I
wonder
now whether I may have been overfeeding them all this time.
At any rate I'll take all of your suggestions on board and see what
develops.
Thanks everyone for your input.