On Thu, 03 Jun 2004 04:33:12 GMT, "Lopaka" wrote:

I ruined my 4 year old 20 gallon tank I think (Big hairy Algae problem)
Haven't been paying attention to the tank enough. My 3" clowns don't
seem to like the aformentioned FFood. (Granules de Crevette?) There
is a picture of a clown on the label, so I don't get it. Assuming the hairy
algae appeared this spring because of "overfeeding" I'd like to ask you
folks..

1) Has anyone else noticed clown loaches disdain for this type of FF?

2) Is there any good URL's to help me get rid of this green hair?

PS) I did give away my ordinary 31/2" pleco about the same time and
replaced it with a 3/4" dancing pleco- was the big one eating all the hair??

Appreciate replies! Aloha!

Lopaka
------------

10 neons, 3 flashlights, 3 blackskirt tetras
2 albino cats
2 Clowns 3"
1 dancing pleco
20 gal aquaclear 150 & undergravel filters.
I feed them color bits normally with bloodworms once a week, but my
Island has no bits lately and the only food I have is Hartz flakes and
pleco pellets. I want my Color Bits back! Guess I'd better order my own
thru
the Inet postman.


I buy everything over the internet: fish, plants, food, medicine and
all the hardware including the tanks. Your own limitation is your
ability to "google." It beats the selection fish stores can carry.

I have 12 Clown Loaches in tanks varying from 75 to 10 gallons, yep 10
gallons. They vary from one inch (my runt, almost died) to 4 inches.
I only feed my fish TetraMin tropical flakes. Clowns are my favorite
fish. The runt has lived in my 10 gallon quarantine tank until
recently. He had grown a bit and was eating with a good appetite, so
I moved him to a 10 gallon tank that was infested with small snails.
He cleaned house. He adjusted easily from flake to snail.


I am sorry you have the hair problem. When I first set up my 75
gallon tank it was covered with hair. It took me months to clear it
up. I can only guess as to what fixed the problem as I did many
things at the same time not being interested in doing an experiment.
I just want to get rid of the stuff.

I took out all plants that had hair on them, and removed gravel that
had hair. I bought known hair eaters Siamese Algae Eaters. I also
added more platties and mollies as I could see they pecked at the new
hair growth. I planted very heavily. The new plants were "low light"
species to match my light output. I put the tank on a time to reduce
the hours of light and programmed a two hour outage mid day.

The tank stayed hairless. It has been a year since I had the problem.
It can be solved.

I would also consider cutting back on food. I feed slowly and stop
when I see the flakes are reaching the bottom. My fish feed at
different levels, some catch the floating flakes others stay mid tank
and many are bottom feeders. When they are hungry none of the flakes
(well maybe a few) reach the bottom. I figure that when the first
flakes do reach the bottom is time to stop as there will be more at
the top that will now reach the bottom. That is fine since the bottom
feeders clean up what gets there. I think over feeding is to be
avoided. Excess encourages algae. (my opinion)

One fish I don't have, but want to have when my tank population goes
down is the "American Flag" fish. It has a good reputation for eating
algae and doesn't grow over 2 inches. I went over board with the
Siamese Algae Eaters not noting how large they grow. I have 20 of the
critters in my 5 tanks. I like to watch them, but as with the Clowns,
they do get big. I have several that are now 4 inches.