Excellent plant grows but hairy algae grow just as fast

Hi Guys
One more algae thread. After I neclected my tank for 3month or so due to traveling I now got it back into fine shape. Plants , Vallesneria, Limnophila, Lobelia Ludwigia, Echinodorus etc are all growing very well.
But as well as these plants are growing & as soon as new leaves appear as soon are the covert with algae.
The phosphor levels should be fine even though I have not tested them. (No excess food and regular water change(1weekly 30%).
Is it correct that to much light and currant stimulates this algae and would a total darkening over lets say 4-7 days with reduced flow solve my problem.
Tank 1.2 m x 40x40
+/- 20 tetras + 6 plecos
5x 23W cfl cool white
1x 100m gro lux

 

Hey Guido...

@Zoom recently tried some Crystal Algea Go by Robalon enterprises on my recomendation to treat a VERY stubborn case of Staghorn algea with great sucsess...

Its generally used as a pond algeacide,but seems to work very well in aquaria too - give it a bash and please report back how it turned out...

 

Yes, it is working. There are still traces of the algae, but I will continue to use it until I see it is all gone. So far it has shown no negative impact on the plants or fish at all!

 

Thanx Ashley - was still going to ask you for an update...

 

Thanks for your reply
Would like to do it without adding any chemicals
I went thru old posts and I think it was you or Ashley(BOB) who said somthing about no CO2 and darkening.
Left the light of already and try with 5h light and 2weekly waterchange. Any more suggestions!

 

Guido...can you take a picture of the "hairy" algae? Or perhaps paste a link to something similar on the web? Google hair algae? I'm sure I can help if we can identify the correct type.

 

Hi Laure How are you doing?
I hoped you would pick up the thread and comment on it.
I'm 99% sure it is Spirogyra.
A bit of history
I neclected tank for 3-4 month
Tank compleatly overgrown
removed about 80% of algae and 30% of plants 40% water change filter cleanup
Than over a month or so weekly 25-30% water change
Tank looking better and plant grows moderate
Starting with bio CO2 and extra light and single dose of 10ml "Aquatic Remedies Plant Food"
Algae and plants just "exploded"
could remove Vallesneria on weekly basis and algae every 2 days.
Stopped with CO2 and reduced light time to 4 h
Have no water test kit but ph at about 6.8
Hope
this will help and thanks in advance

 

Hi Guido

Spirogyra or not...this is filamentous green algae and I can promise you know the root cause is ammonia/nitrite in the pressence of high light. And soon after this you will get green water. And ideal conditions (such as tank neglect) will lead to the algae spores germinating, after which it is extremely difficult to get rid of. You can do a few things:
1. Ensure your light is not too strong
2. 50% WC weekly
3. Manual removal of algae daily
4. Cherry Red Shrimp or Japonica Shrimp
5. Good vacuuming of substrate - investigate all corners and make sure have don't have excess decaying matter
6. Spot treat heavily affected areas with Excel at double dosage levels (stop filter and squirt onto algae with syringe) on a daily basis for about 2 weeks

I have found that almost any green filamentous algae is really hard to get rid of, but manual removal seems to work. It seems that if you keep hassling the algae on a daily basis they tend to go away after a while.

Do not try H2O2, Vallis won't make it!

Hope this helps...

 

u also forgot: Lessen your photoperiod (lessen the amount of time your lights are switched on)

 

Hi

I wouldn't lessen the photo period unless its extreme. But he already lessened it to 4 hours and I think that is already not enough for the plants. Don't go below 6 hours.

 

Hi Laure hi shihr
thanks for all the advise will keep you posted

 

Hi guys,

I've had a problem for months now with bba (black brush algae) and now even cyanobacteria! I finally tried Crystal Algae Go... it's been 24 hours and not much has happened : P