Reply With QuoteTook some photos. Notice the brown thingy covering my moss
I have a tank that is 3 months ago. Can I check what type of algae is that? It look brownish and grow into a lump. When removed, it look slimy. It will float and hang onto my hairgrass Tip when trying to remove it.
How or do I remove it? I using co2 complete with lighting at 9 house. Did replant my carpet and soon I saw the substrate with a little brownish.
Gotten some sae and amino shrimp hopefully it does the job.
Took some photos. Notice the brown thingy covering my moss
This may be hair algae. I have had similar algae but black in colour instead. Dose Seachem Paraguard about 1 capful per 50 litres. This is my favourite concoction method of dealing with Algae. However, remember to do a 30% water change after 7 days of dosage.
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Does this make sense: ~Imperfect Past equals future tense~
Oh is hair algae? Thought it look like brown algae. It can be easy removed. Once taken out, it look black green and slimy on the hand. So still for advice on treating . My moss tree have been heavily covered that it look all brown. When disturbed, the algae will float around the tank until it hook itself on the hairgrass .
I dont really check my parameter of the water but my 14 tetra, 3 guppy, 4 sae and cherry shrimp are doing well.
does it harm the fishes and plants? One capful will for the first day will do?Originally Posted by happydanio123
I think happydanio123 probably meant another product... perhaps a typo, because Paraguard is a fish medication, not anti-algae treatment.
Anyways, the brown clumps look like filamentous type algae or diatoms. Most algae eaters will help consume it, though if it grows faster than your algae eaters can consume, it will be a uphill battle trying to clear it. Measure your other basic parameters like ammonia, nitrite and nitrate... if any of them are spiking up it would indicate that your tank needs extra filter cleaning and water changes to flush out the excess nutrients that the algae is using instead of the plants. Re-position the plant to an area with less light or reduce the photo-period can help too. It'll be difficult to keep removing and treating the algae if your core parameters are unbalanced.
Adding more shrimps can help reduce the algae density further. Remember not to feed the algae eaters otherwise they will prefer to just wait for food instead of eating algae.
You can also dose anti-algae treatments like Easy Lift AlgExit too, it helps to weaken and inhibit the algae growth which will make the job much easier for your algae eaters. From my own experience, AlgExit is relatively safe for most hardy fishes and shrimps at the recommended dosage, though some people report issues with nerite snails (it varies between users so just to take note). If unsure, dose quarter or half dosage and monitor the livestock for a few days, if okay then can gradually build up to the recommended dosage.
As with all chemical treatments, make sure the tank is well oxygenated and all the other parameters are tested to be at safe levels too.
i see. Thanks for the info. It does sound like diatom so I tried increasing the lighting and doing more water changes. Hopefully I see some improvements before resorting to chemical means. I doubt they will disappear overnight so shall monitor closely. Does sae useful against such algae?
Thanks for the info. I shall monitor it after less feeding, longer lights and more water change before resorting to chemical. Looks like it's Dia atom based on the photos. So does sae help in this too?
Hi think u misinterpret, its suppose to be less light, less- feeding and more water change!
I have been facing the same problem for past 2 weeks. My sae, pleco, oto, cherry did not touch it. red nose shrimp (RNS) does eats these, but hair algae propagate too fast if you still maintain your current regime.
I have been doing black out for the past 3 days. Algae is about 70% gone. Added another 20 rns to complement the current 10+, hopefully can full eliminate in the next 3days.
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Oh Yeah..... I meant Seachem Excel..... Sorry for the miscommunication..... I do not know why I am so muddled up today..... Anyways, Thanks UA for the clarification!
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In theory, SAE are "supposed" to eat filamentous algae, more famously black beard algae... but in reality its more of a 50-50 chance they eat it. Usually once they discover that there is tasty fish food being added to the tank at regular intervals, they become lazy and just wait for the food instead of eating algae.
Quite true! My Yamato dont eat algae anymore once they realize that they can steal my fish food that is supposed to be for my Tetras. I think cherry shrimp are better because they aren't that aggressive and can't fight with the fish for food due to their size. I have seen my Yamatos fight head to head with my pack of Corries to try to steal their sinking pellets! :-O
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Does this make sense: ~Imperfect Past equals future tense~
In less light huh? Okay will take note of this. Just tried the chemical UA intro. Hopefully I can see some results soon without hurting the plants and fishes.
Does se seachem excel work with algae as mentioned?
loooks like sticking with more algae eating fishes might not be as efficient and add to the bio load jnstead
Seachem Excel is actually designed to be used as a liquid carbon supplement. With the extra carbon supply it helps most plant grow better, especially in low-tech tanks that don't have Co2 injection. Due to the active chemical ingredient glutaraldehyde (which is commonly used as a disinfectant to sterilize medical tools) being able to affect algae, it has also become quite popular as an anti-algae treatment too.
At normal dosage its algae inhibiting ability is very minor... its mainly when overdosed that its algae killing ability is much more effective (this is not recommended by Seachem as its safe use is no more guaranteed once you overdose it). Note that the chemical at higher concentrations can be toxic to livestock and plants, so dosing too much of it could kill livestock and damage plants. You have to be alot more careful when using it in concentrated form.
If you want to use it as a spot treatment to kill algae, use a syringe or pipette to draw up undiluted Excel solution, switch off the filter, squirt the concentrated excel on the algae, let it work for a few minutes (quite often you will see the algae start to get "burnt" and die off), then switch on the filter to resume flow. Do remember that if the algae is growing amongst or on plants, the plants themselves may also get damaged by Excel too, especially the more delicate plants like mosses.
You can check out my post in the effects of spot treatment with Excel on filamentous algae: http://www.aquaticquotient.com/forum...298#post746298
Thanks a lot for the inf0. Would like to know how Long does it took for you to seek the effect after using the easy life? I just tried 5 ml. On Friday. But doesn't see much effect and it's seems that brown algae is more and all growing on my moss tree. So I guess you have to wait a week to add in another potion?
i decided to reduce my lighting to 6 hours and reduced feeding too
I find that AlgExit is one of the "milder" types of anti-algae treatments at recommended dosages, and its algae inhibiting/killing effects tend to work slowly over a few weeks (its not immediate effect)... but on the flip-side its also relatively safe for most livestock (compared to other more aggressive anti-algae chemicals which work faster but have higher chance of affecting more livestock).
It would be best to just complete the 4 week treatment period and see if it works for your algae situation. If algae is still present then you may need to extend the treatment (or try other more concentrated treatments), and also look further into troubleshooting the other causes of the algae.
You can check out the results of my tests in these posts:
http://www.aquaticquotient.com/forum...483#post769483
http://www.aquaticquotient.com/forum...440#post793440
Btw, increasing the population of cherry shrimps will really help alot too... i notice that once algae is weakened by the treatment, the shrimps really accelerate the process by munching up all the dying algae and clearing it out. For a standard 2ft planted tank, i usually maintain a population of at least 50-60 cherry shrimps (usually more) as algae management crew.
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