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Thread: What causes hair algae and how to get rid of them?

  1. #41
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    Quote Originally Posted by Justikanz
    So, I want to know, what causes hair algae?
    Water+air-borne spores?

    What encourages their growth?
    Good supply of nutrients?

    Is hair algae growth normal and expected in a planted tank? How to stop their growth or reduce their growth (if their growth is expected)?...
    I always get varying amounts of it in my high-light tanks.

    Shorter furrier hair algae (pale green) can always be found on parts of my driftwoods nearest to the lightsource in my highlight tanks. I leave them alone at times cos they can be quite pretty when pearling.

    Staghorn (branchy hair algae) tend to find its way into my moss, esp the thicker clumps (e.g. 2-3mths of growth for xmas moss) in areas with poor circulation. Ugly. Have to use tweezers for this one.

    I even had the sparse and long (10-20cm) hair algae on my riccia lawn when I started my first tank a few years ago. That was when I had inconsistent CO2 using a DIY bottle of yeast + sugar. Trimmed my plants, got myself a CO2 tank and they never came back.

    Just in case any1 wanna know how to get BGA, just get yourself a baby and ignore your tank for 3mths
    ThEoDoRe

  2. #42
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    Quote Originally Posted by theodore

    Just in case any1 wanna know how to get BGA, just get yourself a baby and ignore your tank for 3mths

    Such an "expensive" way to get BGA...

    So getting CO2 tank can solve this hair algae problem... Do other guys don't use CO2 tank? Justikanz..? Standoyo...?

    I don't use toothbrush to manually remove hair algae because I don't want my plants uprooted, hair algae so hard to remove that if you pluck them, you can also pluck your plants...

  3. #43
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    My tanks with hair algae are either non-CO2 or I had stopped the CO2 supply temporarily... Getting a CO2 to see if things can improve...
    Read me! :bigsmile: http://justikanz.blogspot.com/

    I'm crypt collecting... Starting cheap, now have Cryptocoryne beckettii, C.beckettii var petchii, C.crispatula var.balansae, C.griffithii(Melted! ), C.nurii, C.parva, C.pygmaea(Melted! ), C.tonkinensis(Melted! ), C.walkeri, C.wendtii 'Brown', C.wendtii 'Green', C.wendtii 'Green Gecko', C.wendtii 'Tropica' and Cryptocoryne x willisii

    Oh, juggling is hard work, man!...

  4. #44
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sweet Angel
    Last time I gave up throwing my big clumps of moss in trash can
    They're extremely covered by hair algae.
    while i was moving my tanks and all recently.
    i had a big bunch of java moss and taiwan moss infested with hairalgae.
    but as i didn't have the heart to throw it away i just bagged them.
    (just put them in a clear plastic bag 3/4 filled and tie qith a rubber band)

    apparently the mosses didn't suffer much and the hair algae went bye bye...
    i have no idea why.
    the crypts i did the same to melted a little then thrived.
    do not do this for ferns, my narrow leave got busted.

    also, if you are a little more impatient you can bag them and shake the living daylights out of the algae!
    some will relish the physical sensation, as i have, of getting back at the algae this way.
    btw the algae i had were brown and hair-like fuzz around the whole moss clump.
    celticfish
    It is a good day to die!!!
    I finally uploaded an avatar and Cupid is dead!!!


  5. #45
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    I too experience those dark coloured hair algae all over my Xmas moss, especially on the matured thick clumps as well as on the java fern roots. Been removing them manually for weeks but they just kept coming back...now i just try to remove as much infected clumps of moss as possible and also up co2 to 5bps. Dosing Ferka ferts now instead of the troublesome Lushgro ferts.

    Didn't have hair algae problem before. Not sure why the sudden bloom of hair algae in the tank. Once had BGA bloom, now no trace of them for months, but hair algae took its place...These algae are temperature/seasonal dependent perhaps?
    Eugene (^_^)
    De Dwergcichlide Fanatiek
    Now swimming: Plecos and Apistogrammas

  6. #46
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    Quote Originally Posted by celticfish
    while i was moving my tanks and all recently.
    i had a big bunch of java moss and taiwan moss infested with hairalgae.
    but as i didn't have the heart to throw it away i just bagged them.
    (just put them in a clear plastic bag 3/4 filled and tie qith a rubber band)
    Where did you keep the bag? In some dark spot of the house? How long did it take for the hair algae to die?

  7. #47
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    i place them beside the window and just leave them there.
    a couple of weeks.
    i suppose you can speed the process by placing them in complete darkness for three days before you put them by the window.

    or shake the living daylights out of them...
    remember to drain and replace with fresh water and repeat.

    practically zero maintenance,
    i'm "growing" a bag of java and taiwan moss each.

    Quote Originally Posted by avant
    Where did you keep the bag? In some dark spot of the house? How long did it take for the hair algae to die?
    celticfish
    It is a good day to die!!!
    I finally uploaded an avatar and Cupid is dead!!!


  8. #48
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    Quote Originally Posted by celticfish
    i place them beside the window and just leave them there.
    a couple of weeks.
    i suppose you can speed the process by placing them in complete darkness for three days before you put them by the window.

    or shake the living daylights out of them...
    remember to drain and replace with fresh water and repeat.

    practically zero maintenance,
    i'm "growing" a bag of java and taiwan moss each.
    ah.. that's interesting. I'll try it out on my moss tomorrow

  9. #49
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sweet Angel
    Such an "expensive" way to get BGA...

    So getting CO2 tank can solve this hair algae problem... Do other guys don't use CO2 tank? Justikanz..? Standoyo...?
    hi,

    I'm using pressurised co2 and the hair algae comes periodically when i fail to notice co2 tank is empty.

    Hair algae is a nuisance but controllable once the plants are growing well. Just keep trimming and throwing the infected leaves.

    Now i'm just happy i've sorted out the traces elements which lack of caused all sorts of problems in the past.

    Regards

    Stan
    You can if you dare to fail - Stan Chung

  10. #50
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    Quote Originally Posted by avant
    ah.. that's interesting. I'll try it out on my moss tomorrow
    note:
    the usual things for good moss growth still apply (i.e. cooler water better).
    so no direct sunlight.
    mine are at the window in my bedroom which gets airconditioning every evening.

    might i also suggest that you put a little moss in it.
    i was trying to save my mosses so i filled the bag to just below the waterline.
    i know they are growing well because the growth has pushed them above the waterline.
    currently, i turn them over once a week but i should split them into more bags...
    celticfish
    It is a good day to die!!!
    I finally uploaded an avatar and Cupid is dead!!!


  11. #51
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    Ok guys, thanks for sharing

    Unfortunately getting CO2 tank is quite expensive, & I've thrown that big moss clump in trash...

  12. #52
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    My 2ft tank in office also have hair algae, at first there are a few of them and i never do water change or remove it and now there are alot of them, all over my plant n glass,

    Try to put SAE but some how , it never do their work by eating them. so i brought my 2 Big Yamato from my 4ft tank, hunger them for a day and put them in today, can see them eating the hair algae.

    hope they do their work..
    if proven good, will put in more yamato.
    Last edited by stmoo; 26th Jul 2006 at 12:56.

  13. #53
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    stmoo,
    i think you have BBA and not hair/thread algae.
    celticfish
    It is a good day to die!!!
    I finally uploaded an avatar and Cupid is dead!!!


  14. #54
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    Quote Originally Posted by celticfish
    stmoo,
    i think you have BBA and not hair/thread algae.

    actually i got both .. BBA and Hair algae..

    check this link, about algae
    http://www.zen77408.zen.co.uk/plantedtank/algae.htm

  15. #55
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    BBA (correct me if I am wrong) is normally caused by low CO2 PPM yah.
    visit my photo albums @ flickr!

  16. #56
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    Not low... (otherwise non-CO2 tanks will have BBA all over) but stable CO2 levels

  17. #57
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    opps... didn't see your first picture clearly!

    Quote Originally Posted by stmoo
    actually i got both .. BBA and Hair algae..

    check this link, about algae
    http://www.zen77408.zen.co.uk/plantedtank/algae.htm
    celticfish
    It is a good day to die!!!
    I finally uploaded an avatar and Cupid is dead!!!


  18. #58
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    I have hair algae on my Christmas and Singapore moss too. They only seem to infect my mosses, rather like what standoyo experienced. They grow back slowly after I pluck/toothbrush them away. I think my DIY co2 is the root of the problem, can't afford/justify pressurised for my 2 nanos (10 and 7.5gal). I dose EI.
    Regards

    MIN

  19. #59
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    yup. diy co2 is always troublesome...instable level of co2 invites algae problems...try save up and invest in a presurried co2 system..it will be worth it. if not, refer to those threads where some fellow hobbyist actually managed without co2.
    i'm ADDicted to this wonderful hobby

  20. #60
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    hi,

    Got the hair algae under control got beard for awhile and now bba! Sigh! Going for LESS flow! CO2 was upped when beard algae showed but it didn't hold back the BBA. Rescaped and switched to ADA prep/dosing since it compliments the Aquasoil.
    See how it goes.


    On another note. Most of the taiwan moss i have near the light have also started to spore and turned light green[NO3 deficient i think as there are hints of BGA].

    R

    Stan
    You can if you dare to fail - Stan Chung

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