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View Poll Results: What algae can't you get rid of?

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  • BBA (Black brush/beard algae)

    171 38.69%
  • BGA (Blue-green Algae)

    50 11.31%
  • GSA (Green spot algae)

    85 19.23%
  • Green Water

    21 4.75%
  • Staghorn Algae

    35 7.92%
  • Thread/Hair Algae

    153 34.62%
  • Brown/Diatoms

    33 7.47%
  • Green dust algae

    23 5.20%
  • Other algae from hell!!! (Pls specify)

    4 0.90%
  • Algae? What's that? (No algae whatsoever in my tank)

    9 2.04%
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Thread: What algae can't you get rid of?

  1. #41
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  2. #42
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    I only have hair algae that comes from plants that were given to me.. well, I learnt to live with it and it can be quite beautiful in its own way.. just keep it under control by pulling out what I don't like to see while leaving those that seems to grow at the right place..

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    Cladophora- my best friend. Oh why won't you leave me despite me hating you so?
    You can if you dare to fail - Stan Chung

  4. #44
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    Quote Originally Posted by standoyo
    Hi nutrients don't cause algae? Another incredible piece of news to me when I heard it more than a year ago.
    IMHO that's like saying flaunting your jewelry won't get you mugged.
    A more honest statement would be 'Hi nutrients don't cause algae BUT there would be a higher chance of getting a lot of it real fast!'
    Do you mean you still get high amounts of algae when using EI method to dosing? When I started planted tanks, I was plagued by so much algae it was frustrating. I was not really dosing much then. But ever since I read about EI and decided to try it, especially after a rescaping the whole tank (restarting with minimal algae), I never had any algae problems that cannot be removed/killed within 2 to 3 minutes of excel spot treatment or physical removal every week. BTW, my tank is a 2x1x1ft tank under 55W PL lighting and I do a 50% water change every 2 weeks. I am also using an internal reactor which means there is minimal CO2 mist effect. Yet, BBA is the least of my worries. IMO, low nutrients will have a higher chance to cause algae than high nutrients as low nutrients will mean that there is a higher chance that one or more nutrients is insufficient in the water column, which is the widely agreed common cause of any sort of algae.

    Quote Originally Posted by standoyo
    I'd like to believe the plants outcompete algae in some ways like blocking light otherwise there's really no sense in all these so called mantra that's filling forums especially when experience tells otherwise.
    Don't really think so as almost every time when algae grows, they grow on top of the leaves of plants and in the most brightly lit areas. If I am not wrong, one of the main food for algae is NH3. And plants outcompete algae by absorbing any NH3 missed by our biological fitration before algae does. When there is a certain nutrient deficiency, the plants' ability to take in NH3 is inhibited, thus giving a chance for algae to feed on the NH3 and grow.

    I am not trying to go against you, but just sharing that I have experiences that are contary to those you have expressed. Perhaps bad feng shui is causing your algae problems?

    I do agree that neglect and lack of water change is a big invitation for algae to come visit. Claudophora is also my most feared algae as it is very hard to remove. I learnt a painful lesson once when it infected half my HC lawn and I had to remove the whole portion of the infected lawn to stop the infection. IMO, proper water conditions cannot totally stop algae growth. Algae can be spotted even in aquascapes maintained by professionals under close scrutiny. But proper water conditions can slow down algae growth to a point where it is managable with minimal efforts of removal.

    What I do is, whenever I am viewing my tank, I take some time to scrutinise it for any algae that is threatening to spread. Then of course when I spot them I will remove them. Algae like plants, have their masses grow exponentially. So by removing them when there is only a little of them, coupled with proper water conditions and adequate plant masses, their rate of growth is actually very very slow.

  5. #45
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    Quote Originally Posted by KeIgO86 View Post
    Do you mean you still get high amounts of algae when using EI method to dosing? When I started planted tanks, I was plagued by so much algae it was frustrating. I was not really dosing much then. But ever since I read about EI and decided to try it, especially after a rescaping the whole tank (restarting with minimal algae), I never had any algae problems that cannot be removed/killed within 2 to 3 minutes of excel spot treatment or physical removal every week. BTW, my tank is a 2x1x1ft tank under 55W PL lighting and I do a 50% water change every 2 weeks. I am also using an internal reactor which means there is minimal CO2 mist effect. Yet, BBA is the least of my worries. IMO, low nutrients will have a higher chance to cause algae than high nutrients as low nutrients will mean that there is a higher chance that one or more nutrients is insufficient in the water column, which is the widely agreed common cause of any sort of algae.
    I never get outbreaks [except some dark green cottony algae that I don't think is clado, and the last time was in jan 2006 when i was away and co2 ran out]
    Why, each time I raise the nutrient level, the whole tank feels like it's about to explode with GSA and the above mentioned algae.
    IMHO EI is for people who don't have algae. Lol!

    BBA is a minor nuisance to me. It only happens on things that are slow or inanimate near the light and especially on wood that is rotting. It's pretty harmless as its very very slow. It happens when I overload the tank with fish-discus.
    poop=algae and you are right.
    Once a week WC won't cut it with 10 discus in my 120G tank.


    I am not trying to go against you, but just sharing that I have experiences that are contary to those you have expressed. Perhaps bad feng shui is causing your algae problems?
    Not at all, it's me me that's going against all this hi nutrient and hi CO2 mantra! lol.
    I think what you're getting is what I'm getting as well and it's minimal-Except that this cotton stuff is pretty fast. Once introduced in your tank it's very hard to rid off. So happens I have it and it really bugs me because my precious mosses are infected. [fissidens, flame etc]

    The difference I think is just this one type of algae that is hard to kill/remove as it gets tangled in mosses and fern roots. It loves hi nutrients and high CO2. [yes I repeated it for measure] and it doesn't go away on it's own. It has to be removed/killed.
    Last edited by StanChung; 31st Jan 2007 at 04:28. Reason: noticed foot in mouth!
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  6. #46
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    hi all, read this thread and hope anyone here can help out.

    1) what is Green water? is it the water inside your tank that looks green cos mine looks abit yellowish....even after every WC, it will turn back yellowish after a few hours. Or isit bcos of the base fert that i'm using that leak out the color?

    2) noticed some fuzz algae appearing after dosing 10ml of Brighty K yesterday, today the condition seem worse...isit due to overdosage?

    mine is a 90 x 45 x 45 tank, Co2 2bps, temp 24 degrees, ph 6.7, kh ?? and 204w lighting for 10hrs.
    Last edited by ronald_t80; 1st Mar 2007 at 23:56. Reason: add on
    Aquascaping = Physics + Chemistry + Art.

  7. #47
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    Hi Ronald,

    It doesn't sound like green water you're having. Yellowing, could be due to your driftwood leaching tannins. Is this the same setup you posted in aquascaping thread?

    Try reducing your lighting to 150W and 7hours photo period. Your plants if it's the one mentioned don't really need so much light. Tennelus and E quadricostatus?

    Exposed wood tend to get some algae, some manual maintenance is necessary periodically.
    As far as i know Brighty K is a 'K' supplement. Should not promote algae.
    You can if you dare to fail - Stan Chung

  8. #48
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    morning Stan,

    Glad its you that reply... yeah its the same setup i post a few weeks ago. I also suspect its the DW initially but doubt it so cos its been with me since the previous setup liao.

    For the plants at the foreground and midground its E tennelus and E quadricostatus. the reason why i add so much lighting cos i read from some threads that there must have enough light to reach the bottom so that both e plants can grow/spread well. BUT will reduce it to the amount you mentioned

    For the fuzz algae i hope using toothbrush can remove them on the DW, but how about those on the leaves? add in oto can help?

    THanks for ur help
    Aquascaping = Physics + Chemistry + Art.

  9. #49
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    Hi Ronald,
    Otos only eat brown algae well, for fuzz you need juvenile SAE. You can afford to keep 2-3 since you haven't' got any mosses.
    However since tennelus grow so fast, I'd just trim it.


    The wood I think would be a problem for a long time. I suggest to use a small pack of carbon for a month to absorb this yellow colour for long term or... take out driftwood to boil.
    Last edited by StanChung; 2nd Mar 2007 at 10:09. Reason: grammar
    You can if you dare to fail - Stan Chung

  10. #50
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    Stan bro,

    thanks for all the advise...will add another SAE later. hopefully the fuzz algae problem will be solve asap. thanks again
    Aquascaping = Physics + Chemistry + Art.

  11. #51
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    You're welcome. Post updates...
    You can if you dare to fail - Stan Chung

  12. #52
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    Solved!!

    Quote Originally Posted by ronald_t80 View Post
    Stan bro,

    thanks for all the advise...will add another SAE later. hopefully the fuzz algae problem will be solve asap. thanks again
    No more fuzz algae.....thanks all for helps!
    Aquascaping = Physics + Chemistry + Art.

  13. #53
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    Good job! Saw your updates. Nice work on the tank.
    You can if you dare to fail - Stan Chung

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    A late query. I have seen pictures of hair algae and they are always long stringy things. One pic, possibly in AQ, shows it tangled onto a toothbrush.

    Question. What does it look like when it starts? I saw short hairs, about 1 cm long, on my vallis (tape grass). Having read of the drastic measures required following an infestation of hair algae, I removed the plant immediately. Was it hair algae? If not, what could it be? What remedy?

  15. #55
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    It would help if you have a pic. There's thread algae, hair algae and fuzz algae. The differences are SAE will effectively eat all except hair algae.[the one you saw stuck to a toothbrush]
    You can if you dare to fail - Stan Chung

  16. #56
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    How about otos? Will they eat algae on plants or just on the glass? Concerned that SAE will trash my plants, especially the moss I am trying to grow.

    Will try a photo.

  17. #57
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    Can't help it about moss eating SAE. Keep one or two only then.
    Otos will only eat brown algae but they help clean the leaves and reduce other types of algae.
    You can if you dare to fail - Stan Chung

  18. #58
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    read something about 10k lights will not promote algae growth as much as 6.5k temperature lights. why is that so? anyone can help explain?

  19. #59
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    Quote Originally Posted by ah fat View Post
    read something about 10k lights will not promote algae growth as much as 6.5k temperature lights. why is that so? anyone can help explain?
    It's a myth....not true at all. NH4/Poor CO2, nutrients or combo are the likely issues.

    Regards,
    Peter Gwee
    Plant Physiology by Taiz and Zeiger

  20. #60
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    Poor plant growth due to poor plantkeeping issues as said by Peter and to add long term issues like not servicing filter regularly[2 months].
    You can if you dare to fail - Stan Chung

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