how to get rid of the algae on the plants?

**wllm33** · 16th Dec 2008, 00:17

i have an overgrowth of algae on the leaves of my downoi and gujing.
somehow i just forgot and let it get out of control.

now i am desperately getting them cleaned up , by reducing the light from 55w to 36w, and cutting down to 7 hours of exposure. The temp is abt 20-22 degrees, and i also have stop dosing with fert and lowering the co2 bubbles to 1ps. hope this doesn't kill off my plants over the algae.

also got a whole gang of cleaners, which include sakura, oto, bristlenose young and neriet snails to clean them up, but they only able to tackle the algae on the glass panes.

can anyone help to suggest any other options to get them off my plants before they kill them off?

thanks a lot.

**Shadow** · 16th Dec 2008, 00:25

what kind of algae is that? have a photo? cutting fert and CO2 may have the opposite effect. Your plant will be outcompete by algae.

**newtank** · 17th Dec 2008, 09:38

basically your plants need to be strong to out fight the algae, by starving them, you are making them hungry and weak.

maybe you could tell us your fert regime and tank specs. the thing with algae is that if the nutrient too little, plants will not grow strong enough to fight the algae, or if the fert is too much and your plant is too slow growing to take up all the nutrient, the remaining nutrients will become a buffet for the algae....

**yan** · 20th Dec 2008, 07:10

consider algae eater critters. algae is not always bad. alittle is gd, shows there's balance of lighting, nutrience and co2. too much is also no good(ugly tank)

.
Algae free tank?? possible to achieve.