Hair Algae problem

[cocosami]

Can anyone tell me how can I get rid of hair algae beside throwing away the plant?

[geoffrey]

Cocosami,

You have to let us know more information before we can provide assistance. Like, are your fertilising, what is your CO2 like, lightings and it's photoperiod and etc. It's usually an imbalance of one or the other.

Addressing one of these will usually make plants healthier. And basically, by making your plants healthier we make dealing with algae easier.

You can scroll up and there is a questionaire for this purpose. Fill it up to the best of your knowledge and cut/paste it here and we shall get on from there.

Go quickly, do it now, we will be waiting :P

[cocosami]

Tank Dimensions (LxWxH): 36' x 18' x20'
Lighting Intensity(No of Watts) : (2x4w + 20w
Type of Lighting (FL/PL/MH) : 96w PL+20WFL
No. of Hours your light is on: 10hrs
CO2 Injection Rate (bps) :3 bps
Type of CO2 (DIY/Liquid/Tank) :Tank
Method of Injection (e.g. Diffusor/Reactor)iffusor
Substrate Used : something from German(soil form)
How Thick is your base fert :1'
How thick is your gravel :3'
Liquid Fertilizers Used : OTTO
Frequency of fertilization : 4day
Tank Temperature : 21-24c (air-cond room & fan)
Type of Filter (overhead/internal/canister) : Internal
Filter media used : wools,ceramic ring,black plastic balls,sprong
How long has your tank been set up : 2 mth 3 weeks

[geoffrey]

Cocosami,

Are your plants growing? Given your substrate at ~4 thick and a tank height of 20, do you have to trim your stem plants fortnightly. If not, do take a look at your CO2 first. 3bps can't tell how much there is in the water. A pH and KH reading will. Typically stick with 20~30ppm of CO2.

If that's where your CO2, you may want to add some NO3 and K. I do not use OTTO but I think it lacks macro nutrients. Alternatively, you may want to feed your fishes generously but I still think you should add some K.

Do your correction after water change and remove as much as you can those pesky algae. That is, cut and throw those affected. Fiddle with one variable at one time and keep a note. In the mean time while you wait for things to improve, get some Ebi or SAE or herbivorous fishes to help slow the growth of the algae before your next water change and maintenance.

There is this SAE wannabe who impersonates it so well that it fools some of us, me included. So, be careful otherwise it will be helping itself with your fish-food instead of clearing algae.

Lastly, don't let the algae get into you. Learn to live with it while you deal with them otherwise you will be giving them the pleasure to make your life miserable :P

[cocosami]

Sorry, again can you help me by telling me what is and can NO3 and K do to the tank? And I am very afraid to change the water in my tank cos every time I do that the shrimps in the tank will pass out, than i have buy them again. Yes my plant are growing very fast, I do have to trim them often so what is wrong with that. Isn't that a good sign for heathly growing? what shall I do?

[PeterGwee]

Its not the water change I can tell you that is causing shrimp deaths but pH shock (water change causing large shifts in pH instantly). With almost no buffer for the acid (CO2 in this case), your pH is likely to swing wildly and that is detrimental to the health of the critters in the tank. Read up on the pH/KH/CO2 stuff in the FAQ section before working on the CO2. Stop the injection at the moment, lower the light to about 1.5w/g and aerate the tank till you have an idea of how to do the CO2 properly. Only after you have the CO2 out of mind, you can then work on the nutrients. Nothing gets used up that fast if the CO2 is limited.

Regards
Peter Gwee

[geoffrey]

Yup, Peter is right. Water change has nothing to do with your shrimps death.

N(from NO3) and K are nutrients needed by plants. It was previously thought that NO3 causes algae but not anymore. Together with P, NPK makes plants grow. Like Peter said, read up first before attempting.