Matted Hair Algae?

[Justikanz]

Anyone knows what this matted hair algae actually is?







Any common name? Cannot seem to get rid of the algae!... They have been growing all over my pelia (heart pain... ) and moss... Soon, I will have a matted hair algae lawn!...

Maybe I should just grow the algae lawn...

[valice]

Can you do a manual focus instead of automatic focus to get a strain of the algae in focus? Easier to identify... Seems like staghorn to me...

[PeterGwee]

Cladophora...lean trace dosing seem to induce them.

Regards
Peter Gwee

[Justikanz]

Cladophora... Could they had been introduced by association with the algae ball? The feel of this algae is indeed similar to that algae ball... And they don't really stick to the plants and they matt really well...

Peter, so you suggest a heavy and constant trace dosage to control them? What exactly are the trace elements needed?

Vincent, will try with the macro lens later...

[wasabi8888]

I actually have the same problem as well with my hairgrass...

What are the trace elements needed? i dose with all denn ferts from A1 to V30.. i thought it's pretty covered.

[PeterGwee]

Cladophora... Could they had been introduced by association with the algae ball? The feel of this algae is indeed similar to that algae ball... And they don't really stick to the plants and they matt really well...

Peter, so you suggest a heavy and constant trace dosage to control them? What exactly are the trace elements needed?

Vincent, will try with the macro lens later...

You cannot control it, you have to remove it good and quick since it grows well in a CO2 rich and nutrient rich environment. All you need is non-limiting conditions for plants to grow well so you do not induce it again.

Take the pelia out and pick out only the clean pieces to be return to the tank. Clean this algae good since it grows pretty fast!

Regards
Peter Gwee

[Justikanz]

I see... Yes, they grow amazingly fast and well... I will try to remove all the pelia and some of the mosses they are interwinded with...

Non-limiting conditions... You mean to say, that increasing the trace elements, the growth of the plants will be better and thus better to out-compete the algae for whatever that the algae is using for growth? What kind of trace elements? And would I still need to continue with the phosphates?

[PeterGwee]

I see... Yes, they grow amazingly fast and well... I will try to remove all the pelia and some of the mosses they are interwinded with...

Non-limiting conditions... You mean to say, that increasing the trace elements, the growth of the plants will be better and thus better to out-compete the algae for whatever that the algae is using for growth? What kind of trace elements? And would I still need to continue with the phosphates?

You need to tell me what your tank parameters are and what exactly you are dosing and how often. Is there enough current in the tank to move the CO2 rich water to all the parts of the tank?

Regards
Peter Gwee

[valice]

Non-limiting conditions... You mean to say, that increasing the trace elements, the growth of the plants will be better and thus better to out-compete the algae for whatever that the algae is using for growth? What kind of trace elements? And would I still need to continue with the phosphates?

you need everything... Nitrate, phospate and what ever trace element...
you only dosing phosphate now? Don't let nitrate bottom out, else you get BGA... More problems...

[Justikanz]

The tank is 2ft x 18in x 18in and lit by 2 x 24W T5HO tubes. So far, sadly, my dosing had been pretty limited... I am a little lazy and seeing no other algae problems (besides this one) and good plant growth, I just increased the CO2 to about 6bps and dose about 1 tablespoon of phosphates about once a month...

Another thing is I am still using EDEN501 for this tank and so, the flow is not good. Intending to change to Ehiem 2213 + internal reactor for better CO2 mixing and flow...

[PeterGwee]

Maybe a low light non-CO2 type of tank is more suitable for a person like you. Seriously, dosing is just like feeding fish and not even that often as compared. 6bps is simply insane if you ask me unless you are gassing it off rapidly with lots of surface agitation. CO2 is not going to be useful since uptake will slow down or stop eventually if one or more of the nutrients for the plants run out.

Regards
Peter Gwee

[Justikanz]

I expect a worse scolding...

Well, I don't know... I like the plants' looks and growth when I go CO2 and T5... The CO2 has to be 6bps due to the long tubing and the use of the diffusor... Else, nothing comes out of the diffusor...

I will perhaps place the fertilizers together with the fish food (actually, I feed only like once in a day or 2 now)... And perform water changes... Have to be more hardworking!...

[blackBRUSHalgae]

I expect a worse scolding...

Well, I don't know... I like the plants' looks and growth when I go CO2 and T5... The CO2 has to be 6bps due to the long tubing and the use of the diffusor... Else, nothing comes out of the diffusor...

Either the diffussor is clogged or somewhere along the line is choked. There is no such aquarium CO2 diffusor that won't release air untill such high output.

[Justikanz]

My airline is between 3-5 metres, that's why...