What are the effective ways of getting rid of hair algae in shrimp tank

[Philosophos]

I am quite reluctant to increase the CO2 bubble rate, reason being that my KH and GH is very low, less than 1dgh. the buffer is not there, even with the 0.2bps, my Ph still drops 0.2-0.3 when the light and CO2 is turn On. If I do further increase in CO2, I worried that the high swing in the ph level will kill my shrimps.

I also need to recheck my drop checker instructon manual again, If I remember correctly, the chart says that blue is lack CO2, Green is OK while yellow (like mine) is too much....

EK

Yellow means enough in many people's cases, or too little, even with a 4dKH solution let alone DI water as in instructions. Do not use aquarium water; it defeats the entire purpose. My pH drops .6 between just before the lights turn out , and just after they turn on (6.2-6.. Yamato shrimp are doing fine in this, and my apistos spawn.

It's not the pH that stresses the fish, not over 12 hours to adapt with no changes in KH/GH or temp. pH was obsessed over in the past because it involves KH which is important and indicative of high sediment at times, which can involve having a high GH that includes magnesium if the water is from natural sources. In terms of fish biology it corresponds to acidosis, osmotic pressure and the shock of compensating for the parameters related to both.

It's really strange how ideas change about fish keeping. I started out being afraid of 20ppm of nitrates, a 2 degree temperature fluctuation and any phosphates. Now my worries include making sure the CO2 doesn't dip too low (green is too low), trying not to over-feed easy to culture fatty live foods, and my female A. hongsloi stressing its tank mates. Ideas about what matters in an aquarium really change. Look in to the stuff I'm talking about; don't trust what I have to say, but rather find out the principles behind what I talk about.

-Philosophos

[es88k]

Philosophos,

Thanks. Like I said, I need to confirm the color tonight and stuy your principles.

I did not use water from the tank, just the 4Dkh water and the test solution.

I am trying to have a CRS tank (fish wise, only otos), currently I am using Sakura to bench mark and they are much more hardy then the CRS. So, I try to follow and learn from different fourms and experienced people, then come to my own conclusion and try it out. There is no fixed rules for these ( I strongly believe, things that work for me may not work for you). But gathering more info and knowledge is also part of the fun of having this hobby.

Is just like human, when we were young, life is only one thing, that is to fill our tummy with milk. Then it comes different kind of food to eat, education, work, friends, hobby.....etc

the more we learn, the more trouble we create....hahahaha

EK

[es88k]

not to mention.....................WIFE!!!!! hahahahahaha

[es88k]

Yellow means enough in many people's cases, or too little

Oh no..... seems that my checker is different from others... but dun care, as long as it works. I will take it as light green ?

EK

[Philosophos]

Looks like we're using the same drop checker. I'd recommend trying to get your hands on a different card for reading results; any low range pH test will do, it's almost always the same reagent. The card that comes with the drop checker reads a resolution of .4, other cards read by .2 quite often. Some people just forget the card, and eyeball the relative shade after a while of using it. Either way Bromothymol Blue is the reagent being used, and rather than its color maxing out at 6.4, it actually turns its most discernable yellow at about 6.0.

I find my oto's show CO2 stress faster than my shrimp. They may not die as fast, but looking at their gills is an early clue. They breath fast and turn a little more red a while before the CO2 gets high enough to make them hang around the surface. I can't say this observation is scientifically credible; just something I've noticed.

-Philosopho

[es88k]

Philiosophos,

Thanks. noted.

I think I need to check again on the solution in the checker. Usually is greenish blue(that expains my 0.2bps) when I don't have the frogbits. I introduced the frogbits 1 week ago and it turn to this lighter color. As my priority are the shrimps in the tank, the CO2 supply is just to help the plants a little when the lights are on and the difuser looks quite nice....hehe.

But once the lights are off and the CO2 are off, If you can see on the picture of my tank, on the right side , I have a air stone which pumps in bubble 15 mins after the photosynthesis.

But for the pass 2 days, the color still remain at per what the pic shows, So I think I will need to change the solution and check again

Thanks
EK

[es88k]

Another words, I think I will only have not enough CO2 instead of over dose of CO2

[Philosophos]

If you're keeping shrimp, and can't put pump enough CO2, then what's happening differently in your aquarium compared to others who can do this? It might be worth trying to answer this question for your self, so that you can have both shrimp and nice plant growth without algae.

-Philosophos

[es88k]

still trying....learning....and testing

[Shadow]

you might want to try to take out your drop checker and leave it out site the tank for couples of hours, it should turn to blue. If not, then maybe your solution spoiled and need to be replace.

[es88k]

OK, Will check.... Thanks

[es88k]

Seems that the solution is not working....

Changed the dolution...

now is:Blue = not enough CO2, so will still stay at 0.2 for now. watch and see first before next action....

EK

[Shadow]

just remember than drop checker is not real time maybe about 3 or 4 hours lack time. it take time for the CO2 form the tank enter the dropchecker camber and react with solution inside. However it still the cheapest and reliable though may not be the most accurate (I mean it does not tell you the exact ppm)

[es88k]

12 hrs gone..... still blue.

Even with this 0.2bps, it still lower my PH value by 0.2 So I am quite sure that I will not increase the rate to create a PH swing.

EK

[Philosophos]

I now have A. Hongsloi fry living by my CO2 regulator, with daily .6pH swings. The eggs were laid 2 inches away. Do some reading on freshwater ecosystems; many places where fish live experience massive pH swings every day. It's more about osmotic pressure and alkalinity.

-Philosophos

[mordrake]

drop checker to me is just a rough guideline.
the most accurate will be looking at the reaction of your fauna to increased co2 injection rate. once start gasping for air at the surface, cut back to last level the fauna were comfortable at. do the increase slowly.

[Shadow]

once start gasping for air at the surface, cut back to last level the fauna were comfortable at.

Some hobbyist might not be happy with this method, too cruel ...

[mordrake]

Some hobbyist might not be happy with this method, too cruel ...

that's why need to do increase slowly and be around to monitor.
have airstone aeration ready to go once gasping symptoms appear.

[es88k]

Weeks gone.....

Update a little on this issue:

!) The hair algae are still there, used the stone age method (my hands) to remove the algae, but they still keep coming back, and faster.

2) Bought 5 Yamato shrimps (wow, they are big). put them is a seperate container for 3 days without feeding before I introduce them in my tank. They seems happy and they did not go to the algae, instead they chase after my shrimplets. I have already tried to net all my shrimps to a seperate breeder bag, but for sure I am not able to catch them all, yet the yamato still can find them through all the thick moss to chase them out instead of going for the algae.

3) decide to catch as much shrimplets as I can to put them in the breeder bag and let the rest fight for their own. before long, the Yamato craw around the breeder bag to disturb my CRS.... OMG!!! please do your job....Yamato !!!!

4) Another 3 days pass.....The 5 Yamato happily enjoying their new home and so are the algae, visual checks shows that the hair algae are still there as before, totally no sign of reducing.

5) 1 week later, Maybe my CRS are too stress in the breeder bag (as I only have some frogbits for them as most of the moss has the algae). They are not eating well and color has faded. The yamato are still enjoying themselves on the green moss, seawead, moss ball instead of the algae. My algae are getting darker and thicker (stronger).

6) Yesterday, I finally decided to get all the 5 Yamato out of my tank and release all my CRS and Sakura back to their home. About 12 hours later, my CRS and Sakura color return to 80%

7) Will try black out next week.....

EK

[beetroot]

Rocket (or red nose) shrimps help too, but they may eat some of your other plants too .