# Algae "problem"



## max88 (Aug 6, 2009)

What are these algae? There are at least 3 types.
1. Stringy Green
2. Brown on leaf
3. Brushy on driftwood

I made a "moss roof" by putting java moss on food grade foam floating very close to light. Java moss has good growth, the stringy green algae has even better and getting very long.

I understand that algae are result of excess nutrients. I don't mind having some as they help reduce nitrate. However the stringy green algae is starting to causing problem, as shown on picture 0328. I normally take it out, it's becoming more often.

What the remedy? reduce feeding?

The setup:
20G standard
2 x 24W HO light
AC 70
Top Fin 20
Water change every 3 weeks
10 cherry barbs
1 male betta
1 german blue ram
1 black line flying fox
8 amano shrimp
amazon sword
crypto wentii brown
java fern
java moss
hygrofila borimoza
jungle val

big al's plant supplement 5 ml, twice a week
miracle-gro shake and feed 19-6-12 (some GTAA posters have mentioned this releases ammonia increasing bio-load)

Thank you in advance.


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## coldmantis (Apr 5, 2010)

too much algae, you have two choices. you can get rid of all infected plants and do a complete tank tear down. Or Do the One-two punch algae treatment. Careful though shrimps and some sensitive plants might melt.

2 table spoons of Hydrogen Peroxide per 10 gallons. Before you do this either take out all media from your filter and keep it in a bucket with tank water or turn off your filter completely and put in a powerhead. Wait around 30 minutes to an hour and do a water change >30%. Dose 5ml of excel per 10 gallons and either place back media to filter or turn filter back on and take out powerhead. Wait one week and if your still not satisfied with the treatment repeat.

And if you want to keep the algae away going forward, I suggest you get co2.


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## pyrrolin (Jan 11, 2012)

causes are too much light, lights on too long, overfeeding, too much ferts, not enough water changes


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## max88 (Aug 6, 2009)

Thanks for the replies.



coldmantis said:


> too much algae, you have two choices. you can get rid of all infected plants and do a complete tank tear down. Or Do the One-two punch algae treatment. Careful though shrimps and some sensitive plants might melt.
> 
> 2 table spoons of Hydrogen Peroxide per 10 gallons. Before you do this either take out all media from your filter and keep it in a bucket with tank water or turn off your filter completely and put in a powerhead. Wait around 30 minutes to an hour and do a water change >30%. Dose 5ml of excel per 10 gallons and either place back media to filter or turn filter back on and take out powerhead. Wait one week and if your still not satisfied with the treatment repeat.
> 
> And if you want to keep the algae away going forward, I suggest you get co2.


This is my only tank, cannot tear down. Since H2O2 and excel may hurt shrimp, I will try the suggestion in the next post.

Already have 2 bottles of yeast CO2.



pyrrolin said:


> causes are too much light, lights on too long, overfeeding, too much ferts, not enough water changes


I will reduce lighting from 8 hours to 7 hours, reduce fert, and increase water change frequency to every two weeks.

It's odd that java fern is not doing as good as before. Its leaves don't grow as good. Some reading suggests that algae have gained upper hand in competition for nutrients.

Attached picture from 2 years ago.


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## coldmantis (Apr 5, 2010)

Already have 2 bottles of yeast CO2.

This is what's giving you black beard algae on your driftwood.


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 28, 2008)

Several problems I see with your aquarium:

You have too much lighting for your aquarium.



coldmantis said:


> Already have 2 bottles of yeast CO2.
> 
> This is what's giving you black beard algae on your driftwood.


I disagree with this statement; it requires a slight modification. While DIY CO2 will provide CO2, it might not be stable, resulting in algae. You can obtain stabler levels with routine swap outs of your DIY mixture, or with pressurized CO2.

I disagree with everything that has been said about "excess nutrients causing algae." I dose frequently in my aquariums, and I only have minimal algae. Nitrates are usually around 20 ppm, and phosphates are anywhere from 2-4 ppm.

However, your form of nutrient dosing is not very good - as you are already aware, Miracle Grow contains urea, and will break down into ammonia rather quickly (while plants can use ammonia more effectively than nitrates, it is toxic to livestock).

The trace mix (Big Al's plant supplement) that you are using is mostly water as well, so you are likely not providing enough nutrients to your plants.


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## solarz (Aug 31, 2010)

What is your nitrate level? IME, black brush algae only grows when there is a nitrate deficiency.

You said that you have a "black line flying fox". Have you considered getting a true Siamese algae eater? Mine makes short work of any bba or hair algae I put into the tank.

The brown algae looks like cyano.


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## LTPGuy (Aug 8, 2012)

I hope these two links maybe helpful for your as they are for me...

http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/algae.htm

http://www.barrreport.com/showthread.php/6166-Methods-algae-control-or-growing-plants

Essentially it comes down to CO2.

You can up your CO2 concentration, or cut down on the time that your light is ON. This is what I got from reading those threads.

Good luck.


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## bettaforu (Sep 6, 2009)

Get yourself some Amano shrimps, Nerite snails and/or Otto cats...none of these will harm other shrimps in your tank and will make very quick work of any/all algae growing.

I had the same problem when I started with CO2 and T5HO lighting...read about this on the web and bought the 3 things above.....ALL algae was gone in 7-10 days...never came back either. If you don't want to keep them afterwards you can always resell them to other Hobbyists.

I just love my Otto, he's always up one plant and down the next sucking up any algae he can find, and the Nerites are digging in the soil for anything else...Amanos are just plain  to watch.


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## max88 (Aug 6, 2009)

Last 50% water change was done 3 weeks ago.

Tested today before water change.
ammonia 0
nitrite 0
nitrate 10

50% water change after test, will perform next water change in 2 weeks. Added 2 x Flourish root tab to gravel bed at amazon sword and crypto wentii (thinking of adding other tab to jungle val). Added 4ml Big Al's plant supplement (6ml before). Added 1 grain of Miracle Gro shake and feed. Reduced lighting from 8 hours to 7 hours (thinking of removing one of two 24W T5HO bulbs).


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## max88 (Aug 6, 2009)

solarz said:


> What is your nitrate level? IME, black brush algae only grows when there is a nitrate deficiency.
> 
> You said that you have a "black line flying fox". Have you considered getting a true Siamese algae eater? Mine makes short work of any bba or hair algae I put into the tank.
> 
> The brown algae looks like cyano.


Nitrate is 10. Is Siamese algae eater compatible with the live stocks? Am I pushing the limit stock wise?


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## max88 (Aug 6, 2009)

LTPGuy said:


> I hope these two links maybe helpful for your as they are for me...
> 
> http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/algae.htm
> 
> ...


I will try. Thanks.


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## max88 (Aug 6, 2009)

bettaforu said:


> Get yourself some Amano shrimps, Nerite snails and/or Otto cats...none of these will harm other shrimps in your tank and will make very quick work of any/all algae growing.
> 
> I had the same problem when I started with CO2 and T5HO lighting...read about this on the web and bought the 3 things above.....ALL algae was gone in 7-10 days...never came back either. If you don't want to keep them afterwards you can always resell them to other Hobbyists.
> 
> I just love my Otto, he's always up one plant and down the next sucking up any algae he can find, and the Nerites are digging in the soil for anything else...Amanos are just plain  to watch.


Already have 8 amano shrimps.  Not sure if I want nerite sanails just to battle algae. I had otto cats before (4 of them) however they did not last long (maybe lacking proper care on my part).


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## max88 (Aug 6, 2009)

Darkblade48 said:


> Several problems I see with your aquarium:
> 
> You have too much lighting for your aquarium.
> 
> ...


I have read your comment on urea breaking down into ammonia before. My understanding, which could be incomplete or simply wrong, is that the additional ammonia is converted into nitrite and nitrate in a cycled tank, not harming live stock. But if the bread down from urea to ammonia is rather quick, there can be ammonia spike that can harm live stock. Point taken, thanks.


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## max88 (Aug 6, 2009)

Full tank on 2011.10.02.









Full tank today 2013.03.29.
Bigger moss balls, decrease in java fern.









Moss roof 2013.03.29.


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## Bayinaung (Feb 24, 2012)

Anyway you can reduce the intensity of the lighting? Take off one bulb, or put it on a dimmer? 

Also, from my experience snails are more effective algae cleaners than fish. I once had snails in a tank. Never really had to scrape off algae from the tank glass as it was clean enough for the most part. then took them out and put in algae eaters in its place. Within a couple of weeks the algae on the glass panes got thicker. So now I have to clean the glass panes regularly lol. Snails are better cleaning maids.


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## max88 (Aug 6, 2009)

Bayinaung said:


> Anyway you can reduce the intensity of the lighting? Take off one bulb, or put it on a dimmer?
> 
> Also, from my experience snails are more effective algae cleaners than fish. I once had snails in a tank. Never really had to scrape off algae from the tank glass as it was clean enough for the most part. then took them out and put in algae eaters in its place. Within a couple of weeks the algae on the glass panes got thicker. So now I have to clean the glass panes regularly lol. Snails are better cleaning maids.


Yes, I just removed one bulb from fixture. Now lighting is one bulb at 24W, noticeably dimmer than two. Hope this is the magic factor at reducing algae.

Not sure if I want snails, but thanks for the suggestion.


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