# Home remedy for string green algae?



## AquaNeko (Jul 26, 2009)

I've got this http://www.your-garden-ponds-center.com/images/string-algae-2.jpg all over my java moss right now. Those ramhorn snails seem to take their time to even bother eating it. I'm starving the snails now to see if that can force them to eat it then grazing the java moss.


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## Zebrapl3co (Mar 29, 2006)

Pretty much nothing eats these algae except gold fish. The only home remedy is to pluck them out yourself. If you keep doing it every day, eventually, they will just drop off.

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## Aquatic Designs (Apr 2, 2006)

There is only one product I can remember that would kill that. AZOO brush algae destroyer or whatever it was called. Haven't seen any in any store for a long time. Try Lucky's or online.


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## bae (May 11, 2007)

Personally, I kind of like that filamentous algae, as long as it doesn't get out of control. It's rather delicate and pretty, and it's great for fry tanks too.

AquaNeko, if you're having problems with algae, it's usually due to too much light and/or too much nutrients. The most effective long term solution is to grow plants -- they'll compete with the algae and crowd it out. You can kill off some algae, especially green water, by keeping the tank dark for several days, since algae can't store as much carbohydrates as higher plants do, but if the conditions stay the same, the algae will be back.

Algae is particularly stimulated by iron, so if you're adding iron in any form, stop.

New tanks are susceptible to algae outbreaks until they settle down, so if it's a new tank, you may just have to wait, but cutting back on excessive light, not fertilizing ,and adding more plants, especially fast growing ones, may help a great deal. You can reduce nutrients by not feeding as heavily, reducing bioload and more frequent water changes, assuming your water isn't already high in nutrients, as ground water is in some agricultural areas.

I highly recommend Diana Walstad's book "Ecology of the Planted Aquarium". I just got it from amazon.ca for $23. It's an excellent investment for anyone who wants a nice-looking easily maintained planted tank without a lot of high tech and expense. It's also just about the only book that explains the biology and chemistry that goes on in these microcosms, and how to work with these processes instead of against or in spite of them.


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## redclove (Feb 26, 2008)

SAE's might do it. they are hungry little buggers.


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## AquaNeko (Jul 26, 2009)

Well I've got a 20gal std that my folks found when I owned a self caught minnow before. I may go the goldfish route as that 20gal was more for a small aquaponics project I was thinking of. I may just put the j.moss which is attached to the driftwood into a cold tank and have the goldfish have a go at it. Then again I may not as I plan on having th goldfish outside when I build my pond for my aquaponics setup so I may go with a chem or more plants but I'm looking for freebies right now.

I know equipment always costs something and rare to find freebies on that but plants and livestock can always be propagated or breed for more so perhaps someone has some very fast growing plants they can spare me a clipping or two I would really appreciate it and down the road perhaps there is something I can do to return the favor.


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## AquaNeko (Jul 26, 2009)

I think I'm going to try and see if my z.danios will feed off that algae while I stave then to force them on it. I stopped feeding them on monday at 12am so I'll see if they'll graze some of it along with my ramhorn snails. 

Hey who knows..worth testing it out.


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## AquaNeko (Jul 26, 2009)

Ok, starved my z.danios for a full 7 days before. I think I saw a very small change in the algae thing. 

They're still alll swimming and coming up to me when I show up. I know they're nibbling on the greens in the tank as I've seen it. I may try for another week and try for 2 week no feed and see how they feed off the tank. 

Right now they're aggressive as hell when I drop mini mealworms into the tank.


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## redclove (Feb 26, 2008)

As far as I know Danios are not green eaters, don't push them too long..

I'd recommend a Siamese Algae eater or two depending on your tank size. They pretty much eat most algae that grow off plants. Menagerie has them, cheap, effective.


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## gucci17 (Oct 11, 2007)

Never knew Danios eat algae either.

Improvement could be from your lack of feeding lol!


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## DaFishMan (Dec 19, 2006)

"Pretty much nothing eats these algae except goldfish"

Nothing ate this when I had it in the 10g.
Endlers, red cherry shrimp, mts snails, red ramshorn snails, bn plecos, didn't touch it other then to hide in it sometimes, or graze the top looking for food sources.

I had no ferts in the tank. It used to be planted. It migrated in from a plant I did not dip. It then took of to huge proportions. 

Once established, this stuff can be a nightmare. Manual removal then 2 week blackout, then 2 hrs of light a day, the stuff still grew. Now the tank is in the rack holding a few small fish. I tossed out everything from that tank. Once those fish are re-homed into other tanks the filter is being tossed too, then the tank will be bleached. I'd like to learn more about how to get rid of that algae myself. 

What about enthromycin ?


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## bae (May 11, 2007)

DaFishMan said:


> What about enthromycin ?


Erythromycin is an antibiotic. It works on blue-green algae because bg algae are technically bacteria (cyanobacteria).


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## AquaNeko (Jul 26, 2009)

I beleive it is too high a light on time that caused the green string algae GSA). I'm not sure if the z.danios really did clear up a bit of the GSA. I just noticed it was slightly reduced. 

I did give my z.danios a full meal before fasting them for a week. Also when I normally feed them they normally consume all food given within 1 min. I feed about 1-2 times a day and all food is promptly consumed in 1 min. Seeing as my z.danios were still strong and swimming active always coming up to me and following my finger (finger lunch probably in their eyes. LOL   ) I figure they must have been holding out and also feeding off some algae in the tank. I have seen them nibble little bits before. Not often but I guess out of bordem.


RedClove,

The tank is a 10gal. Recent tank perimeters tested a few days ago out of curiosity of the tank were: KH 120, GH 120, pH 7.5 (with a history of being stable each testing), rItes 0, rAtes 0 (tho my 5 in one tester only goes up in 20 increments andI think it showed a very faint pink but I could be wrong so it's a possible 10% but not a full shade to match the 20% on the packaging code). 

Are you positive that SAE's eat this? I would not mind renting one or perhaps trading up with someone else later as I know SAE's are fiesty as they age. I'm thinking probably 1-2 months and my situation may be under control and give up the SAE.


DaFishman,

If Goldfish are the only ones that owuld eat it then I'm curious would Ros Red Minnows eat it given they are part of the cold water family and related tot he goldies? What about White Cloud Minnows? I may end up getting a cheap goldie to eat it up then rehome that guy or home him off for my aquaponics system.


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## crxmaniac (Nov 19, 2008)

ive got a very low tech low $ setup. 55 gal 3 CF 23 watt daylight bulbs, planted. I was haveing an ass of a time with that exact style of algae. I have two of my bulbs in a aquarium hood style and one in an ikea pendant both were sitting on the glass of the aquarium. I actually raised the fixtures about 6 inches higher and cut the photo period from about 9 hrs to around 8 hours. I dont dose as i dont have too much time. 
It seemed to work as i haven't had any for the past 3 weeks, i just do regular water changes every 9/10 days when it fits my schedule and skip two days of feeding them every week. I just have plain black gravel in the bottom no eco complete or anything, an eheim 2215 heater and thats about it.
I've got about 4 nerite snails, 4 oto cats, 1 african black knife 8", 9 black skirt tetras and about 7 guppies in it.
Just pick the stuff out and try reducing the intensity of your lighting.

good luck!!


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## AquaNeko (Jul 26, 2009)

crxmaniac said:


> ive got a very low tech low $ setup. 55 gal 3 CF 23 watt daylight bulbs, planted. I was haveing an ass of a time with that exact style of algae. I have two of my bulbs in a aquarium hood style and one in an ikea pendant both were sitting on the glass of the aquarium. I actually raised the fixtures about 6 inches higher and cut the photo period from about 9 hrs to around 8 hours. I dont dose as i dont have too much time.
> It seemed to work as i haven't had any for the past 3 weeks, i just do regular water changes every 9/10 days when it fits my schedule and skip two days of feeding them every week. I just have plain black gravel in the bottom no eco complete or anything, an eheim 2215 heater and thats about it.
> I've got about 4 nerite snails, 4 oto cats, 1 african black knife 8", 9 black skirt tetras and about 7 guppies in it.
> Just pick the stuff out and try reducing the intensity of your lighting.
> ...


I think I'll cut to 4-5hrs light and see how it goes. I'm usng 6500k I think 23W bulbs.

Wellthat stuff is ALL OVER THE JAVA MOSS. It's going to be a fun time plucking that out of the j.moss. given how many strands the j.moss spreads out to and being coated with this is just fun oh fun.


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## Mr Fishies (Sep 21, 2007)

Between pond people and aquarium people using different names for the same kinds of algae can make it hard to know what you have. From that pic it could possibly be Cladaphora or Stagorn or Thread...but it looks a lot like Cladaphora to me.

Remove as much as you can and for what's left, I'm pretty sure H2O2 can be used to spot treat Cladaphora as with most algaes.

I always use this site as a reference to what causes various types of algae and what might be used to combat them.

http://www.aquariumalgae.blogspot.com/


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## DaFishMan (Dec 19, 2006)

Not sure what would eat this algae, best guess is the American Flag Fish 
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=830+2855+2776&pcatid=2776

My 10 had 20w of CFL on an 8 hr. Could also have contribute to my algae.


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