Hi All,

I'm new to the forum, but was wondering if anyone could offer suggestions on how to combat 'hairy' growth on the glass and plants of a tank. We run a bio filter 190L Aqua-One tank with three goldfish, a bristlenose pair, two snails and two albino cats. The tank stays at the lower end of tropical heat and has no problems ph wise, with all the plants and fish super healthy.

Problem is that there is an abundance of green 'hairy' growth on the leaves of the plants and it also grows on the glass, despite cleaning with a magnetic cleaner and the best efforts of the snails and catfish. Not sure what it is, but looks like some kind of algae. Doesn't attach to the gravel or the driftwood.

Any ideas? Am not keen to put too much algaecide in the tank as it is a natural little ecosystem, so would prefer to combat organically if possible. If not, am open to suggestions.

S

I WAS TOLD WHEN I GOT MY 55 GAL SET UP THAT SOMETIMES THE ALGIE EATTER
CAN'T EAT ALL THE ALGIE THAT GROW AND THAY U CAN GET LIKE DROPS YOU ADD TO YOUR WATER AND WILL KILL THE ALGIE AND KEEP IT UNDER CONTROL. AND U JUST ADD IT WHENEVER YOU HAVE A BAD PROBLEM NOW i AM NOT SURE IF U CAN USE IT WITH PLANTS . i HAVE FAKE PLANTS IN MINE. SO....BUT I SUGJEST READ THE BOTTLE AND FIND THE BEST ALGIE RIDX STUFF THATS RIGHT FOR YOUR TANK!!!!

G'day SJF, and
I believe your algae is hair algae.
Can u identify it in this link : http://www.plantgeek.net/article_viewer.php?id=9

i dont know if its my place to say, sorry mods of it isnt.. but BurriedAlive55, could you not type in all capitals as it is hard to read and is considered shouting.

Squirt some Nair in the tank!

(Just kidding, don't do that you'll probably kill your fish)

Hmm I've heard that using chemicals to kill algea isn't recomended. I don't know much about this tho...How long do you leave lights on, and how many watts do you have per gallon?

There are a couple main reasons:
- it will kill the other plants in the tank if there are any
- it will kill or invertebrates in the tank (I would not use it in an amphibian tank either although it's not been tested)

Chemicals are a short term, somewhat pointless fix for ongoing algae growth...they don't solve the problem that is causing the algae to begin with and they just make a lot of dead algae. Algae eating fish are a much sounder solution, and if there is an excess phosphate or whatever problem causing the algae then nipping the source problem in the bud is a lot healthier for the tank than a chemical dose. Given that the stuff hits inverts so hard, I have to wonder how good it really is for fish to be exposed to it.

I have heard and read that Koi Clay (calcium bentonite) can remove hair algae. I have not tried it to get rid of this algae because I haven't had - but I add koi clay to my tank! So, maybe I am not getting it for a reason! Perhaps you try koi clay.

BTW - is this algae flat and fuzzy covering flat surfaces (you mentioned the sides of the tank) or is it long and stringy, like long strands of hair rooted to something with the ends trailing in the tank current?

If it is the former, that is the good stuff! It is a sign that your tank is healthy (the brown stuff is less desirable and will eventually be replaced by the green stuff if tank conditions remain good). You shoulf leave some of it but if it is too much, snails or an algae eater (be sure to get one that is the right sizee for your tank and is compatible with goldfish), or scraping the sides of the tank - but not all of them, maybe just the front one. If the tank is in direct sunlight it may cause this algae to grow copiously. Is the tank near a sunny window?

Hi All,

Many thanks for your helpful responses!

The link that d golem provided was great - I think it's fuzz algae that we're dealing with, although some of the stringier plants are also showing brush algae symptoms.

The point kissy made about the light is also a good one - we have a fluro and uv light that is on most of the day (10 hours) and, while it does make the plants happy, I'm guessing that's as good as having the tank sit in direct sunlight! Will try reduced hours and see if that makes a difference. Just need to find the right balance I guess.

Also, despite the best attempts by our bristlenose pair to raise their perpetual fry, none make it past the goldfish and we might try getting a couple more for the tank to help with the algae reduction.

From Graham's description it looks like it is the 'good' algae, so as suggested, I am holding off on trying any chemical treatment for now. Just makes the tank look a bit icky, so hopefully the other solutions will help to balance the level of growth.

Thanks again guys! Love your work

S

ETA - That sounded a bit callous! We do try to save the bristlenose fry, they just nest in the worst places to try and get to I guess to protect the eggs and then the little ones get out into the open tank before we can rescue most of them!