# Hair Algae! Pulling my hair!



## Veritas (Aug 9, 2013)

reduce your light cycle


----------



## zle (Jul 2, 2014)

Veritas:
moonlight shouldn't be a problem right? should I reduce the CO2 together with the light? CRS is pretty sensitive to CO2, I gas killed before.

Attempted Solution:
As suggested, I would reduce my daylight & CO2. Light starts at 3:30pm till 7:30pm. Maintaining moonlight. *can't get my eyes away from the tiny cute shrimps*

Any suggestions are welcome, cause its not an easy task to troubleshoot over forum discussion.


----------



## ChadKruger (Mar 27, 2013)

I have a post about hair algae and the tips I was given were helpful. Max the crap out of co2 and cut light period down to 6 hrs


----------



## zle (Jul 2, 2014)

ChadKruger: I hv CRS shrimps and thats the max CO2 i can push, drop checker unable to reach green with this bps. However using KH/PH my CO2 ppm is at ok level. not using PH modifier.


----------



## Rakasan (Jul 3, 2014)

High phosphates can contribute to Hair/thread algae blooms. Check the levels in your tank. I had an issue for awhile until I got SAE and Amano's in my heavy planted tank and they ate it like candy. I also changed my media and added Chemi-pure elite to soak up excess phosphates. Haven't had an issue since.

I hope this helps.


----------



## Whjdm069 (Dec 14, 2013)

I would max the co2 and cut lights as Chadkruger said. I had to do this on my girlfriends 15g. Add an sae. They don't seem to bother her neo shrimp. Don't cut the co2. She has tried this and it made it worse. You must also pick at it. She does and it helps. We just did a 3 day blackout on both tanks due to vacation and it really helped. I heard it didn't work but it did on hers. It helped with all the algae. Do your water change then no lights, ferts and co2. Good luck. We have been fighting it for months.


----------



## houseofcards (Mar 21, 2009)

With little plant mass maxing co2 will only do so much. Co2 is not an algaecide. It simply helps increase uptake. The uptake is waste. So without the plant mass you need to be very anal about water changes, using organic waste removers like carbon/purigen. Keeping food/livestock to a minimum. And cutting light if possible. Did you start the tank with all these things in place? If not it's very difficult to keep an iwagumi type setup clean of algae.


----------



## zle (Jul 2, 2014)

thank you all. i think my problems are high light, low plants, high phosphate.

current attempt: reducing light to 4hrs, lower moonlight, taking out carbon filter due to phosphate release, adding purigen.

if things not improving after 1 week, i will do a 3 days blackout.


----------

