# Best way to deal with hair algae?



## Characins

I have hair algae on my vals, my sword, my wisteria, my driftwood, my filter....everywhere!

My tank has some rasboras, rams, livebearers, livebearer fry, cories and otos.

What is the best way to get rid of this hair algae?


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## bigstick120

Get your nutrients balanced. 

How about some info on the tank, size, light, CO2, ect


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## @[email protected]

i have found an association with hair algae and high iron. im not sure if it was just a coincidence though. 

add SAE, hair algae is their favorite food.


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## proud2bcanadian

CO2 should help to get rid of some of the hair algae. The main cause of it is high nitrates. Test them, and keep up with water changes. I had hair algae in my tank for months and months, and I just kept up with regular water changes and after a while, it started to go away.
In terms of fish, true SAE's will help some, Rosy Barbs will help, and so will American Flag Fish. I'd probably try the SAE's out first. Make sure to get the true Siamese Algae Eaters. They have a silver body, with a black line going through it. The true ones will have that black line extend right thru their tail, whereas the fake ones will have it stop before it.
Also, be careful when adding fish and plants to your tank, as the algae can also transfer in the water from the bag or on the plants. Don't choose plants from LFS' tanks that have signs of hair algae and be sure not to add water from the bag into your tank, regardless of if there is any hair algae in the LFS' tank or not.


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## Characins

It is a small 10g tank, and I have no CO2 injection.

My nitrates go between 10-20ppm depending on the time of week.
I do 35% water changes twice weekly.

The lighting is two 5100K 13 watt bulbs, for a total 2.6 wpg.

I used to dose with flourish but I stopped a month ago and now Flourish Tabs are my only source of fert.

I've heard ghost shrimp can eat hair algae. Is this true?

Oh, and the tank also has some livebearer fry scattered through the tank.


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## Blue Ridge Reef

Flourish Excel and a 3 day blackout will get rid of it. Tom Barr had a great thread about it: http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/algae/58009-changing-dosing-defeat-thread-algae-opinions.html


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## bigstick120

So you dont really dose anything then? No PO4 or K? That is your problem. Excel and a blackout may help for the time being, but if you dont correct the cause it will return


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## Characins

bigstick120 said:


> So you dont really dose anything then? No PO4 or K? That is your problem. Excel and a blackout may help for the time being, but if you dont correct the cause it will return


How is that my problem? I thought that those things caused hair algae?

Can you explain?

And what exactly would I have to do for the "Full Excel Treatment"


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## Darkblade48

Characins said:


> How is that my problem? I thought that those things caused hair algae?
> 
> Can you explain?


It's a common misunderstanding that nitrates and phosphates cause algae; they do not. It is the imbalance of nutrients such as nitrate and phosphates which leads to algae. I believe Tom Barr has shown that phosphate levels as high as 3-4 ppm do not lead to algae, as long as the other nutrients are present.


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## @[email protected]

Darkblade48 said:


> It's a common misunderstanding that nitrates and phosphates cause algae; they do not. It is the imbalance of nutrients such as nitrate and phosphates which leads to algae. I believe Tom Barr has shown that phosphate levels as high as 3-4 ppm do not lead to algae, as long as the other nutrients are present.


yep, my tanks are proof of that. my tap has high phosphates but with my bioload the plants have all the nitrogen they need and i does pottasium. getting the nutrients to balance is trial and error for me though, so i cant help much with that.




Characins said:


> It is a small 10g tankquote]
> 
> not to be mean or annoying, but how can it be a small 10gal? 10 gallons is 10 gallons. sorry, couldnt help pointing that out.


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## Characins

@[email protected] said:


> not to be mean or annoying, but how can it be a small 10gal? 10 gallons is 10 gallons. sorry, couldnt help pointing that out.


Compared to other tanks, 10g's are small. Just like they have small people and small houses and small cars and small fish. And speaking of small, I couldn't help but see your sig. You have a pair of clowns in a 6g? Not to be rude or anything but a clown pair should have at least triple that.

I sort of see what you are saying with the balancing. What kind of balance should I be aiming for?


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## @[email protected]

hah, lol! my dad takes care of it and i just help out rarely, it had 1 clown, but then i came home one day and i saw another. its not good for the reef, but the clowns are doing just fine. actually the one we got initially has shown great improvement since we got her a mate (the first one seems to be the dominant but it could still change). and the conditions are temporary, by december we plan to get a 20 gallons or more tank for them. 

i cant really give you the ppms one should be according to the other. like i said for me it was trial and error, for others it was EI (though if you ask me its not much better then guessing).


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## Gar

Best way: Get a SAE! 

I love mine :3


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## @[email protected]

yeah, me too; but a 10 gallon is too small unless they are to be transfered to a bigger tank in a few monthes (their growth is heavily affected by the food availability so they grow fastest in tank with algae blooms).


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## bigstick120

SAE grow far to large for a 10 gallon.


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## Characins

bigstick120 said:


> SAE grow far to large for a 10 gallon.


Just how big do they grow? I've heard of them topping off at just 4".


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## mistergreen

4-5 inches... That is big for a 10G.
They're also built for swimming really fast in rivers and a 10G is like a puddle.


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## Characins

mistergreen said:


> 4-5 inches... That is big for a 10G.
> They're also built for swimming really fast in rivers and a 10G is like a puddle.


 
So I see......hmmmmm


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## @[email protected]

yeah, mine are around 4.3 or so. like i said you can keep them in there while they are young and small (thats when they eat algae the most anyway), so long as you have a bigger tank to transfer them too.

they can swim pretty fast (just wait until you try to catch him in that 10 gallon to transfer him) but they rarely do. IMO they are pretty lazy.


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## Characins

OK!

Update and new question.

Yesterday I realised that a good portion of my algae is on my small piece of driftwood, and on my one plastic (sorry) plant.

So I came up with the great idea of just throwing them both in boiling water.

This killed the algae...or I assume it did because it changed to a light green color. But the algae is still visible....just dead.

So now what? Will my otos and platies eat the dead algae away, or do I have to scrub it off.

And do you think boiling a platic plant may have released some toxins? Because it sure took away a lot of color from it.


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## waterfaller1

Blue Ridge Reef said:


> Flourish Excel and a 3 day blackout will get rid of it.


Do you use the excel _during_ the blackout?


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## ZooTycoonMaster

Remove the dead algae and toss it.

I read that Amano Shrimp will eat hair algae...try finding some of those:thumbsup:


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## @[email protected]

the algae should rot pretty fast if its dead, it should also be easy to get off too though. um you arent really supposed to expose plastic to that high temps, they can melt and stuff. i suggest you just throw it out and get a live version of the same plant.


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## Characins

@[email protected] said:


> the algae should rot pretty fast if its dead, it should also be easy to get off too though. um you arent really supposed to expose plastic to that high temps, they can melt and stuff. i suggest you just throw it out and get a live version of the same plant.


I'm thinking of getting some cabomba to replace it.

Would this do fine in my 2.6wpg?


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## @[email protected]

it might, it does ok in 3wpg, so try it (its a pretty cheap plant).


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## flanders

IMO 5100K is not a great wavelength for plants. I've seen better results with 6700K-10000K. 2.6 Watts/gal is quite a bit of light without CO2. Reduce photoperiod/intensity may help. Liquid ferts should be used and affordable for a 10 gal, unless you stick with heavy root feeders.


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## Darkblade48

flanders said:


> IMO 5100K is not a great wavelength for plants. I've seen better results with 6700K-10000K. 2.6 Watts/gal is quite a bit of light without CO2. Reduce photoperiod/intensity may help. Liquid ferts should be used and affordable for a 10 gal, unless you stick with heavy root feeders.


Reviving a 7 year old thread! Move along now, nothing to see here


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## flanders

Ha. Yea, totally wasn't paying attention.


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