# Hair algae bloom after tank established 11 mos



## saucynoodles (Sep 29, 2011)

I have a low tech 90 gallon tank. It has been established for 11 months with relatively few problems. I had a little algae here and there, mostly hair and green spot, but it was minimal. Plant growth was very good, but they didn't pearl (no surprise).

All of a sudden, after about 10 months, I get BGA/Cyanobacteria blooms. I decided it could be the lights, so I changed the bulbs. I also treated with Erythromycin, as in the past that is the only way I could beat the obnoxious little bugs. I pulled the filter media from the tank during treatment and fed it ammonia to keep my "good" bacteria happy.

One month later, and I have no BGA, but the hair algae is going bananas. It is taking over everything, and even growing on the glass (never had that before). My crypts are melting or have stopped growing. Anubias are stagnant, after flowering. I have two hygro varieties, one is mediocre, the other has stopped growing. Even my giant duck weed is stunted and slow growing. The only desirable thing that seems to be doing fairly well is micro chain sword. 

Any ideas what went wrong, and what I can do to fix it?

The stats:
Substrate: Eco-complete 
Lights: 108Watts T5HO, 5000K-7000K: on 6 hours, off 2, on 6
Ferts: low dose daily method (don't recall the name) of dilute Metricide-14, micro & macro; Fe twice weekly; w/c 3-4x per month
Water test readings: pH 7.2; KH 2; GH 4; no ammonia/ammonium or nitrite; nitrite 5-10
Filter: SunSun HW-304b 200g canister with ceramic rings, sponges, pond pads, and some funky plastic "hay" for bacteria colonies.

All of this is the same for the last 11 months except the actual light bulbs, changed 1 month ago. First set of bulbs came with the Odyssea light fixture, and they were sold as plant bulbs.

Fishes: low load (~40 fish inches) with tetras, cherry barbs, reticulated loach (they can't wait till I build my river tank - so excited!)
Snails: Had 20+ olive nerites first 9 mos, now down to ~15. Want more! Have some red ramshorn - want less...


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## AHP (Sep 10, 2013)

Humm... My first thought is lights but you are saying they are only on for 6hrs and that cant be enought to grow loads of hair algae. 
But just to make sure I would do a blackout for a day or two, maybe add some Oto's. 

I am at work so when I get home I will try to post a link that helps me cure algae.


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## VJM (Feb 9, 2013)

Did you get any new plants? 

Maybe the BGA was sucking up a lot of nutrients that are now available for the hair algae, and/or your plants took a beating from the BGA and aren't using all the available nutrients quite yet, so hair algae can use them?


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## shambhalove. (Jan 22, 2013)

Adding more ferts and/or decreasing the lighting has always helped me with hair algae. I'd say 12 hours of light even though its broken into 2 periods is pushing it. Maybe try one soild 8 hour period or 4on-1off-4on.


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## saucynoodles (Sep 29, 2011)

Thanks guys.

I have not added any plants, but I did go on vacation for a long week end of Sept, and I am not sure that my house-sitter was consistent about adding ferts. That may have thrown my tank off some.

For 10 months the 12 total hours (6on,2off,6on) of light was not too much - I had good plant growth and little algae. However, my new bulbs may be more efficient or something, and I may need to adjust my photo period. I want to see the tank in the morning and at night when I am home, so my tanks will probably always have an afternoon siesta. Wish I could do that.


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## saucynoodles (Sep 29, 2011)

By the way - I have seen hair algae growing on the nerites, now, too. Sheesh!!


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## Raymond S. (Dec 29, 2012)

Just my 2 cents...fish don't need light as long as there is a window in the room for indirect light. You can put the light on an 8 hr
cycle per day for the plants and start it at noon if you like but just turn on the light in the morning to view for the short time you
would like before going to work.
The vacation issue/fert inconsistancy plus what VJM said could all be involved but the long light period is an enabler to it all.
Without changing my light hrs, I changed one bulb to an actinic "just to see" and the hair algae started dieing...I cultivate 
it(T5 lights in a ten G tank) as it consumes ammonia/nitrates and I (try to) keep it at a low level. 
I also have a combo substrate that has a ingredient recommended to help algae plus I dose Leaf Zone/Tetra Pride/Excel
so I don't qualify for low tech...but the algae is what I feel I have experience/w and those are my results/w it as far as what
it takes to cultivate it so lowering what I add might work for removing it for you. It's mostly a light thing and white light
at that...plus hrs of course.


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