# Beginning to see algae



## Beccanne (May 4, 2018)

I have a 30 gallon that was set up Saturday 5/5 and it has a good bit of plants in it.


Last night I noticed some floating strands of green.. I'm guessing this is the "hair algae" I've heard about. I was able to take the net and remove those pieces I saw floating around. Also, my anubias has some sort of brown "slimy" stuff on it, it seems to come off if I rub the leaves and it almost looks like a powdery residue when I brush it off the leaves. Is this also some type of algae? 


Should I get some small algae eaters to put in there even though it isn't cycled? I want to prevent a rampant algae problem if possible, obviously.


Thanks in advance.


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## mgeorges (Feb 1, 2017)

No, no fish until you're cycled. You could add some snails, but I'd just start with a light reduction. Dunno how long you're currently running, but 5-6 is plenty on a new tank. Up water changes as well, especially since you've posted about a plant that is melting. More organics in the water = more algae. You could also start dosing Excel if you aren't already.

It sounds like you may have diatoms on the anubias, that's not really concerning. Hair algae you want to get checked ASAP. Are you sure the free floating strands weren't plant matter that had broken free and started floating around?


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## cbachmann (Aug 6, 2013)

In a similar vein to mcgeorges suggestion, you might want to look into dosing fertilizers, like NPK and trace. 

I like this one:

EI based NPK + CSM+B - NilocG Aquatics


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## Beccanne (May 4, 2018)

The LFS sold me Seachem Aquavitro "Envy" ...they said that it was "basically Flourish+trace and I shouldn't need anything else right now"... 

If I'm seeing algae, couldn't adding ferts exacerbate the problem if the algae gets those extra nutrients?


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## OVT (Nov 29, 2011)

I respect Seachem but I have never tried vitamin C in a planted tank https://www.aquavitro.com/envy.php. How do plants look at your LFC? Healthy, good muscle tone, and not sneezing?

Seems like your LFC is your biggest problem.

The Algae Principle:
- plants are higher life form
- algae are lower life form

Life forms do not like competition. Higher life forms eradicate lower life forms (just look at our planet).

Happy plants = unhappy algae.

Focus on growing healthy plants, not on battling algae.


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

> If I'm seeing algae, couldn't adding ferts exacerbate the problem if the algae gets those extra nutrients?



no.. not really.

Brown stuff is probably diatoms, though usually more dusty than slimy. Feeds off free silicates.
Usually a wait and watch disappear thing..

If you want, and since there are no fish.. glut will kill the algae quite effectively..
https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petco...Vi8JkCh37dQyOEAkYASABEgJn6fD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

1.7ml (Seachem)/5gallons..About 10ml for your tank. Light dose really but some plants are susceptible to it...
Usually a dose or 2 is sufficient. Then get plants growing better..
One method there are others..

Bump:


OVT said:


> Life forms do not like competition. Higher life forms eradicate lower life forms (just look at our planet).


Bubonic plague gave it a good shot..





OVT said:


> Focus on growing healthy plants, not on battling algae.


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## MCFC (Feb 12, 2017)

Patience is key. Most newly set up tanks go through a barrage of different algae as things are still adapting. Focus on growing healthy plants, and the algae will eventually not be an issue. In my experience, adding things/tinkering trying to chase the algae away will often harm more than help. Time and patience are your friends .


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## Surf (Jun 13, 2017)

> Seachem Aquavitro "Envy"


I would recommend returning it for a refund if possible or just discard it. According to the bottle it contains: 



> Comprehensive carbohydrate, vitamin, amino acid, and polyunsaturated fatty acid supplement for plants


None of these are essential nutrients plants need to grow. In fact health plants will make all of these on their own. There seams to be a fad right now of adding vitamins to the water to help plants. Yet there is no evidence that they actually help plants grow. You want at fertilizer that list its Nitrogen, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphate, chlorine, iron, boron, manganese, zinc, copper, molybdenum, and nickel content. These are the essential elements plants need to grow. If the bottle doesn't list this information my recommendation is to not buy it. 

You would be better off buying a bottle of thrive and Seachem Equilibrium. Boost your water GH by 2 and fertilize with thrive.


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## Beccanne (May 4, 2018)

Thanks everyone. I'm just trying to learn.

Of course I understand that thriving plants will make it harder for algae to establish itself... but right now my plants don't look like they are doing too well. The only reason I was worried about addressing the algae early on is that I really don't want to deal with it on a larger scale. I work full time and I am a full time student. I'm a wife and I have a pet rabbit, and I'm still in recovery from back surgery that I had three weeks ago. So, ultimately, I really don't want to be dealing with an out of control algae problem. I can already tell that it has gotten far more advanced in the matter of one day... 

So is there nothing to be done now? I'm going to start with cutting the light back, I was keeping it on while I was at work and that's a good 8 hours. I have a timer now and I'm going to set it for only 5 hours. I guess I'll see where that takes me.


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## cbachmann (Aug 6, 2013)

Beccanne said:


> Thanks everyone. I'm just trying to learn.
> 
> Of course I understand that thriving plants will make it harder for algae to establish itself... but right now my plants don't look like they are doing too well. The only reason I was worried about addressing the algae early on is that I really don't want to deal with it on a larger scale. I work full time and I am a full time student. I'm a wife and I have a pet rabbit, and I'm still in recovery from back surgery that I had three weeks ago. So, ultimately, I really don't want to be dealing with an out of control algae problem. I can already tell that it has gotten far more advanced in the matter of one day...
> 
> So is there nothing to be done now? I'm going to start with cutting the light back, I was keeping it on while I was at work and that's a good 8 hours. I have a timer now and I'm going to set it for only 5 hours. I guess I'll see where that takes me.


I dont tend to 'battle' algae (except green water, but thats a different story). Its all about keeping the plants healthy. On that note, flourish trace doesnt really contain macro-nutrients, (the NPK that I alluded to in my comment, standing for Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium [whose chemical symbol is 'K']). 

I suspect that cutting back on light and feeding your plants will help offset your algae problem. My tanks looked like garbage for a while, it just takes time to find the proper balance!

You haven't done anything wrong, and any comments here from the community are given in a spirit of helpfulness. I wish you the best of luck with your tank!


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## Beccanne (May 4, 2018)

@cbachmann Thanks. I know everyone is just trying to be helpful. Some people may have never seen my posts before and so I just want to reiterate that I'm still in the learning stage and may be asking some things that could be a little frustrating to those with more experience. Aquatics are NOT something that I'm knowledgeable on at all. Rabbits, on the other hand, I can make ya feel real dumb with how much I know about them. To be honest, I'm not really used to being clueless and it's not a feeling that I enjoy, lol. 

I'll get macros then. I have just set up CO2 into the tank as well, is there anything I need to know there regarding algae? I just did a DIY system so I doubt it's very effective, but I'm just trying to help my plants out. Will this encourage/inhibit the algae in any way?


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## cbachmann (Aug 6, 2013)

Beccanne said:


> @cbachmann Thanks. I know everyone is just trying to be helpful. Some people may have never seen my posts before and so I just want to reiterate that I'm still in the learning stage and may be asking some things that could be a little frustrating to those with more experience. Aquatics are NOT something that I'm knowledgeable on at all. Rabbits, on the other hand, I can make ya feel real dumb with how much I know about them. To be honest, I'm not really used to being clueless and it's not a feeling that I enjoy, lol.
> 
> I'll get macros then. I have just set up CO2 into the tank as well, is there anything I need to know there regarding algae? I just did a DIY system so I doubt it's very effective, but I'm just trying to help my plants out. Will this encourage/inhibit the algae in any way?


I totally get it about the cluelessness; its NEVER a good feeling. 

Re CO2, it doesnt have algaecidal properties, but anything that helps your plants, even marginally, inhibits algae growth. So its great that you're doing that, but again it makes ferts even more important, because without enough nutrients your plants wont be able to make the most of the co2.


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## houseofcards (Mar 21, 2009)

So now Seachem has come out with "pet names' for NPK under the Aquavitro Line? Talk about confusing people even more not to mention the poor LFS employees LOL.

Activate is Phosphorus - Potassium
Synthesis is Nitrogen
Propel is Iron

and a bunch of other stuff for GH, KH, etc. :crying::laugh2: :nerd:


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## Glenda Steel (May 17, 2018)

Beccanne said:


> I have a 30 gallon that was set up Saturday 5/5 and it has a good bit of plants in it.
> 
> 
> Last night I noticed some floating strands of green.. I'm guessing this is the "hair algae" I've heard about. I was able to take the net and remove those pieces I saw floating around. Also, my anubias has some sort of brown "slimy" stuff on it, it seems to come off if I rub the leaves and it almost looks like a powdery residue when I brush it off the leaves. Is this also some type of algae?
> ...


I completely understand as I went through all the same worries when I set up our first tank! There is something you can do to ensure it's a healthy tank from the start - large frequent water changes. This was the advice I was given by professional aquascapers when cycling our tank and it worked even though I had every algae under the sun! I did a 50% water change daily for the first week of my cycling (fishless) and 50% ever 2 days for the second week, 50% every 3 days for the 3rd week and 50% every 4th day for the 4th, 5th and 6th week and cycling was complete (I tested throughout the process to make sure). I waited a further 2 weeks before adding livestock and performed a 50% water change weekly (and still do). Also add (dose) a complete liquid fertiliser daily, I use the Aquascpaer Complete liquid plant food which contains all the micro and macro nutrients necessary for lush aquatic plant growth, including Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium (NPK). 

As other people have said healthy plants will keep the algae at bay, although everyone gets a little algae from time to time even the professionals! Also if just a few leaves are effected then remove the worst of them, the plant then puts it's energy into growing rather than fighting algae and don't worry new leaves will soon appear. Also make sure you clean the glass as this will prevent algae forming there too. The cycling is by far the worst part of aquascaping but have patience and keep the tank beautifully clean and it will soon be a lot less stressful! In the meantime have a look at this video about dealing with algae without chemicals: 



 George Farmer is a professional aquascpaer and has brilliant tips on caring for your plants and tank. Hope this helps and don't ever be afraid to ask questions, there are so many lovely people here on the forum to help you!


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## SkyLight (Feb 5, 2018)

I had (actually, still have) a very similar problem. I was setting up my 90G, put in a few plants, and used Excel and Ammonia during my fishless cycle. The green stuff started to build everywhere. My driftwood was the first to start to get green, then the sand substrate, and then the glass walls. Heck, my anubias had started to turn dark - with a thick layer of ugly green on them that wouldn't come off even if i rubbed it with my fingers. And since I was still cycling, I couldn't do much other than reducing the light to 6 hours a day. I also made doubly sure that I was not getting any sunlight - I realized one day when I was working from home that at a certain time in the day, the sun would be at the appropriate angle to stream through my window straight to my aquarium. Fixed that with a curtain. And then, did weekly 70% water changes. 

The day I was convinced my tank was cycled (this weekend!) I added 7 Nerite snails, 4 Otos and 4 amano shrimp. And oh boy, the difference was remarkable! It hasn't even been a week and you can barely see any green on the driftwood. The large green patches on the sand substrate are gone. Its still green in bits and places, but no where as green as it used to be. And the glass walls are better too, albeit not 100% clear. The Anubias are the color of their leafs! My filter pipe was smothered with algae, and today it looks as good as new!

So - my recommendation: Reduce light, ensure no direct sunlight, frequent water changes, and then wait till your cycle is done. Don't worry too much, you'll be able to control this. Once its cycled, add a cleanup crew (the above crew cost me $52) and see nature help you out.


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## Beccanne (May 4, 2018)

@glendasteel Thanks for replying, I'll check out the video. I tend to lean on the side of avoiding chemicals whenever possible. After all, I did a planted tank to try and imitate a little natural ecosystem... As for the water changes, I've only done one small water change on this tank (maybe 15-20%). I usually just top it off after a few days when it dips a little low. I'm physically unable to preform large water changes by myself, as I'm recovering from back surgery and should not be lifting buckets of water. I'll need to enlist my husband for help when that time comes... 
@SkyLight Appreciate the response. Now that you mention it, I think it might be getting a little bit of sun. I'm not sure of that, but I'll be able to tell this weekend when I'm home during the time that sun enters my dining room. There is a small slit between the blinds and the wall, so it's possible that the tank gets a small section of sun. 

The tank is actually looking much better since my adding CO2. I didn't have the money for a pressurized system so I made a DIY one with those kits you can find online. The diffuser I have sends out really small bubbles, and it's positioned under the filter outtake so they move around in the water quite a bit before reaching the top. I have a powerhead coming in the mail today to make sure that it gets circulated throughout the tank, not just one side. My plants are looking much better already, and I don't see a speck of algae anymore. The water is also getting clearer. 

My next question, if I have CO2 getting into the tank can I increase the lighting now? Or should I still only do 5-6 hours of light? 

Thanks!


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## cbachmann (Aug 6, 2013)

Beccanne said:


> My next question, if I have CO2 getting into the tank can I increase the lighting now? Or should I still only do 5-6 hours of light?
> 
> Thanks!


I wouldn't give more than 8 hours per day, and I can't say that I suggest increasing lighting until you start dosing macro fertilizers. Have you looked into those yet?


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## auban (Jun 23, 2012)

OVT said:


> *I respect Seachem but I have never tried vitamin C in a planted tank *https://www.aquavitro.com/envy.php. How do plants look at your LFC? Healthy, good muscle tone, and not sneezing?
> 
> Seems like your LFC is your biggest problem.
> 
> ...


i wonder if they just add it as a conditioner to neutralize chlorine? 

seems kinda odd to me too. unless of course its purpose is to be a water conditioner...

https://www.fs.fed.us/t-d/pubs/html/05231301/05231301.html

ETA: it still doesnt make a whole lot of sense if the page i linked is correct, as it indicates that vitamin breaks down within a day or two in aqueous solution.


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