# putting an end to hair algae, need recommendations.



## dzega (Apr 22, 2013)

Have you tried simply daily excel overdose?


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## DarkCobra (Jun 22, 2004)

jln1 said:


> the black hair algae has occurred


I'm assuming you mean black beard algae (BBA), and...



jln1 said:


> But this morning, red hair algae appear on my plants. .


...when you kill BBA with Excel, it often turns red. It can take about three days before it starts noticeably decomposing. In a week it will be gone.

Your plan sounds pretty thorough, but I can see some ways it could go wrong.

When spraying Metricide 14 on the glass, some will trickle down into your substrate and be absorbed. Considering the amount of liquid needed to cover all glass surfaces, and the concentration needed to achieve reliable sterilization of the types of green algae which grow on glass (they're more resistant than BBA), your substrate may later release a dose that is _lethal_ to fish if you're not careful.

Also, be careful not to disturb the Floramax cap too much when stirring the surface. Removing and replacing the plants _will_ disturb it, there's not much getting around that.

I have a good procedure which can substitute for #3, 4, and 5 (except for the glass scrubbing). It does not require removal of plants. You can even leave the fish in, but there's some risk in that; removing them makes it risk-free. Check it out and see if it will work for you:

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=203684

It probably goes without saying, but no matter what method used to kill algae, it usually comes back sooner or later unless you solve whatever issue caused it to grow in the first place. That may have been just overfeeding as you suggested, in which case it's a one-time and preventable event. But don't discount the possibility that there are other contributing factors, and that the tank was already on the edge of an algae outbreak - with the extra food being just enough to push it over. The farther you are from that edge, the less likely a small disturbance will cause an outbreak. So check out all your tank parameters, just to be sure, while you're waiting for Thanksgiving to roll around.


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## jln1 (Jun 14, 2013)

DarkCobra said:


> I'm assuming you mean black beard algae (BBA), and...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Is the one-two method supposed to do everyday until I see the result? I have a 50 gallons long and only pump I have is mag 9, not sure if it's way too much that can blow my plants up. 
And I think the 3% h2o2 can be purchase at local phamarcy, and also I can use the Metricide 14 instead of Excel.


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## DarkCobra (Jun 22, 2004)

jln1 said:


> Is the one-two method supposed to do everyday until I see the result?


Do it only once, starting at 2tbsp. 3% H2O2 per 10G. It's very effective at killing most algae. You will have to wait a few days to see the true results. Unlike Excel spot treatments, it will not always turn BBA red (even though it is killed). Other algae may not show any initial visible changes either. Some may take up to a week to really start decomposing.

If needed, and you saw good but incomplete results after the first treatment, you can repeat in a week or two; increasing to 3tbsp. H2O2 per 10G. As you increase the H2O2, the risk to fish increases too, so remove them again if you want zero risk.

But if it's necessary due to regrowth, start looking for the underlying problem and fast; don't rely forever on treatments!



jln1 said:


> I have a 50 gallons long and only pump I have is mag 9, not sure if it's way too much that can blow my plants up.


Mag 9 I believe is rated at 950gph. When I treat my 46G bowfront, I use a powerhead rated at 1,320gph. Some creative positioning is required to keep it from uprooting plants, and I typically reposition it once halfway through the H2O2 part of the treatment to make sure I get more even coverage.



jln1 said:


> And I think the 3% h2o2 can be purchase at local phamarcy, and also I can use the Metricide 14 instead of Excel.


Yes and yes. Just remember, Excel is 1.5% glutaraldehyde, and Metricide is 2.6%. So when using Metricide, reduce the dosage accordingly. Or make a more convenient prediluted solution from it that is Excel-equivalent. Use only distilled water for this, and never use the "activator" included with the Metricide.


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