# Green hair algae infestation



## AngryAnkylosaur (Mar 6, 2013)

Tank info:
Set up about 2 months
55g
Emperor 400 filter
Aquaclear 30 powerhead 
3x 24w 6500k CFL clamp lights approx 18" from substrate 
Photo period 8 hours
5L DIY Co2 ~1bps
1/2-2/3 cap of Flourish per week
0 ammonia 0 nitrites 20 nitrates
~ph 8.0
30% WC every 5 days
PFS substrate

Plants:
Several corkscrew val
few Ludwigia
3 planted pennywort 1 floating(I use this one when I want to test things like dips etc)
I did have some najas grass it died after trying a H2O2 dip. Also had a plant similar to hornwort that was growing but was so covered with diatoms I got rid of it.
Fish:
6 Cardinal tetras, 2 flame red dwarf gouramis, 2 small koi angelfish and 2 turquoise rainbowfish.

I need major help. After I got my tank cycled I had diatoms in a bad way but followed all the advice and vacuumed it up as best a could and waited for it to go away. Just as it went away I started getting the green hair(thread) algae. It grows on everything. I scrub the glass before a do a WC and that seems to be keeping it mostly off the glass other than near the substrate where is gets totally covered in some places. It gets all over the sand and when I try to vacuum it up most just falls back in with the sand because it's so heavy and attached to the sand. In some areas the sand doesn't even feel right. It feels thick, and heavy. After vacuuming I try to pick up as much of it as I can that piled up but I feel like I'm mostly just getting sand. A few weeks ago I pulled out all the plants and spent hours getting as much of the algae off as a could with a toothbrush etc and replanted(except the val, I just removed leaves that were completely covered with the algae). About 3 weeks ago I had only used a few root tabs for ferts but all but the vals were not growing so I started dosing 1/2-2/3 cap of flourish every week. The pennywort and wisteria which had not grown at all immediately showed improvement but the algae also increased so 2 weeks ago I lowered the photo period to 8 hours. Now all the plant growth has slowed and the ludwigia still hasn't grown at all since I got it a month ago. PLEASE help!

After WC 

























5 days later before WC


----------



## JeffHerr (Mar 12, 2010)

I fear this is just the first of many problems. A 55gal with CO2 and basically no ferts... I tried something similar once not knowing any better. 

Spend $50 on a lifetime supply of dry ferts. Read up on EI. Enjoy a beautiful tank.


----------



## JeffHerr (Mar 12, 2010)

Please tell me you have GCFIs on those lights. I don't see a top and it's just a matter of time before one of the lights gets knocked into the tank... Let's be safe out there!


----------



## AngryAnkylosaur (Mar 6, 2013)

Yes, there are GFCI's on the outlet they are on. When I had the crappy 24" t8 bulbs one of the fixtures had a starter that tripped it a couple times. I am careful with them and have seen several people on this forum and others with similar setups. I plan to make a canopy after I move in a few months and they will be suspended at that point. 

I have read all about the EI method but didn't know if that would do anything for my problem other than grow more algae.


----------



## steven p (Jun 22, 2012)

Ei is pretty much an anti algae regiment, if you have plants anyway.... Read up on it and any other methods. Some are outdated and absurd... But there is a ton of information here and across the web on dosing theory.


----------



## AngryAnkylosaur (Mar 6, 2013)

steven p said:


> Ei is pretty much an anti algae regiment, if you have plants anyway.... Read up on it and any other methods. Some are outdated and absurd... But there is a ton of information here and across the web on dosing theory.


I have read pretty extensively about the EI method and know how it works etc but I wanted to make sure you experts thought it was the correct course of action so I didn't start a larger algae farm. I heard from some people to spot treat with H2O2 etc but I don't know how that would fix a problem this large.

Also once I start EI dosing will I still need to find a way to get this algae out of the substrate?


----------



## herns (May 6, 2008)

You need more plants to compete those algae, buddy.


----------



## Psycofc1 (Feb 28, 2013)

Try adding some Oto's they would have a feast in there


----------



## The Big Buddha (Jul 30, 2012)

My hair algae went away after I stopped using tap water and switched to RO + RO right.
How deep is your sand? It doesn't look too deep, maybe the root tabs are leaching right into the water column?


----------



## ClairemontTropical (Mar 23, 2013)

herns said:


> you need more plants to compete those algae, buddy.


yup


----------



## danielt (Dec 19, 2012)

You don't have a planted tank 

First things first, how did came up with that light configuration? Why are you keeping the light on for 8 hours?

The hair algae screams one thing: TOO MUCH LIGHT

Reduce photo period. Fill the tank with plants. Problem solved.

P.S.: Add Amano shrimps, they'll have a field day.


----------



## binbin9 (Jan 31, 2012)

This is what I did to help my hair algae problem and it worked.

While in treatment:
-Decreased photo period to 6hrs
-Add fast growing plants to compete against algae like cabomba 
-Dosed with peroxide and did a 40% water change - there's a good thread on the steps for this in PT under algae
-waited a day to see how the inhabitants were doing
-The next day Did a second dose of peroxide and did a 30% water change
-waited a day
-Next day I double dosed with Excel
-Increase your Co2 - get a drop checker to make sure you keep things in check, Don't get lazy with your CO2 if it runs out or else the algae will come back.
-Just don't add any ferts in this time period no reason to add gasoline to the fire until you get the algae in control

-got a clean up crew:
2 - Ottos
9 - amanos - get the young ones they are more veracious in my opinion
2 - SAE
4 - Nerite Snails
Mix of CRS and Cherry Shrimp

*I had one cherry die but it was worth it to get ride of the algae
** My riccia died but grew back in about a week.

The tank is algae free. My poor ottos are starving now. =)

For a tank your size you definitely dont have enough plants to soak up the ferts, lights, and fish waste. Another note, Phosphorus can be found in tap water and too much of it can cause algae issues.


----------



## Minnow2013 (Mar 31, 2013)

I had success with Siamese algea eaters. 3 of them had my 55 gal cleaned up in less than a week.


----------



## fplata (May 20, 2012)

herns said:


> You need more plants to compete those algae, buddy.


100000%+++ correct, you need more plants


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Warlock (Feb 28, 2012)

fplata said:


> 100000%+++ correct, you need more plants
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


i just dumped another 10+ marimo balls into a tank.. and about to pull out all my anubia and java ferns from another tank into my little problem tank!!

thanks for the info!!


----------



## puopg (Sep 16, 2012)

Warlock said:


> i just dumped another 10+ marimo balls into a tank.. and about to pull out all my anubia and java ferns from another tank into my little problem tank!!
> 
> thanks for the info!!


Add some fast growing stems. Aggressive species will be your best friend to get this tank into balance. My favorites are water wisteria, anacharis, or ludwigia repens. Super easy plants that you really need to do something wrong to kill.


----------



## Warlock (Feb 28, 2012)

puopg said:


> Add some fast growing stems. Aggressive species will be your best friend to get this tank into balance. My favorites are water wisteria, anacharis, or ludwigia repens. Super easy plants that you really need to do something wrong to kill.


the only other plant i have that i could add that i have on hand.. is hornwort.. :icon_eek:

its not much in there.. but its something i want to get rid of.. i will probably move my ottos in there also

now that i think of it.. i think i have one strand anacharis floating in another tank..


----------



## fplata (May 20, 2012)

Pm me with your address send you some stems 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## madbreeze (May 21, 2006)

hornwort is great. floating plants like duckweed, salvinia, and frogbit are also great for keeping excess nutrients in control. the fish also like them. they will take over your tank if you let them, or you can donate the extra to someone who doesn't have plants.


----------



## AngryAnkylosaur (Mar 6, 2013)

Just wanted to update this when I saw people were still keeping it active. 
After realizing that about 1/2 the tank substrate was being infested with cyano and a leaf on my wisteria started getting BBA I did a whole tank H2O2 treatment @ 3TBS per 10G. This killed the algae but also melted away my vals that were the strongest plants in the tank. I then bought some camboba, rotala, more wisteria and an amazon sword. I also started EI dosing about 5 days ago. Everything seems to be growing but the algae is trying to come back. I did another H2O2 treatment(@2.5TBS per 10G) on Sunday. We'll see how things look after work today. However I am feeling positive because most of the plants seem to be more healthy and growing. Even the ludwigia which was covered in algae and had never grown has grown some new leaves and they are very nicely coloured. The rotala has turned a deep almost blood red on the top parts. I also added more Co2 yesterday. If this doesn't do the trick I'll have to get some Excel or Metracide. I'll post pictures tonight.


----------

