# Green hair algae outbreak. Help!



## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

What are your ammonia, nitrIte and nitrAte readings? Did you cycle your tank before adding fish?


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## natdc2 (Mar 3, 2008)

I took an establish filter from another tank and place it into this tank for a week before adding in the fish. The reading I got was 0 for ammonia, 0 for nitrite, and 5 for nitrate.


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Try double-dosing excel and a blackout for a few days. I'd keep an eye on those water parameters, though- I suspect since your tank hasn't been set up very long that this is New Tank Syndrome and the hair algae probably is a response the the cycle not having quite caught up with your bioload yet?


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## natdc2 (Mar 3, 2008)

I will prob. try that method Laura. But I was wondering if the blackout for a few days would destroy the HC or not?


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

HMMM it is newly in there, isn't it... Just keep an eye on it? Maybe keep the light on for just an hour or two each day, but off the rest? Partial blackout?


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## natdc2 (Mar 3, 2008)

Alrighty I will try that and see what happen. Hopefully the green algae hair goes away heh.


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## BiscuitSlayer (Apr 1, 2005)

It might be the amount of light along with being a fairly new tank. Boosting CO2 production would probably have the biggest impact, but since you are doing DIY, that might be much more difficult to achieve.

The Excel treatment does work. There is an excellent sticky in the algae forum for treating BBA algae. It works with a number of other types of algae as well. Spot treating works the best. Basically just shut off the lights for 20 to 45 minutes and use a tippet or syringe to apply the Excell just above where the algae is. You will also want the filter off during this process.

After a few days of this treatment, the algae will turn either red or white and then you know it is starting to come under control. 

The main problem by using the metod above though is that you are putting a bandaid on the problem rather than finding out what caused the issue.

I have overdosed Iron into the tank and almost immediately saw hair algae pop up within the next few days. There might be a correlation there.


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## natdc2 (Mar 3, 2008)

Ye I've really though it over and thinking it could either coming from the amount of lights on everyday or putting in the tetras too early. But I'm leaning more toward the lighting. For the past 6 days I been leaving on the light for a maximum of 7-7.5 hours, but iono why but today I decided to leave it on for about 8.2 hours. An hour before I go and turn off the light, everything was normal...no signs of algae or anything. Came back in an hour and bammm, freaked out once I saw the hair algae lmao..


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Probably a combination of all of the above, and the extra lighting just tipped the balance. The hair algae had to already be growing some to have gotten this much growth in one day.


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## natdc2 (Mar 3, 2008)

Would amano shrimp or oto eat these types of algae?


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Florida flag fish eat hair algae; but I'd recommend bringing the tank into balance before adding more bioload- that might make your problems worse?


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## Cwhite (Dec 16, 2007)

SAEs also eat it, I know from experience, but listen to lauraleepllbp about the bioload.


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## natdc2 (Mar 3, 2008)

So far everything look great. I did a 50% water change today and scrub most of the hair algae away. Then afterward I inject some excel into a syringe and spot treated some spot that were still visible. Left the light off for the entire day and put on another small establish filter. I will continue doing this for the next few days and see how it goes. Thanks guy and gal.


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Glad things seem to be working out for you! :smile:


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## efish (Apr 23, 2006)

BiscuitSlayer said:


> Boosting CO2 production would probably have the biggest impact, but since you are doing DIY, that might be much more difficult to achieve.


add another bottle?


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