# API Algaefix for hair algae and gsa?



## AquaAurora (Jul 10, 2013)

Curious if anyone has had success using API Algaefix on planted tanks with hair algae and/or green spot algae?
Did it affect live plants?
Does it harm snails or be beneficial beneficial bacteria?

Been trying the 3x dose Seachem Excel but it's not put a dent in it yet much less start killing it :c. Going to be adjusting lights to prevent future hair slags just having a dickens of a time getting rid of what's here now.


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## JDenyer232 (May 4, 2014)

AquaAurora said:


> Curious if anyone has had success using API Algaefix on planted tanks with hair algae and/or green spot algae?
> Did it affect live plants?
> Does it harm snails or be beneficial beneficial bacteria?
> 
> Been trying the 3x dose Seachem Excel but it's not put a dent in it yet much less start killing it :c. Going to be adjusting lights to prevent future hair slags just having a dickens of a time getting rid of what's here now.


It will work to some extent on hair algae, it won't touch the green spot. I have used it in the past with limited results, but it didn't hurt the plants and I don't have any inverts. I would not add it to a tank with any inverts in it. Excel works best on BBA and little if anything else. Check your phosphates, most times when GSA shows up in my tank my phosphates are 0. Keep your phosphates at 1-2 ppm and it should go away on its own. Hope this helps.


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## AquaAurora (Jul 10, 2013)

Excel hasn't put a dent in the hair algae yet after 4 days of( 3x recommend amount for tank size) dosing x,x


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## Little Soprano (Mar 13, 2014)

I used it on my spirogyra infestation in my 10 gallon tank. But it took quite some time for it to start working, like 5-6 days, then all of a sudden it all started turning white. Some of my bladder snails (hitchikers) did die, but honestly it really didn't put a dent in the population, and it also killed the hydra I had :hihi:

It worked pretty gosh darn well for me, but it doesn't even touch the algae on the glass. Kills spiro? Yup, GSA? Nope.


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## exv152 (Jun 8, 2009)

Have you tried H2O2?


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## AquaAurora (Jul 10, 2013)

exv152 said:


> Have you tried H2O2?


No but I'm concerned about that killing off benifical bacteria (?), the hair algae problems are in tanks with sponge filters, they're cureved picos so I can't fit a HOB onto them.


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## exv152 (Jun 8, 2009)

You can still try it on a small portion, and turn off the filters for a bit. Over time you can probably kill most of it off. My guess would be that you have a low plant biomass in the affected tanks. Increasing it would fast growing plants should help long term.


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## herns (May 6, 2008)

AquaAurora said:


> Curious if anyone has had success using API Algaefix on planted tanks with hair algae and/or green spot algae?
> Did it affect live plants?
> Does it harm snails or be beneficial beneficial bacteria?
> 
> Been trying the 3x dose Seachem Excel but it's not put a dent in it yet much less start killing it :c. Going to be adjusting lights to prevent future hair slags just having a dickens of a time getting rid of what's here now.


 
it works great on hair algae. Great product!


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