# Hair/Thread Algae



## kingdave (Feb 20, 2010)

I'm having the exact same issue and am also interested in suggestions to remedy the situation. I've started by increasing my daily fert dosing amounts a couple days ago and will continue. I'll report back if this helps.


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## BBradbury (Nov 8, 2010)

*Algae Problems*



Shanster said:


> I have hair/thread algae that continually grows on my christmas moss. I have been removing it with a toothbrush, but it keeps coming back. What could I change to help remove the this algae? Should I increase CO2 (I have pressurized CO2.)
> 
> Thoughts?


Hello Shan...

I had problems with algae a few years ago and was told I was feeding my fish and plants too much and probably had a high level of dissolved phosphates in the water. I slowly reduced the food and now only feed the fish a little bit, a couple of times a week and dose my ferts only when I top off my tanks. Again, just a couple of times a week.

I didn't mess with the lighting, but changed half the tank water every week. I also got some Ramshorn snails and they removed all the algae in a couple of months. With no extra dissolved nutrients in the water, the visible algae is completely gone and my snail numbers are very low.

Just a couple of suggestions.

B


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

what is ur lighting? co2? nutrient schedule like?

fish? feeding? water change schedule?


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## ZLogic (Aug 7, 2011)

I noticed an increase in this algae after adding a circulation pump. The areas with higher current got hit hard, especially around the perimeter of broad leafed plants.


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## cradleoffilthfan (Jan 19, 2009)

It's just a way of the tank telling you there is an imbalance between light (either intensity or duration or both) and nutrients in the water (including co2). What kind of lighting, how long are the lights on? What fertilizers are you adding to your tank and how often? What are the water parameters? What kind of fish load do you have? Do you know how much co2 your injecting?


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## Shanster (Jul 23, 2012)

This is still a relatively new tank only 24 days old... 
CO2 is at approx 22ppm; 2-3 bubbles per second
The co2 is shut off at night.

EI Method:
1/8 = KNO3 – Potassium Nitrate 
1/16 = KH2PO4 – Mono Potassium Phosphate 
1/16 =K2SO4 – Potassium Sulfate 
1/16 = Traces 
6 days per week... day 7 = partial water change

Light:
96 W 2: 24W 10,000K Daylight (11 hours)
2: 24 W Actinic Blue Light (12 hours, co2 starts with these lights)
2: LED Lunar Lights 

I know Actinic aren't the best plant lights, but I don't have money to purchase new bulbs right now. 

Thoughts?


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## chew (May 18, 2012)

Maybe reduce photoperiod to 8 hours see if it helps and gradually increase


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## cradleoffilthfan (Jan 19, 2009)

algae will love that actinic lighting, are you getting different lights soon? Do you have any pictures of the tank, like a full view of the tank? How many plants do you have in there? What kinds?


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## Raju Ray (Aug 29, 2012)

I'm from Kolkata (India). I have a Planted tank with ADA New Amazonia soil, my tank parameter are as below:
Tank Size : 3.5ft x 1.5ft x 1.5ft.
Light : 3 nos Philips make 36W PL lamp.
Filter : 1100 Lt/ Hour
Tank age is 50 days.
Fish: 5 nos cardinal Tetra, 5 nos raminose Tetra, 5 nos mosquito rasbora & 25 nos shrimp.
pH : 7.15
Plant: only hair grass
I have facing problem huge growth of Hair type of algae (Colour : Brown on the Plant leave & green on Soil) for my tank. Please advice me how I control this type algae.

Raju Ray


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## Sethjohnson30 (Jan 16, 2012)

Raju Ray said:


> I'm from Kolkata (India). I have a Planted tank with ADA New Amazonia soil, my tank parameter are as below:
> Tank Size : 3.5ft x 1.5ft x 1.5ft.
> Light : 3 nos Philips make 36W PL lamp.
> Filter : 1100 Lt/ Hour
> ...


What does nos stand for? 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## jncme (May 29, 2012)

Sethjohnson30 said:


> What does nos stand for?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Stands for Neons


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

i'd start with running the 10k bulbs only for 12 hours or less


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## Dany08fa (Jul 3, 2012)

Is the moss removable from the tank? Take it out and treat it. If not removable spot treat it. Or you can always add shrimp. Shrimp keep moss pretty clean


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## Shanster (Jul 23, 2012)

I didn't know algae liked actinic bulbs ... I was doing research on them and people mostly said they weren't the most ideal but not necessarily bad. I will try to change them soon. 6000K bulbs? 
I will also shorten the photo period a little.  Thanks!


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## Sethjohnson30 (Jan 16, 2012)

Shanster said:


> I didn't know algae liked actinic bulbs ... I was doing research on them and people mostly said they weren't the most ideal but not necessarily bad. I will try to change them soon. 6000K bulbs?
> I will also shorten the photo period a little.  Thanks!


I had a reef fixure over my 54g corner tank with 4 t5ho 10'000k actinics and a 150w mh 10,000k. I had no algae.(the fixure was about 16" over the tank. 

I now have 2 6700k bulbs over my 72g and I have tons of algae 


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

algae is a simple organism.. it will use light the same as plants. blue light Penetrates further and thus will give you more usuable PAR at depth so that can be a cause of algae compared to other bulbs. but adjusting lighting levels, co2, or photoperiod can handle the difference

and to expound upon my earlier statement. I would START by not using the actinic bulbs. just the 2 10k and see what happens. lowering ur light level will reduce the need of nutrients to for the plants, this includes co2 which is the major nutrient as far as plant growth is concered. 

u can also keep the lights and adjust by increasing c02. its a lot more tricky to handle and get right than just reducing light, which does reduce the need for co2 itself


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## Shanster (Jul 23, 2012)

Thanks for the help - I purchased new bulbs today. We'll see how it goes tomorrow, I also turned off the actinic bulbs for the day today and just used the other ones. 

I also did a major cleaning of the tank and got a ton of the algae out. Hopefully if it comes back it will be less virulent.


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## acitydweller (Dec 28, 2011)

Dany08fa said:


> Is the moss removable from the tank? Take it out and treat it. If not removable spot treat it. Or you can always add shrimp. Shrimp keep moss pretty clean


Amanos and dwarf shrimp largely avoid this type of algae. If you see them on the algae, they are mostly grazing upon it and not actually eating it.


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