# Green Hair Algae Appearing?



## Joachimbates (Dec 10, 2015)

I know with my tank low tech needs low light. If your light is strong with no co2 you start to get heavy imbalances. I soon realized that maintaining a low tech with high light is harder than a high tech. 


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## windelov (May 30, 2015)

Is 1.95 wpg considered high light? I know people shy away from the wpg measurement because of everything else that comes into play, but still. I thought it wasn't too much light. And the tank is planted densely enough I thought the growth would out compete the algae. Or at least the duckweed would. Idk


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## herns (May 6, 2008)

windelov said:


> idk whats up with the hair algae or how to combat it.


 I always have success with Algae Fix on hair algae.


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## windelov (May 30, 2015)

Never used it. Maybe I'll give it a shot. How have you had success with it? Just follow the directions?


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## Little Soprano (Mar 13, 2014)

What kind of hair algae is it?

Thats a pretty high bioload, in my eyes, for a 40 gallon tank. The hair algae thats very soft, I believe its spiro, is caused from ammonia in my experience. I get in my pond when it's recycling in the spring and I got it in my 10 when a shrimp died when I was not home. I've gotten it from feeding too much and the excess decomposing, when the ammonia source is removed, the hair algae doesn't come back. 

You can kill it with algaefix but if you don't fix the problem causing the hair algae, it's going to come back.

I've actually learned to not mind it, as it seems to have saved my tanks if I'm away and a death occurs, if it's present, ammonia tends to be kept at bay.

So maybe check for ammonia/nitrite levels more frequently. Your current set-up might not be able to handle the bioload in that tank. It might be taking longer then you think for your filter to handle the ammonia after feeding and what not, and if ammonia lingers, hair algae can appear. 

Also get your tank so that your plants can grow as much as they can. The plants can help take out the excess nutrients in the water. I think you have plenty of light, and on my 40 long with 2 54 Watt T5s, I HAD to go with CO2. With CO2+ei, I was able to balance the light levels. If you get your plants growing like weeds-and possibly add some that will grow fast too, you won't get algae. Maybe add in elodea (just leave it floating), as it does a great job, I've found, in sucking up the excess nutrients in the water due to the fast growth rate. Rotala indica and ludwigia repens both seem to grow pretty quickly too. 

Fast growing plants, setting them up for success and also seeing WHY you are getting the hair algae, is better then nuking the tank with algaefix-which is quite nasty.


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## mr_fantastic (Nov 7, 2015)

Dealing with this now in a high tech tank. Spot treatment with Exel in a dropper or syringe works best. Dose daily and pull hair out as possible with brand new toothbrush. Twirl it around algae. 

Cheers


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## windelov (May 30, 2015)

Little Soprano said:


> What kind of hair algae is it?


I havn't looked into what kind of hair algae it is, to be honest.



Little Soprano said:


> Thats a pretty high bioload, in my eyes, for a 40 gallon tank.


I agree. The current stock was previously spread out among three different tanks, the 40, a 30 tall and a 10g. Unforseen circumstances dictated that I consolidate down to one tank, and there is nothing I can do about it now. Not forever though.



Little Soprano said:


> Maybe add in elodea (just leave it floating), as it does a great job, I've found, in sucking up the excess nutrients in the water due to the fast growth rate. Rotala indica and ludwigia repens both seem to grow pretty quickly too.


I have L. repens currently in the tank, and not a small amount either. I've had R. indica in the past in this system as well, however it did not do well and was removed. I have kept elodea in the past, and refuse to have it anymore as it previously took over a 10g to the point of being unmanageable. In the first post I stated that I have the ludwigia, and that I have been using duckweed to suck up excess nutrients for export from the system. I thought the duckweed would do well in that role since it is a floating plant and therefore is not limited by CO2. 

And as for figuring out what the limiting factor is for plant growth that is allowing the algae to take advantage of the remaining present nutrients, I don't really know how to go about figuring that out. I've done PPS PRO in the past on other tanks, but I'm not the best at specific nutrient calculations or knowing which one is behaving as a limit.

This is the tank as of 12/7/15. It has been heavily trimmed and about 80% of the duckweed netted out since this photo was taken.


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