# hair algea getting worse



## BStanley346 (Mar 10, 2010)

I am in the same boat, how long has your tank been setup?


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## bobt2 (Dec 13, 2009)

about 3 months. it's a 75 with a light bio load. 8 adult guppies and a bunch of babies


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## tuonor (Nov 26, 2009)

Sampling of ideas I've heard for hair / thread algae:
- reduce iron levels / stop dosing iron (see here)
- get rid of any 10k or blue spectrum bulbs (Walstad's book)
- split photoperiod (hasn't worked for me)
- meaningfully reduced photoperiod 
- dose excel in addition to CO2 (here or here)

However, I'm still fighting the same battle...


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## bobt2 (Dec 13, 2009)

done it all except the excel


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## GlassCat594 (Mar 20, 2009)

quote from http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/algae.htm



> *Cause* Low CO2 and/or poor water circulation. A tank with overfed fish and accumulated mulm. Dirty filter. Also disturbing dirty substrates without doing water change afterwards.
> 
> *Removal* Check CO2 levels and make sure you have good water circulation. Reduce feeding, vacuum the substrate and remove mulm. Overdosing Flourish Excel usually helps.


I battled hair algae and I found that cleaning the filter would help some. I was cleaning my xp2 every month so I got another canister.

I found that I had alot of mulm in the substrate from decaying aquasoil. Everytime i moved around plants or even vacuumed the substrate i would get a lot of hair algae.
So slowly over time I vacuumed the whole tank to reduce the mulm. 

I think I have read that ammonia spikes cause it and this can happen when u disturb the substrate. hope this helps.


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## bobt2 (Dec 13, 2009)

thanks, but it's none of the above


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## Aquarist_Fist (Jul 22, 2008)

I have hair algae in my 15g low tech. I reduced the light and added more fast-growing, undemanding plants. 

The algae developed during a time when I didn't have time to take good care of the tank and didn't keep the plants happy. Now the plants are happy, but once hair is there, it doesn't just go away.

That's why I introduced a male Jordanella floridae today. He's already started eating. He's ripping the algae out strand by strand, and I love him for it. Much unlike my male gold ram, who doesn't like fish of his size at all, regardless of the species. Well, he will learn a lesson so. Flagfish are not known for taking crap from other fish. Today, he's still confused in his new environment, but at some point, he'll learn that the ram is nothing but hot air.


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## bobt2 (Dec 13, 2009)

this is a guppy ONLY tank. i have lost my cool. i have algea fix and excel on the way.i try the excel 1st and see what happens.


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## Aquarist_Fist (Jul 22, 2008)

Any success? I haven't heard anything about Excel being successful in fighting hair algae.

Mine is gone by the way. Flagfish 10 - algae 0. Was a matter of days, but of course my tank is only 10g. Now the fish is eating my Wisteria...oh well, totally worth it.


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## khanzer22 (Jan 14, 2008)

I second to excel overdosing/spot treatment... I've had combination of clado and hair algae on my HC carpet for 2 months and excel is the one that worked to remove them... I turn off the filter, wait for the water to settle, used a disposable syringe (dental) w/excel and then spot treat the algae... 15mins after treatment, I did 50% WC, and then turn on the filter... The next day, the clado and hair algae are turning white and few more days after, they're all gone...


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## bobt2 (Dec 13, 2009)

i,m not going to overdose to start, i,ll use the standard dose and see what happens. the fish are too important to me i don't want to stress them out.


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

So only the Flourish Excel helps to reduce algae, not regular Flourish?


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## TLE041 (Jan 16, 2010)

Aquarist_Fist said:


> Now the fish is eating my Wisteria...oh well, totally worth it.


My wisteria is growing like a weed and taking over the tank. Anything that helps me control it is fine in my book.


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## Joefish4jc (Mar 18, 2010)

I have a bit of a problem with the hair algea growing on some wisteria...
but I also have HC in the tank and was wondering it overdosing with excel will damage the HC.


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## tuonor (Nov 26, 2009)

khanzer22 said:


> I second to excel overdosing/spot treatment... I've had combination of clado and hair algae on my HC carpet for 2 months and excel is the one that worked to remove them... I turn off the filter, wait for the water to settle, used a disposable syringe (dental) w/excel and then spot treat the algae... 15mins after treatment, I did 50% WC, and then turn on the filter... The next day, the clado and hair algae are turning white and few more days after, they're all gone...


Interesting. You didn't have any die-back of the HC? There seem to be a few reports that direct spot treatment of excel on HC will kill (or at least maim) it.

Started dosing Excel today for a similar problem but wasn't planning on doing any spot treatment for fear of killing the HC...


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## bobt2 (Dec 13, 2009)

i gave up, i started the algea fix treatment. we'll see


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