# Unwilling Algae Farmer



## spypet (Sep 15, 2006)

dog, have you tried bleach dipping yet?


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## epicfish (Sep 11, 2006)

Well, the first thing I would do is cut your photoperiod down to 5-6 hours a day, with only two tubes running. After you manage that and can keep the algae down, you can bump it up a bit.

Seems as if you're fertilizing regularly...the next thing I would try right after dropping the photoperiod down is a H2O2 treatment. It might kill some of your plants, but it worked wonders for my clado and thread algae problems.

There's a thread or two here about it. Post if you can't find them.


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## dogdoc (Feb 26, 2006)

No, that is the one thing that I have been trying to avoid. I have no doubt that it will kill off the algae. I'm just concerned that without knowing what is wrong to allow it to grow, it will just come back.

I did physically remove every spec of algae that I could find last week. I completely removed the java ferns pictured above since there was no way to get it all. It looked really good for a few days, but then started a downhill slide. Right now, I have the tank completely covered again. I decided earlier tonite that I could not stand to watch the algae take over again.

I feel like there is something missing or that I'm overlooking something. Just don't know what. I've tried so hard to get it right.


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## dogdoc (Feb 26, 2006)

Epic,

I tried just running 2 tubes for the last couple of months. Everything grew slower, but the algae still continued to keep pace. Maybe I was dosing wrong during that time as I'm not sure what to do when running the lights that low.

The other thing that I'm really unsure of is the species of algae present. Most seem to think that it is staghorn. Would you agree with that?


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## spypet (Sep 15, 2006)

dog, your tank sounds just fine, you just need to intervene for a fresh start.
when you are ready to try a bleach dip, let me know as I'm very good at it


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## dogdoc (Feb 26, 2006)

Well, I'm just about there.

It may come down to that or making a nice cichlid tank out of it. All those rocks and nothing to fertilize sounds OK right now.


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## epicfish (Sep 11, 2006)

What CO2 readings do you have? I'd pump it up to at least 30ppm, run the lights low, and fertilize a little heavier. I'd try to double the amounts for a week or two to see what the algae does.

I highly recommend a H2O2 treatment. Doesn't take too much time for it to work. Mine worked in two days.


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## spypet (Sep 15, 2006)

Hydrogen peroxide may work, but you might have to squirt it directly on the submerged plants instead of simply adding it to your tank water, so it can be more cumbersome. if you have a lot of crypts that might melt from being removed for the bleach dip, then H2O2 may be a better solution for them. but you seem to have mostly meaty leaf plants, so bleach dipping really won't hurt them at all. it's only on very delicate thin plants that H202 should be attempted before resorting to bleach, as bleach will stunt the growth on such plants for several weeks.


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## epicfish (Sep 11, 2006)

I just dosed my entire tank with H2O2. =P Widespread damage to the algae and my anacharis. Small price to pay.

Another way I would've done the H2O2 if the full-tank treatment didn't work was to drain the water so that only 30% would be left, spot treat heavily-infested areas, fill it up with water, and then within 30-40 minutes, do a 30-40% water change with a heavy amount of de-chlorinator.


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## dogdoc (Feb 26, 2006)

According to the charts, my CO2 should be well above 30 ppm. I have grown distrustful of the chart though. I just crank it up until the fish complain and then back off a little.


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## epicfish (Sep 11, 2006)

OK, then your CO2 levels are as high as you can get them.

The charts are off. Search in the DIY forums for "drop checker", you'll find out why it's a much better way to check CO2 levels.

I'd do the H2O2/bleach dip treatments and go from there.


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## Betowess (Dec 9, 2004)

Generally, its either too much light, or too much fert, OR BOTH. You've cut the light a lot. Cut it some more and raise the light up higher too. Cut out all the algae infested leaves then... try two 50% WC in a week while cutting your ferts in half, at least. Its probably too much trace and macros. Which? Its hard to know. But better too little than too much. Once under control, then test and slowly up things. Its a common problem. 

I am battling a little bit of thread algae and some kind of new tank type diatom dust, but its getting better and better. I cut my ferts way down at first and shortened the photo period since introducing new substrate (aqua soil) and essentially re-starting a tank. I also believe I put too many root tabs which (perhaps) has given me too many traces and iron in an already rich substrate. I have only recently begun adding KNO3 and PO4, at a light dose due to a moderate fish load, also 9x Rainbows etc.

I am only am explaining my situation to make the point that its really easy to over dose. EI doesn't always work for everyone, especially if there is much of a fish population. Many use the PPS method more successfully. Just some opinions here. But I am not alone. Experts such as Christel Kasselman suggest pretty much the same, as do many European and Asian hobbiest. Just enough ferts, but never too much. EI on the otherhand promotes excessive nutrients, which can overwhelm a tank, IMO.


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## starccc (Mar 31, 2006)

I had this algae before. Don't tear it down. Excel works great to treat this algae. It is staghorn. It took one week to get rid of this algae for me. Try over dose excel. High concentration CO2 might work but it must take quite long time. Excel can kill it in short time. Good luck..


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## Kaylee Skylyn (Oct 17, 2005)

epicfish said:


> I just dosed my entire tank with H2O2. =P Widespread damage to the algae and my anacharis. Small price to pay.
> 
> Another way I would've done the H2O2 if the full-tank treatment didn't work was to drain the water so that only 30% would be left, spot treat heavily-infested areas, fill it up with water, and then within 30-40 minutes, do a 30-40% water change with a heavy amount of de-chlorinator.


Uh... H2O2 is Hydrogen Peroxide it has no chlorine in it whatsoever....why would you use de-chlorinator? (no point waisting it)


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## dogdoc (Feb 26, 2006)

Alright, here's a new development. I pulled the java ferns that are pictured above out of the tank with the idea of tossing them. Then I had an idea. I threw them in a ziploc with some tapwater and put them under the spare bathroom sink (no light). Pulled them out yesterday and rinsed them and almost all the algae is dead. The real surprise is that the dead/dying pieces were BRIGHT RED. So I'm now thinking this is not staghorn but BBA.


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## Athena (Nov 19, 2006)

Looks a lot like BBA -- see http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/algaefinder/7/brush-algae.jpg


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## dogdoc (Feb 26, 2006)

Yeah, I found that too. It actually looks most like the middle pic of BBA on the APC algae finder. That is the only pic of BBA that I have ever found that resembles what I have. 

Every time I posted pics of my algae. Most agreed that it was staghorn. I was in no postion to argue. But when the dead stuff turned red, I got really suspicious.


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## Seraph0 (Oct 6, 2006)

Does only BBA turn red? I have some unmistakable staghorn algae and have seen it turn magenta/red.

Stupid algae. :angryfire


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

I have had staghorn algae turn bright red when hit with bleach/water dip. My BBA always turned white with that treatment. So, if I had a mix I would get little red "plants" growing in white "grass". Both soon finished their dying when I returned the dipped driftwood to the tank.


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## sandiegoryu (Feb 15, 2006)

My clado turns white if I do an excel treatment but red if I put a rock full of it in hot water. It is still green when it is on it, and in the water, but after a day it is red.


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