# Brown Hair Algae?



## matt_1990 (Apr 4, 2014)

After searching the web and really not finding to much Iim gonna ask for some help.

My tank is 4 weeks old 55g
Buildmyled 10k 48" 7/hrs
Gla dual manifold co2
Ei dosing standard 40g-60g dosing( basically an 1/8 of dry ferts)

I am starting to get this brown algae which I usually thought was diatoms but then it started turning into lots of hair algae. It kinda turns into brown snot when pulled out but doesn't really feel slimy.

Here are some pics

Plant mass in tank








The brown hair algae

















It is growning everywhere. Top, bottom, driftwood, substrate, and plants. Everywhere but the glass really. Would like to figure out what it is and how to get rid of it.

Thanks in advance for the help.


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## TetraQueen (Jul 6, 2014)

The cause of the beard algae is probably too many nutrients in a fairly new tank. I had the same issue with my 35 gal. The best first step is to remove as much as you can with your hands trying not to disturb the smaller plants. Cutting back on the light to maybe 6 hours a day might help as long as it doesn't harm your plants. Once the tank is fully cycled you might consider mollies, barbs, or ghost shrimp. Sometimes I've had luck with these fish eating algae, other times not so much.


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## matt_1990 (Apr 4, 2014)

So you are thinking beard algae? From what I know of beard algae is it is usually small tuffs of green-blue green. Mine is in some spot 5-6 inches long and brown.

Not to say it isn't beard cause I'm not an algae expert. But I believe I could turn lights down a bit shouldn't hurt plants to much.


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## andrewq (May 22, 2013)

I had the same problem with my 20long. It was due to too many nutrients in the water, and the light period was to long. I also had baby tears growing. I removed as much as algae by hand as I could, added some stem plants to soak up the nutrients. Daily water changes for a week. Then lowered the light time from 8hours to 6. Few weeks later, and no more algae.


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## Dzrtman (Mar 4, 2014)

Matt,

I had the same algae in my new tank with a BuildMyled Dutch light, even though I had frogbit covering about 30% of the surface and two large water sprite, plus many other slower growing plants. And the light was limited to 6 hours a day at 70%.

As an experiment I moved 2 java ferns that were infested with the algae from a "high" light part of the tank to a shaded area under a large water sprite and frogbit, and the algae didn't come back on the java fern. So I reduced the light from 70% to 50%, but increased the daily light period to 8 hours, and the algae is now minimal. My tank is now 2 months old so that may also have had an impact. 

Good luck!


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## matt_1990 (Apr 4, 2014)

Well it is a good thing I purchased the dimmer with the light. I knew this light was pretty powerful I will try going to 50% as well. I am currently at 75%. I could lower the photoperiod to?

I also did a spot dosage of excel on the bad spot see what comes from that as well.

With reducing nutrients how much of what feat would be a good place to start?


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## Dzrtman (Mar 4, 2014)

When I reduced the intensity to 50% I actually increased the photo period from 6 to 8hrs, so you may not have to change your 7 hr period.

Experienced aquarists (like Tom Barr aka Plantbrain) say that too much ferts will not cause algae, so you probably don't have to reduce the ferts as long as you are performing the proscribed water changes. 

Because the tank where I had this problem is 65 gal and the cold water from the faucet is currently 82 F (we are experiencing triple digit day time temps), and I don't have a chiller, I limit my water changes to the volume of ice from my icemaker that can make 78F water... In other words, I'm not following EI recommended dosing because I can't perform a large enough regular water change at this time of year  Hopefully you don't have this problem.

Robin


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## matt_1990 (Apr 4, 2014)

No I do not lol live in Midwest we actually had it snowing about 2 weeks ago lol. So my water changes are twice a week right now.

Will my dwarf baby tears suffer from turning my light to 50%?


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