# Java moss infested with algae, suggestions for removal



## pelicanincident (Mar 5, 2013)

My setup is a 20g H with pressurized CO2, Finnex Ray2 lighting and EI ferts.

I have some Java Moss that has been in the tank since May of last year. I was successfully able to get it to attach to my driftwood and it does attempt to spread along the driftwood. However, it has never seemed to take off and grow out off the driftwood. It always accumulates algae, which is the reason why I think it never has a chance to thrive. I think I've found my balance with the lighting, nutrients, and CO2 where I've got the algae growth under control. But I still need to get the existing algae out of the Java moss. As you can see from the images below, it isn't the type of algae that can simply be hand picked out of the moss. Plus, there really isn't that much moss where I can trim it. I have 3 Ottos and 4 Nerites and they do not remove it.

Any suggestions? As a side note, there is nothing else on the driftwood, and the driftwood can be removed from the tank.


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## Aquaticus (Jan 7, 2013)

Amano shrimp will help.


Sent from my Xoom using Tapatalk


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## pelicanincident (Mar 5, 2013)

Aquaticus said:


> Amano shrimp will help.
> 
> 
> Sent from my Xoom using Tapatalk


I've already tried that. I bought 20 Amanos and only 1 remains. When I still had a number of them, they really didn't touch it very much as they seemed interested in other things. How do nuke the piece of driftwood to kill off the algae but keep the moss in place?


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## Aquaticus (Jan 7, 2013)

In my experience, Amanos are very hardy, so it is weird you lost 19 of them. In my tanks with Amanos, I have minimal hair algae problems, but I have similar problems to yours in tanks without them. Usually, I throw out the moss if it gets algae in it and restart.

Go Pack! (Next year at least)


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## Aplomado (Feb 20, 2013)

Shrimp aren't too fond of CO2.


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## pelicanincident (Mar 5, 2013)

Aquaticus said:


> In my experience, Amanos are very hardy, so it is weird you lost 19 of them. In my tanks with Amanos, I have minimal hair algae problems, but I have similar problems to yours in tanks without them. Usually, I throw out the moss if it gets algae in it and restart.
> 
> Go Pack! (Next year at least)


My tank is uncovered :\ I found part of a shrimp dead on my floor. Plus they were constantly harassed by my bloodfins. Funny thing is I have a Gold Ram and the shrimp were bothered by the bloodfins more than they were by the Ram.


(Improve our defense, and we are a dangerous team)


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## Raymond S. (Dec 29, 2012)

Just an opinion as I'm just getting to any kind of balance in one of my tanks and the others not responding well due to
too many changes lately.
But less ferts = less algae. Your present "balance" is plant growth oriented more than algae control oriented on a guess.
In another way, the basics are there but now for the fine tuning.
But you have not provided a view of the whole tank for us to determine (by seeing it) how thin or dense the plants are
in general and what kind also. If you have anything much in the way of fairly fast growing plants in there the increase in their
size will consume more and more ferts as they grow. So you may not need to adjust anything. It may do it by it's self over
the next couple of weeks or so.
There is no CO2 or Excel in this tank. I am giving you two links for pictures two weeks apart. Compare the growth in
those two weeks without any CO2. But remember these are fast growing plants. The Dwarf Subs seem the same in those same
two weeks(almost the same). But also note the algae on the rock. The glass hasn't been cleaned in about 1.5 weeks in
the second picture. This is a ten g with very light ferts, but dry for the Macros and Flourish Comprehensive and Tetra Pride
for the Micros. But it has two T8 bulbs on for 7.5 hrs. per day. Saying you might try to bring down the light length for each
day before you change the ferts. You didn't mention how long they are on, but I wouldn't change it much at one time.
From just looking at those pictures I'd guess you are using about 10 hrs and I would try cutting it only half an hr at each
drop and let that go for at least three weeks and see what it does.
Really I think it looks good so far and now that you have the balance down pretty good you might not want to make any
noticeable changes for a while to let the plants grow more just to see how their growth effects that algae with perhaps
just a slight bit less light period.

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/images/pGallery/pg_7057e.jpg
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/images/pGallery/pg_7258e.jpg


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## creekbottom (Apr 5, 2012)

Have you tried spot treatments with peroxide or excel? That will nuke your algae.


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## STS_1OO (Nov 28, 2012)

Peroxide and excel will likely nuke the moss as well.

If you want to save the moss, I would get it out of direct light to start with and maybe wait for more growth either from the algae or moss so it makes it easier to pull the algae out.


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## herns (May 6, 2008)

Unless its a hair algae, they will just go away.
dropping excel on the moss will kill them.


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## creekbottom (Apr 5, 2012)

I know everyone's mileage differs with excel and moss but I haven't killed java moss yet. Here is what I do:

I have a large Marina breeder box on the back of a tank, this is my moss hospital tank. I turn off the flow into the box and it empties half way back into the tank. So I have a half full box of water and my moss. I take one of those plastic dropper thingy's from a test kit and suck up excel, this is a very scientific measurement  I squirt it into the box, stir it up, leave it sit until I remember to turn the pump on again. 

Considering the amount of water in the box, this is WAYYYY overdosed with excel, yet it still takes a couple of treatments to kill the algae (and not the moss). 

That's what has worked for me.


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