Will any inverts eat hair algae?

[fabsroman]

I have a hair algae problem in one of my tanks, which happens to be my snail/plant tank, and I am wondering if there are any inverts out there that will eat this stuff? Mainly, I have mystery and ramshorn snails in this tank, with a few MTS and pond snails. I'm thinking about adding 25 RCS, but am holding off to see if I can find some shrimp, snail, or whatever that will eat this hair algae.

[Dr. Awkward]

Not really. I'd manually remove as much as possible then dose Excel.

[fabsroman]

Not really. I'd manually remove as much as possible then dose Excel.

My problem was caused when I let the tank grow out of control over tax season (i.e., I'm a CPA). The CO2 levels were way off because the KH value had dropped significantly. Now, with injected CO2 and three CO2 diffusers going as fast as possible, I still cannot get the CO2 where I want it. Excel might be the answer, but I am thinking about adding another 3 CO2 diffusers to the tank.

[7itanium]

if your running pressurized CO2.. it shouldnt be any problem to put out the levels you need

its sooo easy to overdose on pressurized CO2... ive never heard of anyone having problems NOT getting enough pressurized CO2 lol

[fabsroman]

if your running pressurized CO2.. it shouldnt be any problem to put out the levels you need

its sooo easy to overdose on pressurized CO2... ive never heard of anyone having problems NOT getting enough pressurized CO2 lol

I've been close to the overdose level twice and have no idea why I am not getting to the level I need right now. I have the ph monitor set to shut it off at 7.2, but see it at 7.8 during the day with the bubbles coming pretty quick and the RedSea 500's full of CO2 and swirling it around. I'm sitting here scratching my head. Tomorrow, I'll check the calibration of the ph monitor, but I just checked it last week and everything checked out just fine. Can't hurt to check it again though.

[msjinkzd]

yea they will, especially amano shrimp but the issue is they prefer biofilm algaes first.

[fabsroman]

yea they will, especially amano shrimp but the issue is they prefer biofilm algaes first.

Can I keep RCS and Amano shrimp together? I know there is a chart out there somewhere that provides this information, but I'm being lazy since I think you know the answer off the top of your head.

[Dr. Awkward]

Yeah, they go together. I have them together in my main tank. Unfortuately, I also have hair algae in that tank.

[rocker92]

i would slow down with the co2 first of all, that can be the root of the problem if im correct(can someone please correct me if im wrong)


also i would say slow down on your dosing of ferts(if any) and cut down your lighting.

[fabsroman]

i would slow down with the co2 first of all, that can be the root of the problem if im correct(can someone please correct me if im wrong)


also i would say slow down on your dosing of ferts(if any) and cut down your lighting.

I use dry ferts with some really fast growing plants (e.g., foxtail, cabomba, wisteria). I've been thinking about cutting back on the ferts by 1/2 to see what happens. Honestly, the plants have been growing like weeds, followed in second place by the hair algae. Will the plants absorb nutrients quicker than the algae, thereby killing the algae? I'll know better for next tax season (i.e., do not skip tank maintenance).

[Yadokari]

i would slow down with the co2 first of all, that can be the root of the problem if im correct(can someone please correct me if im wrong)


also i would say slow down on your dosing of ferts(if any) and cut down your lighting.

Cut back on lights and keep co2 steady. Don't slow it down, that just promotes the exact opposite. It'll help algae grow if you slow co2 down. Reduce light intensity by lowering the wattage or having it higher away from the tank.

Reduce ferts by a little too and slowly work your way back up. Do all three things (cut back lights, steady co2, reduce ferts by a little) and you'll have the hair algae gone in no time. Amanos will eat this stuff too.

[fabsroman]

Cut back on lights and keep co2 steady. Don't slow it down, that just promotes the exact opposite. It'll help algae grow if you slow co2 down. Reduce light intensity by lowering the wattage or having it higher away from the tank.

Reduce ferts by a little too and slowly work your way back up. Do all three things (cut back lights, steady co2, reduce ferts by a little) and you'll have the hair algae gone in no time. Amanos will eat this stuff too.

Can I just reduce the lights on time, or do I actually have to reduce the intensity/wattage. The latter will be a pain, but not undoable.

[Hebily]

My LFS sells amanos as 'algae eating shrimp'.

[Yadokari]

Keep lights on for 8 hours, reduce wattage.

Prioritize reducing watts over time.

[Lupin]

My nerites do eat BBA while my apples, trumpets and ramshorns love hair algae.

[msjinkzd]

i can honestly say my trumpets, rams, and apples do not eat hair algae lol...maybe they love it in the tropical areas!

[Lupin]

Wow! That's really different, Rach. My snails kept mowing a rock full of hair algae and in three days, the rock has noticeably become bald. I've observed my trumpets chomping continuously on the algae.

[Arakkis]

Long nose shrimp have been known to eat it