ARRRG!!!! Algee Me maties!!!!!

Walker_

Walker_

AC Members
Feb 10, 2005
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Left Coast, Canada
ARRRG!!!! Hair Algae Me maties!!!!!

Hey,
So is this hair algae or something else? Its in a heavily lit tank (~9 wpg), CO2 from a tank, and a heavy fert regime (EI)… with weekly 80% water changes
Any clues as how to get rid of the stuff, it hasn’t QUITE gotten to plague proportions but im worried if left unchecked it will…
Ideas/Suggestions?
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Uh it might be the 9wpg of lighting you have. Perhaps don't light it so heavily...And maybe too many ferts? I really don't know. theres probrably a nutrient imbalance. If you have so much fertilizing and so much lighting you should expect more maintenance as the platns willl grow faster. Also I noticed you have some SAE's in there... i dont know how you manage to grow algea faster than they can eat it. I have 2 rather large SAE"s and they eat it faster than it can grow...
 
9wpg? :duh:

Try cutting back the lights and ferts....
 
How big is the tank?

Looks like staghorn. In fact it looks like my 75g after I first set it up. You need to get it all out because it will just keep growing and spreading. What is NO3, PO4 and your CO2 levels?
 
Hey guys thanks!
Ya I have confirmation of it being staghorn from AquaticPlantCentral;

Its a 90 gal and iv been using the “Estimative Index” for fertilization, Iv been dosing with Greg Watsons stuff because I was getting fed up paying the LFS for good ferts:

Sun, Tues,Thurs: 1.5 tsp KNO3 0.5 tsp KH2PO4 0.5 tsp K2SO4
Mon,Wen,Fri: Trace 0.5 Plantex CSM+B

Major water change Sundays

As for my CO2, im up in to 30ppm range; I haven’t been testing other parameters, namely because it seems the consensus is these days is testing levels is a waste of time, and the accuracy of some of the kits out there are somewhat dubious…


As for the light, that was a result of me clicking “buy” before I finished doing my research! So as a result I ended up with 2x400W metalhalides which I guess is technically 8.8 wpg but still very high by any means… I v been keeping them on for 12 hrs a day simply because of the AMAZING growth these plants are putting out; at this rate I think I may even be able to MAKE some $$ back growing for the LFS, im averaging 2” a day on almost everything in there….

Would a 3 day blackout help the situation?
 
Man that is a lot of light even for the depth of a 90g tank. Since you already have the lights and they are halides, you may consider raising them a bit more from the surface. It's fine to have very high light. The plants can surely make use of it but you are getting into the realm of a fine line between balance and chaos.

Blackout won't have an effect on this algae. Work on a section of the tank at a time. Remove all algae from substrate, glass, wood, etc. Bleach them if necessary. Infested leaves should be cut off even if it's only a few strands. Throw away plants that are doing nothing but providing a foothold for the algae. Replace the plants with fast growers. Lots of plants mass.

My staghorn problem looked exactly like yours. I spent a month just kind of picking away at the stuff before finally deciding enough was enough. I divided the tank into three sections and worked on a section each day. It was a lot of work but I knew I had to get it all in one go or else it would come back. Of course, when all was done there was a few stragglers I'd missed so for a few days I'd be vigilant in attacking any algae I saw.
 
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