Just how bad are algaecides?

My HOB has destroyed them all.
Tried little floaty ring thing, and everything else to keep them alive, but they kept getting pushed under.
You could lower the water level just a bit so that the HOB creates more of a water fall and doesn't displace quite as much water. The tanks I have HOB's on that is what I do and don't have a problem with the floating plants.
 
the kind i use, is the tetra stuff. it says on the bottle what is sensitive to it. catfish. snails, shrimp, bottom feeders of any kind... loaches...doesnt say anything about plants.
 
I'll go against the grain here and say that I have used Algaefix on occasion to deal with hair algae and a recent staghorn algae problem. I used it used just once each time. That was enough to weaken the algae and bring it under control. It did not effect my cherry or amano shrimp.
 
ive read that FW clams will clean it up real fast.
 
You could lower the water level just a bit so that the HOB creates more of a water fall and doesn't displace quite as much water. The tanks I have HOB's on that is what I do and don't have a problem with the floating plants.

Yes, but the tank is in the room I sleep in. Any lower than 1 inch away from the filter will make it unbearable

dont use algaecides...they're more trouble than they're worth.

try a blackout for three days. your plants will be a bit wilty afterwords, but they'll be ok.

also try to pinpoint the cause of the green water before you rush to chemicals.

I think that the cause is not being able to stop the little buggers from reproducing. They cover my plants to where they can't get any nutrients to out-grow them. And doing 80% water changes every other day is something I can't do with all that I have going on right now. (46 gallon tank, imagine 8 trips back and forth from tub to tank with a 5 gallon bucket, takes me about 2 hours... I need a python)

I'll go against the grain here and say that I have used Algaefix on occasion to deal with hair algae and a recent staghorn algae problem. I used it used just once each time. That was enough to weaken the algae and bring it under control. It did not effect my cherry or amano shrimp.

Ahh... I'm really thinking about trying it now... Where would the world be without pioneers, right? :)
 
I have had success with willow branch-lets any where from the size of a large coffee straw up to about half an inch in diameter. Try and plop some in small glass of water. Once you start seeing white clusters forming on the stem you should have roots form within a few weeks. Size of the branch shouldn't be a limiting factor when trying to root willows. Heck you could probably just throw some in your HOB if they had enough light... I actually might try that haha.
 
I agree. Get a UV sterilizer, use it until the green water clears up then shut it off. You dont need a expensive sterilzer. This one here seems to do well for everyone that has used it.
I Know you can have it ordered from petco. Just look around for pricing.
http://cgi.ebay.com/AQUARIUM-SUBMER...in_0?hash=item2c51100854&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

That is the exact one I have. Just put it in my 55 last night so can't say how well it works yet. Are UV sterilizers also good for disease/parasite control as well? I had heard that and thought if that was true it would be a huge bonus. Do you think this is big enough for my 55
 
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I have had success with willow branch-lets any where from the size of a large coffee straw up to about half an inch in diameter. Try and plop some in small glass of water. Once you start seeing white clusters forming on the stem you should have roots form within a few weeks. Size of the branch shouldn't be a limiting factor when trying to root willows. Heck you could probably just throw some in your HOB if they had enough light... I actually might try that haha.

interesting, you have it.
willows are suckling trees..ie they can actually sprout trees from live branches that have been cut from a live tree.
they are also one of the trees that will spout suckers from a cut down tree,
the branches will actually use nutrients from the water column.

tough lil buggers,,
 
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