WTB Floating plants to reduce algae!

[lake_tuna]

I set up a 29g about 2 months ago with some plants, T5HO lighting, and DIY CO2. My plants grow very slowly (slower than my 20g tank with lesser-watt T5 lighting) and I keep having quite a bit of short-haired green algae on the glass. I have java fern/moss, baby tears, vals, riccia (or something that sounds like it, bottom left in picture), and dwarf hairgrass, which have never really grown much. The grass has just accumulated algae on it in the past 2 months. I have the lights on for about 8 hours and I dose Flourish once a week.

So, I'd like to try out some plants that can help me reduce this algae. I was thinking of some floating plants that grow pretty fast to block off some of the lights.. if anyone has plants good for my purpose, let me know.

These pictures were taken after I scrapped off most of the algae.

 

[snail_chen]

How about some Water Sprite, easy to grow and a nutrient sponge! I have some.

 

[platytudes]

Unfortunately I don't have any pics to show you (TSA swiped my camera, I opened my bag and it was gone - can't believe it either since it was just a $100 cheapie ) but I have lots of either Salvinia rotundifolia or Salvinia minima I can trade you or sell you on the cheap. It grows very fast and doesn't need anything special. I can carefully pick out the duckweed for you, but you might want to give it another once over before you add it. All my tanks have MTS and ramshorns so that's another bit of full disclosure...sigh

Anyway it looks just like the green round leaved plants pictured below:
http://www.glassislands.com/pics/salvinia4.jpg

 

[lake_tuna]

How about some Water Sprite, easy to grow and a nutrient sponge! I have some.

Is this water sprite you have? I had a HUGE piece like this (below) floating on top of my fish tank a little while ago, but I put it away in an empty tank without light for a week, and it all melted! I managed to save a tiny stem that seems to be recovering now.. Any link to your plant on the Internet?

http://media.photobucket.com/image/Water Sprite/mgamer20o0/water-sprite.jpg

 

[lake_tuna]

Unfortunately I don't have any pics to show you (TSA swiped my camera, I opened my bag and it was gone - can't believe it either since it was just a $100 cheapie ) but I have lots of either Salvinia rotundifolia or Salvinia minima I can trade you or sell you on the cheap. It grows very fast and doesn't need anything special. I can carefully pick out the duckweed for you, but you might want to give it another once over before you add it. All my tanks have MTS and ramshorns so that's another bit of full disclosure...sigh

Anyway it looks just like the green round leaved plants pictured below:
http://www.glassislands.com/pics/salvinia4.jpg

Is that also called water lettuce? They look similar. Hm.. I really dislike snails.. but I do have an empty 2.5g that I can just put outside for like a week or two maybe with your plants so the snails get big enough for me to pick them out. Would that work to rid the snails? I currently have some unwanted snails I got from someone.. really not liking it. They are very small, and I can't seem to get rid of them even though I've never seen any big ones (that can lay eggs, I suppose?).

 

[platytudes]

Nope...water lettuce is a lot bigger:
http://places.mongabay.com/south_america/water_lettuce.jpg
The big plant is water lettuce - the other small plant is definitely some kind of Salvinia - heck, it might even be the same one I have

While I'd be happy to give you some of my plants, in all honesty I have never successfully "desnailed" any plant. My friend has a 75 gallon tank, he wanted some of my hornwort. His tank was snail free. I told him there might be snails even if I pick off every visible one, because eggs hitchhike on the plants. He said "oh, don't worry - I'll just dip them in PP" (potassium permanganate)

He mixed it up according to the recommendations. Left the plants in there for 10 minutes. Still got snails...lol

One thing that might work for you is to get an assassin snail. They eat other snails, and are quite pretty...no special care either, really.

A bleach dip is harsher and not all plants tolerate it, but I have heard anecdotally that it is more effective in killing snails and their eggs.

 

[lake_tuna]

The problem with my snails is that they are so tiny, and I never seem any bigger ones. Ones I see are about 2-3 diameter at most, and my 30g tank isn't dense with plants or anything. I crush 5 today, and 5 more pop out in the next few days.

 

[platytudes]

Maybe I'm crazy (anybody else noticed this?) but when you crush them in the tank, I feel like it sends off some kind of snail pheromone that signals "breed as fast as you can!"

Try leaving a slice of lettuce in your tank. I usually weigh mine down with a magnetic Chip Clip. Let it sit overnight and then check on it early in the morning. It will have lots of snails on it, then you can just dispose of the leaf. Also works with zucchini, cucumber, etc.

 

[lake_tuna]

Hm.. maybe you're right, but I'd like to avoid sticking my entire arm in there to get snails out when I can.. I have these chopsticks attacked back-to-end so it's pretty long and perfect for getting rid of small snails and limpets. I have those persistent limpets too.

 

[midiamin]

One water hyacinth will solve all your algae problems. Not god though with a lot of light - they multiply fast. But, if they do, just use the excess for garden fert. Also, small freshwater shrimps love that kind of alga.