Hair and Beard or brush Algae

cbster

cbster

AC Members
Nov 16, 2003
388
0
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Freeburg, IL
I can not get rid of it. I clean everything but it always comes back. my tank parameters are-

Ammonia=0
Nitrites=0
Nitrates=5.0
General Hardness=12
Carbonate Hardness=11
Ph=6.8
Phosphate=0.1
Co2=52 ppm(turned up ph controller to 7.0 per chuck's calculater to get 30 ppm of co2)

I dose Flourish twice a week and potassium nitrate and potassium chloride after water change which is 50% weekly going to start dosing phosphate after I find the right stuff (on other post). is there anything else I can do to get rid of this stuff?
 
I just had a nasty case of it too. All I did was remove my 80 watt light strip. That took me to 110 watts over 75 gal, and it started to clear up immediately.

The only problem is that now I'm afraid to put the 80 watts back on.
 
Once the tank is clear of BBA, jack up the CO2.
Buy an SAE. Not Chinese.......Siamese. They will eat any new BBA that comes back.
Light is not a huge factor for this algae. Cleanliness, and scrupulous attention to cleaning it out and then SAEs. One fish in a 55 will do the job.
Do you have wood in the tank?

Len
 
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Perhaps your phospate level might have something to do with it as well. 0.1 seems a little low to me, anyway. I try to keep mine about .5-.8.

You might want to experiment with it... and do as Len says, get a young SAE. They rock.
 
Len,


no I don't have wood in the tank. I can't find any Siamese algae eaters around here is there a good place on the Internet where you can buy them?
 
I have found that cleanliness and good CO2(which you have), are the two most important factors in keeping BBA in tow.
It is very difficult to fight off, especially in a newly set up tank.
Once you get a handle on it, SAEs will eat the new stuff and keep after it for you.
Ask your LFS to order one for you if they will do that. You really don't need more than one in a tank, even up to 55 gals.
You want Crossocheilus Siamensis. Ask for that species and don't accept anything else. If you try to order on line, and I don't know who might have them, search for that species.

Len
 
Well I just called the lfs and they are going to get them for me. I ordered two (with the scientific name Crossocheilus Siamensis)just in case one dies. does it matter if I put two in a 55 gallon ?I didn't think about asking them if they could order certain fish for you. they don't know how much they cost so they are going to call Monday. does anyone know around about what one does cost? Thanks Again Everyone
 
They should not be expensive. The ones in my LFS go for somewhere around 2 or 3 dollars. They are very hardy fish.
Pick the smallest ones you can find. I don't care what anybody says, when they get older and reach 3 - 4" they start to get ornary with other fish, especially Cory cats. They seem to leave my Otos alone for some reason.
With their mouths, I don't think that they could do much damage, but they do stress the Corys to some degree. I have an arrangement with my LFS that I can bring them back and trade them for smaller ones, once they reach 4". It's the least they can do considering all the plants I drop off there every couple of weeks.

Len
 
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