SAEs and hair algae

[wesleydnunder]

Has anyone had personal experience with SAEs eating hair algae? I've read that they do so I'm trying out some on it in my discus tank. The plants are coming in nicely, but I'm getting the odd patch of hair algae here and there. I have an adult discus in the 125g which was touted as a "wild-caught" blue. I have my doubts. He won't let shrimp live long in his tank. And he's very indescriminant about his crustaceans. He likes the taste of the red ones, too. He ate 30 amanos and 8 cherry shrimp. We're starting to call some of his tank-mates "feeder-neons", too. Anyway, since I can't have shrimp in there I added 8 SAEs.

Mark

 

[kcooley]

yes, i have 3 of them in my 55 gallon discus tank and with a little help from you it will all go away. i found that on a new planted tank you are going to always have to do some kind of algae control, they just help you. just grab a few pinches every time you walk by the tank, the hair will dissappear. phosphate removing resins help alot too. give it about 2 weeks with steady input from yourself. and try to use all RO water to replenish the tank until all of the nutrients are practically gone, starve the tank and the plants will adapt, and control all loose nutrients in the water column.

 

[wesleydnunder]

I'm using regular tapwater in this tank, kcooley. Here are its parameters:
125 gallon with 1) eheim 2217, 1) magnum350 canister
temp 84 degrees, 500 watts pc and no fluorescent, all 6700K, 12 on/ 12 off
EI ferts- NO3 to 20 ppm, K to 20 ppm, PO4 1 to 2 ppm by the Fertilator every other day
50 % water change weekly
10 ml fluorish twice weekly
10 ml fluorish iron twice weekly
3 Tbsp Epsom once a week
KNO3 for nitrate
KCl for K
Fleet for PO4
Substrate is mix of 1/8" grain blasting sand and fluorite
ph 7.0 w/ no co2, 6.8 w/ co2
KH between 9 and 15 ( not always the same out of the tap )
stocking-
4 discus, one is adult
15 neon tetra
10 rasbora het.
1 blue ram
8 pygmy cory
6 kuhli loach
8 oto
8 SAE

amm. 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 5 - 20 ppm

The plants are growing great. Jungle val has to be trimmed every other day, wisteria trimmed once a week, same for rotala, duckweed removed every other day
Does this sound like there may be an imbalance?
I do pluck the hair algae when I see it. It seems to grow on the java fern roots the most.

Mark

 

[djlen]

I hope you don't experience this, but I suggest that you keep an eye on those SAEs.
As they grow and mature they can get very annoying, bordering on aggressive with other fish. IME, they do a good job on BBA and less than good on most other algae, when young, but a lousy job on everything ( other than harassing other fish) as they mature.
They tend to eat regular fish food more and more as they age, and dart at their tank mates at feeding time causing stress to all. I have gotten rid of all the ones I've had and would never put one back into a community tank again. Especially with Discus, which are easily stressed.
This is just my experience with them. It may not be yours, but I'd watch them if I were you.

Once you learn your tank's needs and how to balance it, algae eaters and definitely resins of any type will not be necessary.

Len

 

[kcooley]

ive never heard or had a problem with them. CHINESE algae eaters are lousy, they are territorrial, and tend to not eat algae as they mature.

 

[reiverix]

My experience with SAEs wasn't a good one either. Great when they're a few inches long and after that it was like a Jekyll and Hyde fish. Definitely prefered flake food to anything else and was aggressive, especially during feeding. Not a fish I'd try again, but that's only my personal thought. I know a lot of people like them.

For hair algae I've found it's best to just keep hacking away at it. I've always had some in newly started tanks until I get things in balance.

 

[wesleydnunder]

Len mentioned getting the tank balanced also. Does anything seem out-of whack to you? I'll watch the SAEs and if they become a problem I'll move them. Thanks guys.

Mark

 

[reiverix]

I found that consistent dosing, water changes, good CO2 and hacking at algae are effective. High plant stocks also help. It just seems to take care of itself. Sometimes I think that algae preys on human fears and it's best to handle it without panic but with aggression.

There are some fish that like to nibble on thread algae. Barb species and flagfish come to mind but I have no idea how compatible they are with discus. I've never kept any of those (or discus) but I think with some manual labor, you can beat this without resorting to fish you may not want long term.

It's a shame about the cherry shrimp because they will eat hair agae and are a great tank addition in their own right. You could try them with a enough java moss to give them shelter. Lots of stems to break up lines of sight.

 

[wesleydnunder]

Yeah, I admit my freak-out meter rose a little. This tank is probably the most ambitious I've put together. Everything seems perfect aside from the hair algae. It's not epidemic but I don't want it to get to that, either. I'll keep my regimen consistent and pluck the stuff when I see it. Thanks again, John.

Mark

 

[daveedka]

Unfortunately, the only tank I have with Hair algea has fish big enough to eat Sae's so I do not know haw they do on hair algea. I will agree they get annoying to other fish whne they grow up. and quit eating much algea. I have one in a tank with nothing but shrimp, and he will chase the shrimp pretty regularly. He just tends to not be nice to anything eise that swims. I would avoid them as a rule.

Cherry shrimp would be my reccomendation, but since your discus rules that out, How about Common Ramshorn snails?? I have yet to find any algea they won't at least harras, they even clean BGA up for me. They are plant friendly, cheap easy to maintain and IMO fun to own and watch. You may still have to manually remove the bigger hair algea, but the snails will prevent it's return.
I fully agree with John and Len, YOu can get rid of/control hair algea without critters. Even in tanks where I have it at all times it is in easily controlled quantities. I pull any I find Off each week during water changes. It does not seem to grow back at any unmanagelable speed.
Dave