They're all gonna die....

[The Zigman]

Friggin Algae

Well most of my plants are pearling like crazy, so maybe they'll be ok. but what can I do to get rid of all of this hair algae?? its everywhere, and taking over, I ripped a bunch out of the tank,m but seems like there is more today than there was yesterday...please help!!

 

[Bk718]

can try a dip in peroxide (3%)

 

[johnmiii]

What kind of lighting do you have? What are you dosing as far as fertilizers go? Plants' needs follow this order.

Light -> Carbon -> Macro Nutrients -> Micro Nutrients -> Trace Elements

If you don't have sufficient lighting, the plants won't grow. Once you have lighting, if you break the chain at any point before trace elements, you get algae and poor plant growth. Algae is simpler plant matter that is able to do without the whole chain of nutrients. So assuming you have enough light, you are looking into a nutrient deficiency.

That's possibly the best explanation of it I've seen. Thank you!

 

[The Zigman]

Got all of my co2 equip in today and installed.
Also got the lights on a timer set up for 10 hrs on, and 14 hours off.

Thisnking about pulling the vals out of the tank and replacing them with new ones...

Any thoghts? My concern now is the immense amounts of algae in the tank..

 

[Bk718]

if the vals contain most of the algae what you can do is snip off the vals an inch away from the root and expect new growth to come in a few weeks. Meanwhile fight the battle in the rest of the tank.

 

[The Zigman]

Sounds like a plan, the vals are covered with the stuff, and it woont go away.
Would it be a good idea to add more plants now, or wait?

 

[Digital]

I'd snip them 1" from the root like advised.

 

[The Zigman]

Wow, this post is still alive! I cut the vals down to about 1 or 2 inches, and cleaned as much of the algae out as I could. upping the co2 now, and adding more plants to squeeze out this algae... wish me luck!!

 

[Bk718]

good luck, also check on the root, when i snipped my vals because they were dying from a bleach bath, I now notice they are producing runners. So if you got runners the plant is still healthy and has a chance to grow.

 

[trashion]

Excel will also do that to anacharis. Sucks, really.