What is your experience with killing hair algae with flourish excel?
- Thread starter Lucas9919
- Start date
I don't know if I've had that exact algae before, but IME, flourish excel does help. In fact, I ran out of it a few weeks ago I couldn't find any more (none of the stores had any in at the time and I had to order it online). I just got my new bottle today, and the hair algae is already starting to grow on the plants again.
Just to be clear, my tank is high light but low tech. Plants are 95% stem plants, with 3 small swords. The algae grows pretty slowly, but over time covers the plants and kills them. When I use excel + root tabs the algae does not overgrow the plants anymore, but is still present in small amounts and on the glass at times.
If your tank is like mine, you would need flourish excel long term to keep the plants outgrowing the hair algae. But since you had it in balance before, maybe it won't be an issue for you.
Good luck either way.
P.S. I didn't kill the hair algae, I had to remove it by hand, I just kept it from growing back too fast.
Just to be clear, my tank is high light but low tech. Plants are 95% stem plants, with 3 small swords. The algae grows pretty slowly, but over time covers the plants and kills them. When I use excel + root tabs the algae does not overgrow the plants anymore, but is still present in small amounts and on the glass at times.
If your tank is like mine, you would need flourish excel long term to keep the plants outgrowing the hair algae. But since you had it in balance before, maybe it won't be an issue for you.
Good luck either way.
P.S. I didn't kill the hair algae, I had to remove it by hand, I just kept it from growing back too fast.
I have BBA in my tank, and my plan is:
Double does Excel until Sunday.
Sunday night cover my tank and black it out for 3 days.
Thursday morning, rebirth.
Thursday morning, 40% water change and then double does with Excel one more time.
Follow up: Add 2 Oto's.
I believe strongly this will remove and keep my BBA away.
Double does Excel until Sunday.
Sunday night cover my tank and black it out for 3 days.
Thursday morning, rebirth.
Thursday morning, 40% water change and then double does with Excel one more time.
Follow up: Add 2 Oto's.
I believe strongly this will remove and keep my BBA away.
Wataugachicken pours her prime directly onto the hair algae when she does water changes. It then turns bright red and promtly dies. So far, it's the only thing we've got that kills the stuff.
I have had 100% good results using prime in my tank for BBA..
I cannot say the same for excel. I felt that it was a waste of money.
Excel has helped me control hair (Clado?) algae in all of my tanks. It takes a little time and some stiff initial dosing (2-3x), but I've managed to free up my high-in-the-tank mosses in my 46g and I'm seeing less in my small tanks too.
I dose 5mL 2x/week in my 46g for maintenance, 15mL after ea. 50% change. This keeps the algae down w/o harming my Vals. My very first dose in that tank was ~25mL.
I dose less in my small tanks as I have RCS in one and an Amano shrimp in the other - typically 1mL 2-3x/week, no major doses at PWC time. I still have to pull some of the algae out w/ a toothbrush (I wind it up like spaghetti) in the Amano's crypt/val/bacopa tank but that little bit of Excel does keep the algae down somewhat.
Next time I do a 50% change on my 46, I think I'll add the Prime to the rock that keeps some clado on it (despite the Excel use) & see if I can't kill it off.
I dose 5mL 2x/week in my 46g for maintenance, 15mL after ea. 50% change. This keeps the algae down w/o harming my Vals. My very first dose in that tank was ~25mL.
I dose less in my small tanks as I have RCS in one and an Amano shrimp in the other - typically 1mL 2-3x/week, no major doses at PWC time. I still have to pull some of the algae out w/ a toothbrush (I wind it up like spaghetti) in the Amano's crypt/val/bacopa tank but that little bit of Excel does keep the algae down somewhat.
Next time I do a 50% change on my 46, I think I'll add the Prime to the rock that keeps some clado on it (despite the Excel use) & see if I can't kill it off.
I used excel to control bba a couple of times (last time 20 days ago:sad::sad::sad
ad it worked pretty fine.
I used 1 ml per gallon first time and then 1ml x 4 gals everyday for a week.
ad it worked pretty fine.I used 1 ml per gallon first time and then 1ml x 4 gals everyday for a week.
Lucas, I am facing same troubles that you are with hair and beard algae. I am treating it by reducing the photo period and dosing daily with Fluorish Excel. I remove the algae by hand and scrub with a pad. I have added 6 Ottos to my 20L but find they don't touch the hair/beard algae. In my past experience with them, I find they are better suited to eating algae forming on glass in early stages. I am looking for Florida Flag fish which I hear are better suited to helping rid the tank of this algae.
I think some barbs will eat it too, Ruby Barbs, ect (this is not from experience).
