fighting red algae explosion

B192734 · 10-25-2009, 09:44 PM

Anyone got any hints or tips or anything to control an explosion of Red hair algae. Blowing up everywhere...

I am trying to regulate the water quality closely right at the moment. I have also tried a little bit of H2O2 to kill some off. Pulling out the driftwood, and using a toothbrush (not my currently used toothbrush...) to brush it off. I am just having a really hard time getting this tank to rise above the algae problem. I have a couple of possible reasons that I am working on.

1. I don't have enough plants in the tank and need to up it a bit. This option wouldn't be too bad anyway, because I think it needs some more anyway.

2. I have 2 Firemouths, and a Convict living there right now. I had a couple of tetras playing with them, but we moved recently and I lost them. Is it possible that the cichlids, being messy eaters, are just making too much of a mess in the tank and upping the nutrients in the water?

The tank is a 40g by the way. I have a Rena canister filter under the stand, and a powerhead moving water. I keep it set at about 79 degrees, I also have a 50/50 CF light with a moonlight that gets about 13 hours of light.

Church · 10-25-2009, 10:37 PM

I can't say I've ever had (or heard of?) red hair algae, so I can't help you there. But it's never a bad idea to add more plants/moss/floaters just to keep the nutrients at bay. You'll just have to find the ones that won't be eaten by your cichlids.

OoNickoC · 10-31-2009, 07:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by B192734

Anyone got any hints or tips or anything to control an explosion of Red hair algae. Blowing up everywhere...

I am trying to regulate the water quality closely right at the moment. I have also tried a little bit of H2O2 to kill some off. Pulling out the driftwood, and using a toothbrush (not my currently used toothbrush...) to brush it off. I am just having a really hard time getting this tank to rise above the algae problem. I have a couple of possible reasons that I am working on.

1. I don't have enough plants in the tank and need to up it a bit. This option wouldn't be too bad anyway, because I think it needs some more anyway.

2. I have 2 Firemouths, and a Convict living there right now. I had a couple of tetras playing with them, but we moved recently and I lost them. Is it possible that the cichlids, being messy eaters, are just making too much of a mess in the tank and upping the nutrients in the water?

The tank is a 40g by the way. I have a Rena canister filter under the stand, and a powerhead moving water. I keep it set at about 79 degrees, I also have a 50/50 CF light with a moonlight that gets about 13 hours of light.

I'm in Bend, and am having/had the same issue. Not very explosive growth nor a plauge though with mine. Mine was what looked like regular filimentous algae but was bright red, now it is more brown but still has a red tinge to itand is holding in way of spread. Im taking this as the result of my water changes and backing off on my nutes. It started around the 20th I would say.

B192734 · 11-01-2009, 05:31 AM

Here are a couple of bad pictures of it.

**xximanoobxx** · 11-01-2009, 06:50 AM

13 hours of lighting is a lot I think. Try to reduce the photoperiod to 10 hrs maybe less. Also, you may want to do a blackout, I'm not sure how many days though. Hope you solve your algae issue

Lissette · 11-01-2009, 08:03 AM

I agree. Too many hours of light. I learned the hard way.

B192734 · 11-02-2009, 01:13 AM

I had read somewhere that a good planted tank should get in the 12-14 hours range of light. I guess that I will start slowly lowering the amount of time i turn it on for. Is that something that you need to gradually reduce, or can you reduce it right away? We'll see. I picked up a few swords and a few wisteria plants to try and combat some of the algae. Hopefully everything together will eventually reduce the algae. I know it'll never go away completely, but eventually it won't be as big of a battle.

CL · 11-02-2009, 01:32 AM

Just go ahead and drop it to 8. I don't think that you need to gradually reduce it. 13 hours is a whole lot.

B192734 · 11-02-2009, 01:45 AM

By the way...Anyone have any idea what that plant actually is? I can't find it anywhere to ID it, and haven't seen it in any of the stores here for a while now.

CL · 11-02-2009, 01:59 AM

Some kind of anubias, probably nana

B192734 · 11-02-2009, 02:07 AM

I thought that Nana stayed moderately small. I thought it was a type of Anubius, but it's really big and tall. I had to split it, and it's probably now about a foot tall. Some of it's leaves are about 3 inches wide.

CL · 11-02-2009, 02:26 AM

Ah, then it's just anubias barteri

B192734 · 11-02-2009, 02:30 AM

That's good to know. Thanks.

10-25-2009, 09:44 PM	#1 (permalink)
B192734 Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 28	fighting red algae explosion Anyone got any hints or tips or anything to control an explosion of Red hair algae. Blowing up everywhere... I am trying to regulate the water quality closely right at the moment. I have also tried a little bit of H2O2 to kill some off. Pulling out the driftwood, and using a toothbrush (not my currently used toothbrush...) to brush it off. I am just having a really hard time getting this tank to rise above the algae problem. I have a couple of possible reasons that I am working on. 1. I don't have enough plants in the tank and need to up it a bit. This option wouldn't be too bad anyway, because I think it needs some more anyway. 2. I have 2 Firemouths, and a Convict living there right now. I had a couple of tetras playing with them, but we moved recently and I lost them. Is it possible that the cichlids, being messy eaters, are just making too much of a mess in the tank and upping the nutrients in the water? The tank is a 40g by the way. I have a Rena canister filter under the stand, and a powerhead moving water. I keep it set at about 79 degrees, I also have a 50/50 CF light with a moonlight that gets about 13 hours of light.

10-25-2009, 10:37 PM	#2 (permalink)
Church Planted Tank Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (9/100%) Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Tampa, FL Posts: 2,527	I can't say I've ever had (or heard of?) red hair algae, so I can't help you there. But it's never a bad idea to add more plants/moss/floaters just to keep the nutrients at bay. You'll just have to find the ones that won't be eaten by your cichlids. __________________

11-01-2009, 05:31 AM	#4 (permalink)
B192734 Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 28	Here are a couple of bad pictures of it. Attached Thumbnails

11-01-2009, 06:50 AM	#5 (permalink)
xximanoobxx Noob (View User Tanks) PTrader: (3/100%) Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Sunnyvale, California Posts: 182	13 hours of lighting is a lot I think. Try to reduce the photoperiod to 10 hrs maybe less. Also, you may want to do a blackout, I'm not sure how many days though. Hope you solve your algae issue __________________ Do!aqua mini-m

11-02-2009, 01:32 AM	#8 (permalink)
CL Aquascaper (View User Tanks) PTrader: (48/100%) Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Lexington, Ky Posts: 6,927	Just go ahead and drop it to 8. I don't think that you need to gradually reduce it. 13 hours is a whole lot. __________________ GLA 48 Rimless \| 10 Reef \| 7.2 Rimless Cube \| 5.4 Rimless Nano \| Pimp→ GLA #1 - Victor #49 - Eheim #298

11-01-2009, 08:03 AM	#6 (permalink)
Lissette Planted Tank Obsessed (View User Tanks) PTrader: (4/100%) Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: us Posts: 356	I agree. Too many hours of light. I learned the hard way.

11-02-2009, 01:13 AM	#7 (permalink)
B192734 Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 28	I had read somewhere that a good planted tank should get in the 12-14 hours range of light. I guess that I will start slowly lowering the amount of time i turn it on for. Is that something that you need to gradually reduce, or can you reduce it right away? We'll see. I picked up a few swords and a few wisteria plants to try and combat some of the algae. Hopefully everything together will eventually reduce the algae. I know it'll never go away completely, but eventually it won't be as big of a battle.

11-02-2009, 01:45 AM	#9 (permalink)
B192734 Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 28	By the way...Anyone have any idea what that plant actually is? I can't find it anywhere to ID it, and haven't seen it in any of the stores here for a while now.

11-02-2009, 01:59 AM	#10 (permalink)
CL Aquascaper (View User Tanks) PTrader: (48/100%) Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Lexington, Ky Posts: 6,927	Some kind of anubias, probably nana __________________ GLA 48 Rimless \| 10 Reef \| 7.2 Rimless Cube \| 5.4 Rimless Nano \| Pimp→ GLA #1 - Victor #49 - Eheim #298

11-02-2009, 02:07 AM	#11 (permalink)
B192734 Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 28	I thought that Nana stayed moderately small. I thought it was a type of Anubius, but it's really big and tall. I had to split it, and it's probably now about a foot tall. Some of it's leaves are about 3 inches wide.

11-02-2009, 02:26 AM	#12 (permalink)
CL Aquascaper (View User Tanks) PTrader: (48/100%) Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Lexington, Ky Posts: 6,927	Ah, then it's just anubias barteri __________________ GLA 48 Rimless \| 10 Reef \| 7.2 Rimless Cube \| 5.4 Rimless Nano \| Pimp→ GLA #1 - Victor #49 - Eheim #298

11-02-2009, 02:30 AM	#13 (permalink)
B192734 Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 28	That's good to know. Thanks.

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