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Please help - Newbie being choked with hair algae

1K views 2 replies 3 participants last post by  Naekuh 
#1 ·
Hi all, I am fairly new to planted tanks and really really need help. I am over-run with green hair algae!!!

Current tank setup is a 47gal tank with:
5 amazon swords along the back wall
1 wisteria
6 pygmy sword chains

10 rummy nose
1 pearl gourami
2 bolovian rams
a baby bristlenose pleco

2 45w T8 lights right on top of the tank
pea gravel substrate
I was dosing flourish excel, but stopped because I couldn't get rid of the algae
Flourish root tabs every 4 - 6 weeks
no co2
2 large pieces of bogwood
30% wc every week

Now, I do want to strip this tank down anyway, so I have waiting in the wings;
4 bags of flourite black sand
some java moss
riccia
and I want to get -
crypts
anubias
Pogostemon Helferi
dwarf hairgrass
HC, Hemianthus callitrichoides (if at all possible)

I am happy to dump the current plants, but I want to keep the bogwood. I do not want to strip this tank apart and put my good stuff in until I know how to rid myself of this overwhelming invasion. If I put my flourite and new plants in and this happens again, I cannot start over.
How do I get rid of this algae??? Do I need co2 for my new set up? I am confused about what I need for co2. Is my lighting sufficient? What do you guys think of my general planting list?

I am really wanting to sort my tank ASAP and get my new stuff in there. I cannot bear to look at this algae any longer. All your advice is very much needed and appreciated!
 
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#2 ·
I'm not an expert in ridding any algae I have had hair algae before and it killed my tank . This is what I would do set up a temporary tank with the water and filter out of your current tank as a home for your livestock any plants that arnt to bad take them out and use a chemical bath to kill the algae also do this to any wood clean out your tank bleach it and start fresh your problems probly came from slow growth frOm not providing the proper amounts of nutrients and co2 to match the amount of light with the types of plants you intend to keep you will need co2 research and get the best you can afford I have had good sucsess with bio style c02 with inline defussers it is cheaP but unstable and takes rechargeing once a week And when you put it allback together start out with fast growers hygrowphilla difformuss or some type of floating and stem plants than once you have fast plant growth slowly rePlace them with the plants you want to keep. It seams to work out better if you realy Plan out a tank long before you put water in get your self all the stuff you want than put it together
 
#3 ·
U need CO2 for HC....

Or its gonna grow slower then an anubis.

CO2 would also help your algae problem...

the best way to crush it is to start injecting co2...
Then reduce your light cycle...
Constantly try to remove as much hair algae you can every day followed by a small water change...
(tooth brush works great at cleaning hair algae as it loves to get stuck in the bristles and then you can just pull off.)

Eventually u'll notice the hair algae going away, while your plants should explode.
 
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