Vacation + No ferts = Algae???

Aulonocara_Freak · 02-19-2013, 01:32 PM

So I went on vacation for three days and had my lights on the normal times but I wasn't dosing ferts and now I have green spot and hair algae. Is the cause of the algae because I stopped dosing frets, or what caused it and what can I do to get rid of it?

syzygy9 · 02-19-2013, 03:02 PM

That is very likely. Low phosphate levels is a known cause for GSA. Get nutrient levels back up and manually scrub it off the glass and other hard surfaces. If it really is GSA it will take some muscle to remove it. I'm not sure how to go about removing from plant leaves...you may just have to cull those most affected.

Hair algae can also be caused by low nutrient levels. Correct the deficiency and remove what you can by spinning it around a toothbrush. This one can be tough to eliminate, but I believe Amano shrimp will munch on it.

Aulonocara_Freak · 02-19-2013, 03:04 PM

Yea I figured that, I'm getting 4 amano shrimp this week to go in there.

puopg · 02-19-2013, 04:56 PM

algaefix owns hair algae. Also owns inverts.

Aulonocara_Freak · 02-19-2013, 05:05 PM

Would the algaefix kill my plants or fish?

What's your opinion on that guy's?

happi · 02-19-2013, 05:14 PM

yep no fert = algae, because plants couldn't use anything to grow and algae took advantages of any left behind nutrients, even a tiny amount is enough to trigger the algae.

**Adam C** · 02-21-2013, 01:27 PM

If you can solve the problem without the use of chemicals, I would take that route.

As others have mentioned, low phosphate = GSA. I am now putting over ~7ppm phosphate into my display tank per week (a lil over 2ppm every other day). If I miss even one day, sport algae will show up before my next dosing.

As far as hair algae goes, I recommend as much manual removal as you can as well as fixing the nutrient situation. I have found that using airline tubing allows a longer duration of sucking up all the hair algae. Keep with it and good luck!

Aulonocara_Freak · 02-21-2013, 01:30 PM

Well the hair algae is stuck to the plants, it's now in the water column.

02-19-2013, 01:32 PM	#1
Aulonocara_Freak Planted Tank Obsessed (View User Tanks) PTrader: (3/100%) Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: U.S.A. Posts: 329	Vacation + No ferts = Algae??? So I went on vacation for three days and had my lights on the normal times but I wasn't dosing ferts and now I have green spot and hair algae. Is the cause of the algae because I stopped dosing frets, or what caused it and what can I do to get rid of it?

02-19-2013, 05:14 PM	#6
happi Planted Tank Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (20/100%) Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Salt Lake City, UT Posts: 2,296	yep no fert = algae, because plants couldn't use anything to grow and algae took advantages of any left behind nutrients, even a tiny amount is enough to trigger the algae. __________________ Happi's Ultimate Fertilizer http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/sh...d.php?t=179668

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02-19-2013, 03:02 PM	#2
syzygy9 Planted Member (View User Tanks) PTrader: (7/100%) Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 181	That is very likely. Low phosphate levels is a known cause for GSA. Get nutrient levels back up and manually scrub it off the glass and other hard surfaces. If it really is GSA it will take some muscle to remove it. I'm not sure how to go about removing from plant leaves...you may just have to cull those most affected. Hair algae can also be caused by low nutrient levels. Correct the deficiency and remove what you can by spinning it around a toothbrush. This one can be tough to eliminate, but I believe Amano shrimp will munch on it.

02-19-2013, 03:04 PM	#3
Aulonocara_Freak Planted Tank Obsessed (View User Tanks) PTrader: (3/100%) Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: U.S.A. Posts: 329	Yea I figured that, I'm getting 4 amano shrimp this week to go in there.

02-19-2013, 04:56 PM	#4
puopg Planted Tank Enthusiast (View User Tanks) PTrader: (3/100%) Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Sacramento, CA Posts: 518	algaefix owns hair algae. Also owns inverts.

02-19-2013, 05:05 PM	#5
Aulonocara_Freak Planted Tank Obsessed (View User Tanks) PTrader: (3/100%) Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: U.S.A. Posts: 329	Would the algaefix kill my plants or fish? What's your opinion on that guy's?

02-21-2013, 01:27 PM	#7
Adam C Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (6/100%) Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: San Antonio Posts: 81	If you can solve the problem without the use of chemicals, I would take that route. As others have mentioned, low phosphate = GSA. I am now putting over ~7ppm phosphate into my display tank per week (a lil over 2ppm every other day). If I miss even one day, sport algae will show up before my next dosing. As far as hair algae goes, I recommend as much manual removal as you can as well as fixing the nutrient situation. I have found that using airline tubing allows a longer duration of sucking up all the hair algae. Keep with it and good luck!

02-21-2013, 01:30 PM	#8
Aulonocara_Freak Planted Tank Obsessed (View User Tanks) PTrader: (3/100%) Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: U.S.A. Posts: 329	Well the hair algae is stuck to the plants, it's now in the water column.