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Hair algae

Started by Guest_Elijah_* , Dec 02 2009 06:12 PM

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9 replies to this topic

#1 Guest_Elijah_*

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Posted 02 December 2009 - 06:12 PM

I have had a pair of Flag fish in my 20 gallon with a small bullhead and a pumkinseed. This tank is heavily planted, but hair algae is taking over the driftwood anyway. The flagfish spent most of their time hiding -not eating algae. I can't blame them. Even though the bullhead is only 3 inches long he managed to swallow a full grown female flagfish. So I put the flags in another tank.
Anyone got any idea what other critter might take care of this hair algae?

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#2 Guest_FirstChAoS_*

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Posted 02 December 2009 - 09:09 PM

I tried cleaner shrimp, oto cats, plecos, and chinese algea eaters with no luck. Two tanks I got into control by hand picking algea, adding plants, and water changes, the third i actually had to use algeacide on. It's odd how dead hair algea goes from dark green to red. It makes me wonder if it's a kind of red algea.

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#3 Guest_natureman187_*

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Posted 02 December 2009 - 09:14 PM

A herd of SRBD will take care of everything but bba in my experience.

Edited by fundulus, 02 December 2009 - 11:01 PM.

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#4 Guest_Elijah_*

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Posted 02 December 2009 - 10:59 PM

A heard of SRBD will take care of everything but bba in my experience.

Uh, I'm not too savvy to computer lingo. What is SRBD and what does bba mean?
Thanks

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#5 Guest_Elijah_*

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Posted 02 December 2009 - 11:04 PM

I tried cleaner shrimp, oto cats, plecos, and chinese algea eaters with no luck. Two tanks I got into control by hand picking algea, adding plants, and water changes, the third i actually had to use algeacide on. It's odd how dead hair algea goes from dark green to red. It makes me wonder if it's a kind of red algea.

Amano shrimp help, but you have to have a boatload of them. Besides flagfish most of the classic algae eaters do not eat hair algae. I am hoping for a secret weapon, but I bet I am going to have to take out all the wood and scrub it, or algeacide. I have never seen this much hair algae before! All of my tanks are planted and this one is especially thick with plants, but still the algae...

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#6 Guest_schambers_*

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Posted 02 December 2009 - 11:15 PM

A herd of SRBD will take care of everything but bba in my experience.

I believe SRBD = southern red-belly dace and bba = black brush algae.

If you plan to keep the bullhead in that tank, the only thing I can think of is to pull out the algae when it gets too thick and wait for the plants to out compete it.

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#7 Guest_gzeiger_*

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Posted 02 December 2009 - 11:15 PM

A herd of Southern Red Belly Dace will take care of everything but black beard algae in my experience.

Fixed.

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#8 Guest_Elijah_*

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Posted 03 December 2009 - 10:36 AM

How about Northern Red Bellied Dace? I now have access to a ton of these. Of course the bullhead will probably eat some, but that is the nature of things.
My bullhead is only 3 inches. I have had him since the spring and plan to keep him until he gets to big for the tank. Then I will add him to my pond.

Edited by Elijah, 03 December 2009 - 10:39 AM.

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#9 Guest_mudminnow_*

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Posted 06 December 2009 - 05:46 PM

As far as critters that eat algae go, it is pretty hard to beet the Siamese Algae Eater, Crossocheilus siamensis. I have always had one in all of my larger planted tanks. These slurp up green hair algae like spaghetti. They even eat black beard algae. Just make sure you get the right fish, as there are a lot of look-alikes.