# Green thread algae



## Sentral (3 Jan 2012)

Hi guys, 

my 30l cube has been running 3-4 months and after introducing a plant with a tiny bit of thread algae on it, I now seem to have a problem!

I've got an 18w light which I've reduced to 5 hours per day

The algae is thing green strains like hair, primarily growing on helferi near the surface.

I dose twice the stated dosage of aquacarbon and TPN daily.


Can anyone help? I can't seem to shift it, and it's spreading through my hairgrass


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## ceg4048 (4 Jan 2012)

Hi,
   Filamentous algae is CO2 related so you may need to add more Liquid Carbon and/or lower the light intensity. You may also want to look at flow/distribution.

Cheers,


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## Sentral (5 Jan 2012)

Thanks ceg, I forgot to mention that I  alsoadded a small internal filter with spray bar. I've got a new external filter on its way so hopefully that'll sort flow out. 
Im weary of dosing too much liquid carbon due to the shrimps, stated dosage is about 1.5mls for my tank, how much more do you think I could go? 

Thanks


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## ceg4048 (5 Jan 2012)

Hi mate,
            Yes it's better to be safe than sorry. In that case, apart from the new filter on the way the only other option is to somehow lower the light intensity for a while and to use more elbow grease (water changes and scrubbing/picking/preening).

Cheers,


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## FishBeast (12 Jan 2012)

I had the same problem. Everything in the tank was fine but some thread algae came in on some moss I bought and it ran rampart through the tank under good conditions. I could never shake it. I ended up getting angry and took out all of the moss (because I coluldnt get rid of the algae on it). Problem solved.


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## Viv (17 Jan 2012)

This is not encouraging. I've also got some thread algae come in on some moss and I'm looking for ways to get rid of it. I hope I don't end up having to get rid of the moss!

Viv


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## ceg4048 (17 Jan 2012)

Well as I've mentioned many times, there is no point getting angry at algae and there is certainly no point throwing out plants that you've paid for with hard earned cash. We owe our lives and our very existence to the tenacity with which algae hang on to life because algae are the ones who produced enough Oxygen on the planet for us to breathe. If algae were as easily defeated as you would like then we probably wouldn't exist at all, at least not in the form we do now. So one has to respect that fact and one has to find a sustainable way to keep them under control.

Mosses are very low light plants, and their dense and matted appearance contributes to blockage of CO2 uptake and flow though the dense mat. So if there is plenty of moss the best combination is high flow, high CO2 and a reduction of the lighting intensity. You can "comb" the mats with a toothbrush to encourage more uniform flow through the mat and you can also spot treat with Excel. Combing, picking and preening harasses the algae and liquid carbon really kicks it in the gut, so try a combination of dosing the liquid carbon in the morning as well as regular spot treatment and frequent water changes. Ensure that your dropchecker is lime green at lights on by turning on the gas an hour or two before lights on and ensure you have a good injection rate. Also, ensure that you have a good flow rating of the filters/pumps as well as a good distribution pattern, but above all, keep the light intensity down, at least for the first few weeks.

Cheers,


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## Viv (17 Jan 2012)

Don't worry ceg4048 I won't be getting rid of my moss any time soon  The worst affected is some fissendens I bought very recently. It isn't dense at all as theres only a few pieces strung out on a piece of wood. However, I'm in the process of adjusting my CO2 as I've only just set up a pressurised system, so this probably isn't helping. I'm going to try picking most of it off, which might work seeing as there is so little moss at the mo'. I've never done spot treatment but I'll give a go and see how I get on.

Viv


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## ceg4048 (17 Jan 2012)

Viv,
   When you do the spot treatment be sure not to use 100% Excel, otherwise you can easily fry the plant. Do a forum search for spot treatment.

Cheers,


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## Viv (17 Jan 2012)

Oh! I didn't know that!! Thanks for the thumbs up, I'll definately read up first!

Viv


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## Westyggx (22 Jan 2012)

How you getting on with this Viv?

I have started to get alot of this the last week, most noticeably all over my glosso carpet, can anyone give me any tips?


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## Viv (23 Jan 2012)

I haven't tried spot treating yet as I wanted to concentrate on getting my CO2 set up. We've had problems getting the bar right. Everything I read has said that for inline I need at least 2 bars so we tried and tried but can't get mine above 1 without losing gas. The inline does seem to be working though  :? But thats for another place!

In short, I want to see if getting my CO2 levels right will sort the aldae before trying anything else. Its not too bad in my tank and hasn't spread beyond the intial moss so I'm not too worried about it at the moment. Been more worried about my filter shrimp!!!

Viv


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## Westyggx (10 Feb 2012)

Hi Viv, i tried manually removing this but just spoke to the green machine and going to give this a go.

http://www.aquaessentials.co.uk/blog/20 ... algae.html


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## Viv (10 Feb 2012)

You'll have to let us know how you get on with it. Mine seemed to be decreasing but I've had a problem with the CO2 bottle I bought (even though it was new   ) and have only just got another. Even so it hasn't got any worse and hasn't spread. I have had a bit of BBA appear amongst some other moss but I'm sure getting back on track with my CO2 will sort it. At least, I hope so!!

Viv


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## Westyggx (22 Feb 2012)

So second dose yesterday, no changes what so ever... seems to be growing at the same rate and to be honest im getting sick of pulling it off plants on a daily basis.


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## bigmel (18 Mar 2012)

Is it any better now mate ?

Mines just in the moss , not much but it is annoying . More filter cleans and water changes plus less light in my low tech tank has helped (i think) 

I know you already no this but just wondering how you have got on


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## O'Neil (18 Mar 2012)

I did have this problem in my 200 ltr when I first got plants, the guy at the pet shop gave me a bottle of Excel. 
I followed the dose on the bottle and after 2 weeks it all went white then the following week it was all gone.
Didn't know how or why it worked.....still don't tbh but Excel does do the trick.


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## Westyggx (18 Mar 2012)

Excel does not kill Hair/Green Thread Algae.


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## O'Neil (18 Mar 2012)

Dunno what killed mine then, I thought it was the Excel.

Sorry.


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## ceg4048 (18 Mar 2012)

Westyggx said:
			
		

> Excel does not kill Hair/Green Thread Algae.


If it doesn't then you're not using enough of it.
Excel is toxic against just about all CO2 related algae.

Cheers,


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## bigmel (21 Mar 2012)

I,m sure mine came in with some java moss i bought off ebay .....its now spreading to the amazon swords


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## Westyggx (22 Mar 2012)

Mine came off Riccia from eBay :/


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## hotweldfire (22 Mar 2012)

ceg4048 said:
			
		

> Westyggx said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Then I reckon hair isn't CO2 related algae. Excel has very effectively killed BBA and cladaphora in my tank but has absolutely no effect on hair, even when dosed neat with affected hardscape above water during water change and left on for 20 mins without water going back in.

I wrote about my problem with this stuff on my journal. I've got no sign of CO2 related deficiencies on my plants, in fact they are pearling like mental about an hour after lights on, growing at a fantastic rate and there is good flow and distribution. This is even the case with the mini xmas moss and the hair algae is all over it. I have reduced photo period to 6 hours with no noticeable effect.

Maybe I've misunderstood Clive. I took CO2 related algae to mean there isn't enough CO2 in the tank for the plants' requirements given the growth rate driven by the lighting. As a result there are plant deficiencies such that the algae feeds off the waste produced by the failing plant and is able to take advantage of nutrients in the water column that the plant can't (because the plant is failing).

How does this hold when the plant isn't failing?


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## ceg4048 (22 Mar 2012)

Hi mate,
             Hair is definitely CO2 related. Plants pearling does not mean that they are at peak health. They can pearl and grow if they are able to produce enough food, but the presence of the algae indicates that something is still wrong healthwise. You should never use pearling as the sole indicator of plant health because it is a result of a combination of environmental as well as plant factors. Algae can pearl equally well.

Another possibility is that it is not hair algae but that it's something else. Did you try daily 2X-3X the bottle suggested dosing and the large input at water change time along with multiple water changes? The effect should be exactly as described by Porksword, the strands turn white and die off. Each algae as well as each plant has it's own tolerance level of Excel, so one may be more easy to eradicate than another using the liquid.

Cheers,


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## hotweldfire (24 Mar 2012)

Mate, I hear what you're saying. I understand that one shouldn't rely on presence of pearling as an indicator of plant health. However, all I can see is healthy growing plants. Can't see any deficiencies. 

I think it's interesting that you said algae can pearl too, which it does in my tank. Along with the moss it's growing on. But why assume that the presence of the algae indicates deficiencies in the plants? Why can't they both be healthy?


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## ceg4048 (25 Mar 2012)

Hi mate,
              Well, because algae growing on a plant is always a parasitic or predatory relationship, not a symbiotic one. When you see vultures flying around, what does that tell you, for example? It never means that both the vultures and the victims are healthy. Having said that, if you're satisfied having both, and if the energy required to eradicate the algae is too much, then this is not really a big deal, but it does suggest that the "next" thing to go wrong will affect the plants more adversely than it would ordinarily.

Cheers,


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## hotweldfire (27 Mar 2012)

Thank you mate, that makes sense. There is an alternative explanation though. The hair algae is primarily on the moss. This suggests that it is dirt - i.e. low levels of ammonia that it is able to utilise faster than the moss which is also a debris sponge.


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## Westyggx (27 Mar 2012)

Hi mate, i got rid of 90% of my hair algae since swapping light intensity from MH to 2 x 39w T5, i also dosed 12ml of Easylife Algexit each week for 5 weeks. I also remove any effected stem. It is so far under control.


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## hotweldfire (27 Mar 2012)

Interesting. I was eyeing up some of that stuff in a shop the other day but couldn't quite bring myself to go there. Am hoping my rampant vivipara will start to diffuse the light in the tank so reduce the algae.


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## Westyggx (27 Mar 2012)

hotweldfire said:
			
		

> Interesting. I was eyeing up some of that stuff in a shop the other day but couldn't quite bring myself to go there. Am hoping my rampant vivipara will start to diffuse the light in the tank so reduce the algae.



To be honest i am not sure it was the Algexit that started to defeat it.. as i was dosing this for 4 weeks with no signs of dying off. It only happend since buying the new T5 unit from Eeezer. I dont know what light system you run so cant comment.

Cheers


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## hotweldfire (27 Mar 2012)

Got 2 T6s with gullwings on 6 hrs a day.

BTW sorry to Sentral for the total hijack


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## ceg4048 (28 Mar 2012)

hotweldfire said:
			
		

> Interesting. I was eyeing up some of that stuff in a shop the other day but couldn't quite bring myself to go there. Am hoping my rampant vivipara will start to diffuse the light in the tank so reduce the algae.


Try thinning out the moss so that you get better flow through the bed. The effect of debris would be to block CO2 penetrating through the plant bed.

Cheers,


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## bigmel (28 Mar 2012)

Hi guys 

I,ve just dumped 4 large swords as they were getting covered in black / green hair algae . Its getting worse .

I,ve cleaned the filters , will do a few decent water changes over the next few days ....

my tank is 240 ltrs no co 02 and now just loads of valliss at the back and 9 clumps of jave moss holding black hair algae .
For a low tech set up it was looking perfect untill i brought in the algae off fleabay with some java moss .

A bottle of excell has arrived today so i will follow the bottle and see how i get on ......whats / how do i ...spot treat with this stuff ?

Thanks all


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## darren636 (28 Mar 2012)

do a 4 to 5 day black out.


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## bigmel (28 Mar 2012)

darren636 said:
			
		

> do a 4 to 5 day black out.




Hi mate ...

Is this a total black out (newbie question ..lol.) as in cover the front glass aswell or just no tank lights ?

Thanks


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## darren636 (28 Mar 2012)

i did it with just the lights turned off, worked a treat - had major co2 injection malfunctions, leading to thread algae and bba. after, just trim the worst plants and off you go.


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## bigmel (2 Apr 2012)

I,ve been doseing with excell for just three days and the green thread algae is now looking rusty red  in colour so fingers crossed its working ?


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## Nathaniel Whiteside (2 Apr 2012)

Ive got  a bit on my new Iwagumi setup. I Read somewhere stem plants floated on the surface help to get rid of it? 
I believe it was one of Ceg's posts.

Im sure you'll get it sorted, Green thread over BBA anyday. BBA is horrendous ha.

Good luck


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## bigmel (2 Apr 2012)

Thank mate   

Now the room lights are off and just the tank lights on i can see its dieing off   

I was very sceptical about it working to be honest (sorry guys   )  but its worked wonders .  

I,m going to re plant New swords and do more regular water changes / filter cleans aswell and get back on track .


Thanks all


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