# Getting lots of hair algae



## Tom (30 Jan 2009)

Both brown and green slimy looking hair algae - on everything. Getting normal brown algae on everything too, as well as green dust algae on the glass. Other than that, all is going well!!!   The tank has been set up for around 3 weeks now, so the Aquasoil Amazonia could possibly still leaching a fair bit of ammonia. Could this be the problem?

Also I'm dosing 2.5ml TPN daily. Is this too much for a 90l? I've lowered the T5 lighting from 72w to 48w, and just yesterday changed the Fluval 105 to a Tetratec EX1200.

Tom


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## George Farmer (30 Jan 2009)

Hi Tom

Aqua Soil should stop producing ammonia by now.  Have you tested for it?

Most algae issues are CO2 related, assuming all other aspects are ok (plant biomass, enough nutrients etc.) as you probably know already.

What CO2 set up do you have?


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## Tom (30 Jan 2009)

I never saw any ammonia/ammonium on the JBL test from day one. CO2 is 2-3bps with my fire extinguisher through glass diffuser then into the filter. 

Tom


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## Garuf (30 Jan 2009)

Hair algae is almost always co2. You're right to back of the lights. if there's no livestock manually remove, trim back hard and nuke the lot with co2.
Brown algae is diatomus when ever I've had it otto's have cleared it in a few days.


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## Mark Evans (30 Jan 2009)

Tom said:
			
		

> CO2 is 2-3bps with my fire extinguisher through glass diffuser then into the filter.



i've stopped doing that for this reason.....

i had the diffuser underneath my inlet direct in to filter. 1 particular day i noticed the drop checker going blue'ish. i couldnt work it out, until i knocked the filter and a stream of gassy water came out. it happened a few times. co2 must of started a pocket of air in the filter and wasn't being released.

maybe a thought fi co2 related.


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## Tom (31 Jan 2009)

> i've stopped doing that for this reason.....
> 
> i had the diffuser underneath my inlet direct in to filter. 1 particular day i noticed the drop checker going blue'ish. i couldnt work it out, until i knocked the filter and a stream of gassy water came out. it happened a few times. co2 must of started a pocket of air in the filter and wasn't being released.
> 
> maybe a thought fi co2 related.



That's what I'm finding too, so it's now diffusing into the opposite side of the tank. Also putting in about 4bps as well now for good measure. 

Tom


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## Garuf (31 Jan 2009)

is this in your 90l, Tom? If you can live without lilly pipes I really would as the dimensions are so deep. You may find that 4bs is quite low, I'm running 6bps on a 54l with 24w over it. Also, what's the timing of your co2,lighting and dosing?


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## Tom (31 Jan 2009)

Yup this is the 90x40x40. Why would the lily pipes make a difference? CO2 is on 24h, lights are 10h@48w with 2.5ml TPN daily.

Tom


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## Mark Evans (31 Jan 2009)

Tom said:
			
		

> 2.5ml TPN daily.



is that the plus+ ? 2.5ml per day seems low to me.i might be wrong. i used to dose more than that in my 60L. you know what your doing though tom  

lilleys IME dispense water in such a way that flow is reduced. i dont like them. i'm switching over to the power head mentality.


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## Garuf (31 Jan 2009)

Because lillys pipes give relatively poor circulation patterns, swapping them out for bars should in theory ensure that everything is swirling round better. I always found my tanks looked better when I used bars.


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## Tom (5 Feb 2009)

OK well I've switched to the spray bar and doubled the CO2 for good measure, but the tank's almost had it. Plants are growing very quickly, but the algae twice as fast and it's swamping everything. I'm at a loss now.


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## ceg4048 (5 Feb 2009)

Hi Tom,
          I'm sure you're aware by now that you committed cardinal sin #1 by having nearly 4wpg. Once you get the algae it's not likely that they will go away simply because you've fixed the CO2 because they like CO2 as well. I reckon we're in 3 day blackout territory now mate, sorry...  

Cheers,


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## Garuf (5 Feb 2009)

black out, massive clean up opperation, 2 back to back 60% w/c's run the tank for 2-3 days 50% water change every day and repeat black out. I had massive success that way.


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## Tom (6 Feb 2009)

> Hi Tom,
> I'm sure you're aware by now that you committed cardinal sin #1 by having nearly 4wpg. Once you get the algae it's not likely that they will go away simply because you've fixed the CO2 because they like CO2 as well. I reckon we're in 3 day blackout territory now mate, sorry...
> 
> Cheers,



For the last week or so it's been closer to 1.5wpg. Will be getting the binliners out in the morining though in that case as a last resort. I've never had this amount of problems before. Since I stopped ADA ferts really, but I'm not going to blame Tropica as obviously many people like their ferts and get great results using them. 

Tom


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## Garuf (6 Feb 2009)

It doesn't take much to throw a new tank Tom, We're much the same in regards to experiance's I seem to remember you being on the scene for 12 months more than me, so you're a little more advanced, the biggest and hardest thing to digest is that what you think must be the problem rarely is. Hair algae is a sod to solve, but it is easiest done if you follow the set blackout, constant removal, large w/c's methodology and keeping co2 hella high. Tom Barr told me the same as CEG has told you.   Don't be tempted to just give up. 
Are you hording your photos for a comp? If not a photo of the tank in context might help eliminate some external variables.


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## Garuf (6 Feb 2009)

Okay so I see your problems I'm surprised no one picked up on them. 
Here we go:
Too much light for a raw set up, "I've lowered the T5 lighting from 72w to 48w"
Insufficient flow giving algae a head start "changed the Fluval 105 to a Tetratec EX1200."
Also the use of lilys won't have helped.
Fluctuating CO2 "CO2 is 2-3bps with my fire extinguisher through glass diffuser then into the filter."
Lighting duration ights are 10h@48w this is something that baffled me till I read up on it. 6-7 hours a day at the very most on a new set up Tom Barr Recommends 5 I found this a little short.
The other thing that I'm unsure on and might be a factor is evaporation, my nano used to get algae something rotten till I twigged it was co2 fluctuating with the changing water levels. Also, position in the room, direct light or indirect but strong light from a window or florescent tubes might be an issue. Also biomass on start up, did you have at least 50% substrate covering and are you using a large sand foreground or a sand foreground at all? Remember you will be dosing slightly less if you have a proportion of the tank planted more won't hurt if you have lots of plants already there but it might be overkill on a raw tank. 

I'm no scientist but these are just my observations and as I've done the same on my setups and have gone through what you are now I know how frustrating it all is.


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## Tom (13 Feb 2009)

Well 2-3 days after the blackout and water changes, it's back twice as bad. I've given up on this tank, and I'll try and salvage the ADA stuff out, although it's all mixing in. All plants might as well be chucked, and wood is gonna need a big cleanup job. I may just have enough stuff left to start my 40cm up again.


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## George Farmer (13 Feb 2009)

All the best with the new set up, Tom.

Every cloud has a silver-lining and so I'm sure you will produce something special.


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## Mark Evans (13 Feb 2009)

Garuf said:
			
		

> baffled me till I read up on it. 6-7 hours a day at the very most on a new set up



yeah in the pm that i sent you


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