# Spirogyra and Amano Shrimp.



## Dave Spencer (27 Aug 2007)

Does anyone know if Amano shrimp will eat this type of algae?

Dave.


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## JamesC (28 Aug 2007)

Am afraid not.

James


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## Dave Spencer (28 Aug 2007)

Dagnab it! 

I am struggling to get rid of this stuff. It seemed to appear when I did a rescape, and now I seem to have infected all three tanks. It looks like I may have to go for a mass black out.

Dave.


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## George Farmer (28 Aug 2007)

Lots of water changes and spot dosing Excel with your black outs should nuke it.


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## JamesC (28 Aug 2007)

Dave Spencer said:
			
		

> Dagnab it!
> It seemed to appear when I did a rescape



Snap. I got it also when I did a rescape. Reason is because disturbing the substrate releases small amounts of ammonia. Took me quite a while to clear totally. Spirogyra thrives in high light so reducing the lighting may help. I cleared mine by lots of water changes and normal dosing excel and also keeping very stable conditions. Rosy barbs will devour it if made hungry.

This and cladophora are the two algaes I've had most problems with in the past. Perservierance along with good ferts and stable conditions has always paid off in my cases.

James


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## Dave Spencer (28 Aug 2007)

It just erupted overnight, not long after setting up the Rccia aquascape. A three day black out got rid of it like a dream, but it seems to be on its way back again, and is appearing in my two other tanks that have probably been cross infected.

I know why it appeared the first time, but I am at a loss as to why it is coming back. I tried spot treating it with Excel on a rock on my Iwagumi, but it is looking pretty bomb proof. Normally, I have a lot of success with Excel, but not in this case.

Dave.


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## JamesC (28 Aug 2007)

It is pretty resistant I found. Excel hurts it but doesn't kill it. One thing that Tom Barr suggested was to do a three day blackout and doing a large water change after each day during the blackout and adding NO3 and PO4 back that had been removed. This really hits it quite hard I found, but didn't kill it. Many removal and normal dosing then kept it in check with only very small amounts scattered around the tank. Lowering the light levels then cleared it totally for me.

James


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## Dave Spencer (28 Aug 2007)

It is tough stuff in every sense of the word. Pull a few strands out and twine them together to make shoe laces.  

So I am actually taking the covers during the blackout to do water changes. That`s a new one on me. I may have to wait until next week due to work commitments, but I`ll give this method a try. Cheers, James.

Dave.


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## JamesC (28 Aug 2007)

Spirogyra is quite weak and is easily broken so maybe you have something else. I looked at it under a microscope to confirm. Fascinating to look at I think. Yep, the water changes are done at night when there is little light. 

James


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## Dave Spencer (29 Aug 2007)

Looking at your wizard algae guide, James, it is definitely spirogyra. Perhaps I am just able to grow algae to a higher calibre.  

Dave.


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## Garuf (3 Nov 2007)

I've got the same stuff I think, It appeared when I took out my wood to clean it and change from java to taiwan moss. 
I've not tried excel because A) I can't afford and B) I mistook it for Clado and ive just been removing as much as possible every day at dosing time which never seems to work. 

Are you saying that a black out, water change and resume EI will clear it?


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## Dave Spencer (4 Nov 2007)

I have cleared it in one tank, but it still keeps coming back in my iwagumi.

It`s the tank in which it originated that I have got rid of it, but that was helped by a large plant mass at the time. My Iwagumi had consideably less, and now the spirogyra seems like a permanent resident.

Dave.


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## Garuf (13 Nov 2007)

hello dave, try a disgustingly large over dose of excel it seems to have worked for me in clearing it. 
I used 3 capful's  on my 11 gallon then didn't add anything for a few days and it was gone.


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