# Brown hair algae problem...



## JRPW (16 Nov 2014)

Hi Guys

Need some help, I have algae problems and I think it is stunting my plant  growth... Here is my set up

Injected CO2 (drop checkers go light green)
Neutro Plus (11ml) daily and CO2 daily (2.2ml)
Around 110-120litre tank
Eheim Pro Eco 130  and AquaelFan Plus 1 filters
2x Aqua Ray Gro Beams (7 hours a day)

24 degrees
6.8-6.6 pH
Ammonia 0.25ppm
Nitrite 0ppm
Nitrates 10-20ppm

24litre water change every week.

Anyone got any ideas?

Many Thanks
james


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## JRPW (16 Nov 2014)

Some photos


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## REDSTEVEO (16 Nov 2014)

Hi JRPW,

Oh Brother I feel your pain, trust me I really do. That brown algae (diatomous algae)on your Eleocharis hairgrass is a real pain to get rid of. I've tried brushing it off, siphoning it out, trimmimg, and the next day it is back just as bad as ever. See my thread about 'Is UV any good for removing algae. Everything recommended is in there. Trouble is I don't think there is just one magic solution for curing this plague. You have to hit it from all angles and hope you strike lucky that something you do or a combination of all of them will beat it. I have tried almost everything so far and today I finally bit the bullet and decided that the Eleocharis had to go, I pulled almost a bucket full out of the tank today.

I can see you have got the brown brush algae as well which doesn't look good, so something is definitely wrong with your maintenance regime, and the water parameters. You are going to have to be pretty ruthless and cut everything you can see that has got algae on it, nothing you put in the tank will reverse or remove that amount of algae. If you have got 120 litres of water in your tank and only changing 24 litres per week, which is roughly a fifth of the volume, you need to try doing 50% twice a week. Add Seachem Flourish Excel or Easy Carbo to boost your Co2. If you drain 50% of your tank out and the plants are exposed, use a week or diluted solution of Flourish Excel in a spray bottle and spray the leaves with it, or paint it on with a brush. *WARNING* Be very careful when doing this, if you get the mixture too strong you will completely nuke your plants altogether.

Better to try a weaker solution first, you can always increase it gradually if you are not seeing results. Cut both lights for 5 days and try the Black out, completely cover the tank in black bin bags and starve the algae of light. When you put the light back on only use one of them for a shorter period, maybe two or three hours in the evening. If the tank is exposed to sunlight or bright day light from any side of the tank, keep that side covered during the day. Anything that you can remove that can be scrubbed like wood or rocks get them out and boil them or even try scrubbing them with a weak bleach solution, then leave them soaking in fresh water for 24 hours before putting them back in.

If you are injecting Co2 ramp it up as far as you dare without killing your fish. Turn the temperature up to about 29 degrees for two days you may have to put an air stone in there also if the fish are gasping at the top. Talking of fish, how many have you got in the tank, one of the things that I am sure triggered this in my tank was an increase in the bio mass from the fish and the increased feeding. Even though I had great flow around the tank the eleocharis just seemed to trap all the gunk flowing round the tank.

If you see the pictures in my thread the brown algae was as bad as yours.

The good news is that with the determination of an 'Algae Warrior' and keeping at it you will turn this around. 

Good luck and keep us posted.

Cheers,

Steve.


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## JRPW (17 Nov 2014)

Thanks Steve,

Have started my offensive against the algae with a black out. Will keep you posted and thanks for such a comprehensive response

James


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## REDSTEVEO (17 Nov 2014)

No problem James, that is what the forum is all about

Don't forget to crank up the Co2!

Cheers,

Steve.


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## JRPW (19 Nov 2014)

Sooo had a good manual clean, only dosing ferts twice a week now rather than daily, 50% water changes and 5 hours of light had a great effect... Lets hope it stats that way


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## Rob Dahl (19 Nov 2014)

I have a similar problem, but in an 8 gallon tank. Manually cleaned off most of the leaves, but still need to get more cleaned off when I do water change on Sun. 11/23. I have some Flourish Excel coming in the mail today and will try some to see if it arrests algal growth. My alga are active on _Micranthemum umbrosum “_Monte Carlo_” & Lysimachia nummularia Aurea Golden Llyodelia. _Was going to include a couple of images, but says I must use media URL or image URL and I don't remember how to do that.


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## drodgers (19 Nov 2014)

Bigger water changes and make sure your tank is allowing for good turnover(aeration) To treat use excel itll kill most shrimp snails and mosses so i would only x2 dose if you try it.


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## Rob Dahl (24 Nov 2014)

Thank you, have done 30% water exchange of RO water and am doing excel daily. Lost one shrimp, have one large left and some tiny ones. fish (6 neons and 2 otos) seem to be doing well too. Have tried hand cleaning as much as possible. Hope the doesn't hurt the general population with my hands in the water too much.


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## REDSTEVEO (8 Dec 2014)

Hi see my latest post and the one above it in the journal below.
http://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/...-after-going-completely-back-to-basics.33594/

I hope you get it sorted.

Cheers,

Steve.


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## Rob Dahl (19 Dec 2014)

Thank you Steve


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