# what type of algae is this?



## Laurie Dear (2 Apr 2015)

HI, i've looked through several algae identification articles both on this forum and on the internet.

i'm not entirely sure what this is and how to deal with it. i believe it might be hair algae or fuzz algae. from my understanding...it can be caused my low co2 and low nutrients? is this correct?

My tank specs are as follows:
- 50L tank
- eheim 60 aquaball
- rena 60w heater
- controlled sunlight (am getting LED lighting to fit over soon it's being dispatched)
- JBL aquabase + manado
- sand

Hardscape:
4x pieces of bog wood
3x black and white aquarium rock (unsure of the actual name)

Dosing:
seachem nitrogren 0.7ml 2x weekly
liquid carbon 1.5ml daily

Flora: 
Staurogyne repens (smallish bush)
Bacopa monnieri (max 10 stems)
Vesicularia dubyana (java moss - lots of it)
Anubias barteri var. nana (3 separate rhizomes of it)

Fauna:
1 x BN pleco
5x albino black neon tetras
6x harlequin rasboras
1 x RCS 
3 x malayasian shrimp

water changes 60% weekly

images of algae:



 


 

Test Readings:
pH: 7.4
Ammonia: 0.25ppm
Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitrate: 0ppm
Don't have any other test kits or anything due to money...

but according to Bristol water my quality quality out the tap stands at:
Calcium mg/l: 89
Magnesium mg/l: 6.8
Total Hardness mg/l CACO3 249
Nitrate mg/l: 17
Phosphate mg/l: 1.6
Sodium mg/l: 31
Sulphate mg/l: 98

What i've tried:
adding liquid carbon
reading somewhere adding nitrogen
manual removal
scrubbing.
increase water changes (heard mixed things about that due to water stability being all over the place if not careful)

unsure what it is, so unsure how to treat it really!
would greatly appreciate anyone's help and i understand that there are tonnes of algae threads on this forum and others. but i am just totally unsure as to what it is otherwise i would just read the articles and do as they say.

Cheers

Laurie


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## Julian (2 Apr 2015)

Hard to tell, looks like Staghorn and BBA.

Best removal method for any algae is manual removal. You could also try spot dosing with liquid carbon. Turn the filter off while you do it, leave it for a few minutes then turn the filter back on. Should turn pink after a day or 2 then disappear within a week.

You have to address the underlying cause (usually not enough CO2 or flow, too much light) else it will return.


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## Laurie Dear (2 Apr 2015)

thanks man. i've been pretty stumped on what algae it is as it looks like a mixture of lots! I think i know what the problem is  cheers.


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## Julian (2 Apr 2015)

Laurie Dear said:


> thanks man. i've been pretty stumped on what algae it is as it looks like a mixture of lots! I think i know what the problem is  cheers.


Let us know what cures it!


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## ian_m (2 Apr 2015)

Laurie Dear said:


> controlled sunlight


You nailed the cause. Replace with a more controlled known source and you problem will stop appearing.

As stated BBA on hardscape can be eradicated with liquid carbon or hydrogen peroxide or some people report strong potassium nitrate or phosphate solution.

BBA on plants, in my trials (not tried nitrate or phosphate), can really only be removed by pruning, if not careful liquid carbon/hydrogen peroxide will kill the leaf as well as BBA.

BBA generally caused by plants dying and releasing organics due to too much light for the level of CO2 and/or ferts you are providing.

You are also not really fertilising correctly, Seachem Nitrogen is nitrate only. Where is your potassium supply, phosphate supply, magnesium supply and micro supply ? (and don't say water supply as it isn't),


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## Julian (2 Apr 2015)

Can't believe I missed the sunlight part!


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## ian_m (2 Apr 2015)

Julian said:


> Can't believe I missed the sunlight part!


When someone has algae you look for issues with

light
carbon
ferts
one or more of them must be wrong or else their plants will be green and lush and algae free.


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## Laurie Dear (2 Apr 2015)

ian_m said:


> You nailed the cause. Replace with a more controlled known source and you problem will stop appearing.
> 
> As stated BBA on hardscape can be eradicated with liquid carbon or hydrogen peroxide or some people report strong potassium nitrate or phosphate solution.
> 
> ...



THanks for that  i know i'm not fertilising correctly. at the moment money is tight and i'm in the process of trying to buy potassium and phosphate. I know water supply doesn't have it. thanks for the reply  appreciated!


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## ian_m (2 Apr 2015)

Magnesium in form of Magnesium Sulphate or Epsom salts can be bought from Boots the chemist (as a foot/bath soak) or garden centres. My local garden centre had 25Kg for £15.


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## Martin in Holland (3 Apr 2015)

ian_m said:


> When someone has algae you look for issues with
> 
> light
> carbon
> ...


You forgot 4. over feeding fish


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## Laurie Dear (16 Apr 2015)

hi all, 

thanks for the comments. i'd like to just update you all on things as it was required by Julian.

I have bought a lighting system for it and currently awaiting for some dry salts of macro and micro nutrients so i can start dosing properly, as ian_m rightly mentioned previously.

I have not noticed any of the algae on newer leaves of my plants which is a good sign. so as you all recommended, sort my lighting out has been a good success so far.

i only feed my fish once a day and they eat it all within about 5 minutes, any little bits that get left are usually eaten by my shrimp.

so there's the update. i will let you know more once i start dosing proper ferts.

i do plan on getting a pressurised system, but that won't be for a while.

cheers!


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## Martin in Holland (17 Apr 2015)

Laurie Dear said:


> feed my fish once a day and they eat it all within about 5 minutes, any little bits that get left are usually eaten by my shrimp.


5 minutes is a bit long IMO, 2 minutes will be enough and shrimp need to do their job in eating algae not get lazy on left over food....don't over feed your system, more food equals more waist equals more algae.


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## Laurie Dear (17 Apr 2015)

OK thanks Martin. I shall cut down the food so it's gone within 2 minutes. And hopefully that will encourage shrimp to eat age too.


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## alto (17 Apr 2015)

Martin in China said:


> 5 minutes is a bit long IMO, 2 minutes will be enough and shrimp need to do their job in eating algae not get lazy on left over food....don't over feed your system, more food equals more waist equals more algae.



I feed frozen brine shrimp, daphnia, blood worm etc  - probably 90% is "gone" within the first minutes (I might get motivated to time this ... but probably not  ), then fish spend the next 30 or so min seeking out that last 10%; if there's virtually nothing left after 10 min, I'll add a bit more food (or plan on feeding a second time that day) 

I did rather have a laugh at your clever phrase 


> more food = more waist







Laurie Dear said:


> Fauna:
> 1 x BN pleco
> 1 x RCS
> 3 x malayasian shrimp


assuming this is your algae crew, I'd add in more shrimp & some otocinclus (who I find to be rather more efficient & dedicated than BN's - they certainly produce less waste )


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## Laurie Dear (17 Apr 2015)

Thanks alto for the suggestion. I'm just concerned about over crowding the tank as it's only 50litres. (this applies more to adding the otos.) I've seriously considered otos it's just a matter of overcrowding being the sole reason I haven't


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## OllieNZ (17 Apr 2015)

Laurie Dear said:


> Thanks alto for the suggestion. I'm just concerned about over crowding the tank as it's only 50litres. (this applies more to adding the otos.) I've seriously considered otos it's just a matter of overcrowding being the sole reason I haven't


Otos would be a better choice than the bn. Imo 50l is too small for a bn, it'll be okay while it's small but it will get big.


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## Laurie Dear (17 Apr 2015)

OllieNZ said:


> Otos would be a better choice than the bn. Imo 50l is too small for a bn, it'll be okay while it's small but it will get big.


Hi, I know. The tank was given enough to me with it in and ive just love him. He seems pretty happy and had several caves around my tank... Much to my annoyance but I'd rather him happy


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