Algae on Christmas Moss

[CalRed]

Can anyone help me identify this algae on my Christmas moss and what to do next?
Its on no other plants and emerged in the last fortnight. Ive just started EI dosing 3 days ago on my high tech 90l.
Thank you

 

[thesorcerous]

Someone who knows more than me may be able to confirm, but it looks a lot like the algae in my tank which I think is Rhizoclonium. I am currently having a lot of problems removing it. Like you, it started on a moss culture. I try to physically remove as much as I can as often as I can.

Rob

 

[G H Nelson]

Rhizoclonium
Description	Strands of fine green or brownish threads which are soft and slimy.
Cause	Low CO2 and poor water flow. Low nutrient levels. General lack of maintenance.
Removal	Increase CO2 levels and check nutrient dosing. Give the tank a good cleaning. Overdosing Excel, EasyCarbo or TNC Carbon should also clear it. Amano shrimp will eat it.

 

[CalRed]

​

Rhizoclonium
Description	Strands of fine green or brownish threads which are soft and slimy.
Cause	Low CO2 and poor water flow. Low nutrient levels. General lack of maintenance.
Removal	Increase CO2 levels and check nutrient dosing. Give the tank a good cleaning. Overdosing Excel, EasyCarbo or TNC Carbon should also clear it. Amano shrimp will eat it.

Thank you for that. Interesting to read the causes. Picking up some Amano at the weekend and already made the switch to EI dosing with dry salts from TNC complete so hopefully the situation will improve. Thanks for your help

 

[CalRed]

​

Rhizoclonium
Description	Strands of fine green or brownish threads which are soft and slimy.
Cause	Low CO2 and poor water flow. Low nutrient levels. General lack of maintenance.
Removal	Increase CO2 levels and check nutrient dosing. Give the tank a good cleaning. Overdosing Excel, EasyCarbo or TNC Carbon should also clear it. Amano shrimp will eat it.

Thank you for that. Interesting to read the causes. Picking up some Amano at the weekend and already made the switch to EI dosing with dry salts from TNC complete so hopefully the situation will improve.

Someone who knows more than me may be able to confirm, but it looks a lot like the algae in my tank which I think is Rhizoclonium. I am currently having a lot of problems removing it. Like you, it started on a moss culture. I try to physically remove as much as I can as often as I can.

Rob

Hi Rob,
Frustrating that its developing on the Moss. Its something I've had trouble with in the past albeit with a different algae. The plan was to grow it, trim and attach to more sections of hardscape but so far its all been riddled with algae so i've had to bin it. Hopefully the Amano help stop it from developing once its trimmed. Do you have shrimp in your setup?

 

[thesorcerous]

Yes, I have a few amano shrimp (I think 5, but it's hard to count them), and a population of cherry shrimp. I have just bought some Siamese Algae Eaters to deal with the other algae, and I have also reduced light, increased CO2 as much as I dare and I have stopped liquid carbon dosing.

 

[CalRed]

Upping my CO2 is something I haven't tried. Maybe it's worth giving it a go. One thing that could be improved is having 30ppm at lights on. It's usually an hour in until i hit lime green on the drop checker. Haven't tried Excel as of yet. If the shrimp don't improve the situation i'll give that a go

 

[CalRed]

Yes, I have a few amano shrimp (I think 5, but it's hard to count them), and a population of cherry shrimp. I have just bought some Siamese Algae Eaters to deal with the other algae, and I have also reduced light, increased CO2 as much as I dare and I have stopped liquid carbon dosing.

Any joy since making the changes?

 

[Emil.]

Haven't tried Excel

Don't. It could kill the moss completely.

 

[thesorcerous]

Any joy since making the changes?

Yes, the growth of the algae has slowed, and the SAEs have made a dent in the algae growing on some of the leaves and hardscape. I think I will try a total replant in about a month though to really try to kick it out.

 

[CalRed]

Yes, the growth of the algae has slowed, and the SAEs have made a dent in the algae growing on some of the leaves and hardscape. I think I will try a total replant in about a month though to really try to kick it out.

When you say a replant do you mean pull stems out and replace with new? Im always dubious about pulling out deep rooted stems in case they release root tab nutrients into the water column. I suppose a water change would negate it but I don't like risking it.

 

[Fred Dulley]

Im always dubious about pulling out deep rooted stems in case they release root tab nutrients into the water column.

Why would that be an issue?

 

[CalRed]

I'm still struggling big time with my algae issues. EI dosing 15ml micro and macro every day and CO2 injection.
I recently tried using a light dimmer and that seems to have brought on more thread algae on top of my diatom algae that is present on the moss in the above photo.

Phosphates are 0.5ppm
Nitrates are about 1-2ppm ( havent dosed micro and macro for last 2 days)

I'd appreciate any advice.
To make matters just that little bit worse I've somehow managed to kickstart an invasive snail baby boom. Lovely stuff!!

 

[zozo]

Believe it or not, but Black molly is a fierce alga destroyer... Beter than Amono shrimps and less expensive... I once used a couple when my tank suffered from filamentous algae and they helped a great deal... It's not my favorite fish, thus after they did what they had to do I gave them away for free... Don't know about the UK, but we have a website where we can offer 2nd hand goods and stuff, I did put an announcement on this site "Black molly's ready to pick up for free." And they were gone within a day and my phone kept ringing for days after that people asking if I had more.

With the words For Free, they come crawling from under the rocks to get it, it seems. 🙂

 

[CalRed]

Believe it or not, but Black molly is a fierce alga destroyer... Beter than Amono shrimps and less expensive... I once used a couple when my tank suffered from filamentous algae and they helped a great deal... It's not my favorite fish, thus after they did what they had to do I gave them away for free... Don't know about the UK, but we have a website where we can offer 2nd hand goods and stuff, I did put an announcement on this site "Black molly's ready to pick up for free." And they were gone within a day and my phone kept ringing for days after that people asking if I had more.

With the words For Free, they come crawling from under the rocks to get it, it seems. 🙂

Hi zozo, appreciate the advice. I'll bear that in mind regarding the black mollys. To be honest i think i need help in achieving balance in my tank with ferts co2 and light to get to the root cause of my issues. The molly may help me to rid the tank of existing algae along the way but i've found it just comes back stronger after manual removal.

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

I'm still struggling big time with my algae issues.

It is either <"Fragilaria (Synedra) a filamentous diatom"> or Rhizoclonium a Green Algae. My guess would be diatoms, which will feel slightly gritty when you rub the algal filaments between your fingers.

I've never really suffered from either of these, so hopefully some-one else will be able to advise you.

cheers Darrel

 

[zozo]

In some, if not many cases this balance can't often be forced and needs to develop and mature. Meanwhile, we are pulling hears trying this and that and what not more, and then we lose track in the labyrinth or remedies. And then suddenly it's all gone again, going the right way...

Leaving you/us guessing what it was we did that did it...

IMHO we are not creating but only guiding this balance in the right direction... Where patience more often is a virtue... 🙂

Try the famous blackout, this does wonder with the least impact, work and cost other than not having visual fun for a couple of days.

 

[Hufsa]

I dont know exactly what kind of green thread algae species I have, but what has helped the most for me is turning the lights down. Im running low tech / no CO2 though.

 

[Kezzab]

Can you post some more info about your co2 regime, lighting and ferts? It's even more of a guessing game than usual without that.

I've recently solved persistent green filament algae in Xmas moss by improving/increasing co2, 100% light, regular 50% water changes every 48hrs, roughly speaking double dosing TNC complete, and using Easy Life Algexit.

The tank has no livestock, so I can be a bit more extreme.

 

[CalRed]

Can you post some more info about your co2 regime, lighting and ferts? It's even more of a guessing game than usual without that.

I've recently solved persistent green filament algae in Xmas moss by improving/increasing co2, 100% light, regular 50% water changes every 48hrs, roughly speaking double dosing TNC complete, and using Easy Life Algexit.

The tank has no livestock, so I can be a bit more extreme.

So my CO2 regime is 1pm till 9pm.

Photoperiod 3pm till 10pm.
Starting from 40% to 75% which is reached at 7pm. From 9pm it dims down to 0% at 10pm. The light is 269 par which i thought would be a little intense? Hence the dimmer I use.

Ferts are 15ml Micro and Macro Aquarium Plant Food dosed on alternate days.

Tank is heavily planted and probably has around 70L of water in it id say.

I carry out 50 - 70% water changes weekly. Usually down to the amount of waste i have to remove.