Brown hair string algae?

[Kennan Ho]

I have a 180g rimless tank that is a iguwami style with mountain scapes, and was set up maybe 3 months ago. Tank is fully cycled with 2 Oase 850 and running c02 at 4-5 bps.

Drop checker shows lime green so I believe I am within range.

Lights on at 11am, off at 7pm

KH 4-5
GH 6-7 (slowly dropping to 4-5)

Co2 On - PH 6.5 - 6.6 (co2 on at 10am, off at 6pm)
Co2 Off - 7.1 - 7.2

The tank mainly has HC Cuba and growing decently, and I used some marimo moss ball flattened on a stone as flat surface also. Can someone tell me what algae is growing on the moss? When I touch it, its brown, and can easily be sucked up. Just curious what I have to do to get rid of it. Thanks

 

[wearsbunnyslippers]

i think it is rhizoclonium, its common in new setups, clean up crew like ottos and amanos will eat it,, sucking it up carefully with some air tubing also helps, but it should go way once the tank settles in..

 

[Teleos]

... marimo moss ball flattened on a stone as flat surface also. Can someone tell me what algae is growing on the moss? When I touch it, its brown, and can easily be sucked up. Just curious what I have to do to get rid of it. Thanks

The moss ball is an algae. Suck off the other algae growing on it as far as possible.

 

[Sonic33]

clean up crew but I would at many more helping plants or weeds just until the tank is balaced

 

[Little]

Lovely rocks.
I suggest throwing in an absolute ton of floating plants at least till your tank is stable and grown in.

 

[Joelhill84]

I’m having a similar problem, I started my tank 5 weeks ago

It’s got quite a lot of plants, I’m injecting co2, reduced my lighting to 6 hours and reduced intensity to the 2nd to lowest setting (x2 twinstar 85g’s)

I’m doing 2 50% water changes a week, ammonia stays at 0 and nitrates consistently around 5ppm, KH and GH both less than 1, PH is less than 6 so I’m relying on plant growth keeping down ammonia levels when I eventually add shrimp to the tank.

I’m dosing 2ml of Tropica specialised nutrition a day

I’m still getting a lot of brown hair algae mostly on my Christmas moss.

Would it be ok with the same method and just get a lot of floating plants? I thought about taking out the moss until the tank is more mature because it’s quite close to the lights, but the algae does slowly grow on my Monte Carlo and wood as well. Plant growth has massively slowed down since I turned down light intensity but algae not very much.

 

[bazz]

It is quite possible that it is Diatoms but difficult to tell without a photograph, if so, snails and shrimp will eat it or manual removal, i.e. agitation and sucking up during a water change.

It’s got quite a lot of plants, I’m injecting co2, reduced my lighting to 6 hours and reduced intensity to the 2nd to lowest setting (x2 twinstar 85g’s)

Plant growth has massively slowed down since I turned down light intensity but algae not very much.

What was your light setting before? Your plants may well be now not getting enough light but possibly the algae is. I would personally give them at least 7 hours with a half hour ramp either side, if possible. Difficult to comment on intensity without a photo (quite difficult with). Once set up (not too bright), then try to give them some stability, they will forever be on the backfoot with fluctuating parameters.

I’m doing 2 50% water changes a week, ammonia stays at 0 and nitrates consistently around 5ppm, KH and GH both less than 1, PH is less than 6

I would give my right arm for that tap water, but I would consider upping the GH to about 4, Calcium Sulphate and/or Calcium Chloride and Magnesium Sulphate (Epsom Salt) are cheap and cheerful, the KH is fine if you want Shrimp. Ramshorn Snails (if desired) and Caridina Shrimp are probably your best bet with those parameters, if you want to keep Neos and Nerites up them both a little more. If you ever want to breed Tetras or Chocolate Gouramis etc, just use it straight out of the tap.
Keep up with water changes.
Cheers!

 

[bazz]

...and Yes, get some floating plants!

 

[Joelhill84]

i had it on 4/7 before and there was a lot of it, so I reduced to 2/7, I do have two of the lights as well though. I’ve attached some pictures of the tank with that brightness and what some of the algae looks like, my phone camera is broken though so quality isn’t great..

It is easily sucked up using some airline though which is a bonus.

I’ve seen a lot of people recommend salty shrimp? Will that be ok? I was thinking of just keeping it a shrimp tank but I’m also toying with the idea of having some chilli rasboras too, would I need something to raise the KH as well or just GH?

I have a 30l tank upstairs that I used to have shrimp in, it was my first tank but they all died off after a couple of years so I upgraded to this 115l and now I just use it to throw spare plants in to grow now, it grows my moss better with no co2 and a cheap light, no water changes better than my main tank does, it’s funny how sometimes less is more

 

[Joelhill84]

FYI the pictures are after I’d just done a big cleanup of all the algae I’m not being overly dramatic hahah!

 

[bazz]

i had it on 4/7 before and there was a lot of it, so I reduced to 2/7, I do have two of the lights as well though. I’ve attached some pictures of the tank with that brightness and what some of the algae looks like, my phone camera is broken though so quality isn’t great..

It is easily sucked up using some airline though which is a bonus.

I’ve seen a lot of people recommend salty shrimp? Will that be ok? I was thinking of just keeping it a shrimp tank but I’m also toying with the idea of having some chilli rasboras too, would I need something to raise the KH as well or just GH?

I have a 30l tank upstairs that I used to have shrimp in, it was my first tank but they all died off after a couple of years so I upgraded to this 115l and now I just use it to throw spare plants in to grow now, it grows my moss better with no co2 and a cheap light, no water changes better than my main tank does, it’s funny how sometimes less is more

Looks like Diatoms to me, they should disappear naturally over the next couple of weeks as your tank matures. Light intensity looks good (from the photo) for a new tank, just keep the photoperiod stable, and keep an eye on the plants, if they begin to look to like they are beginning to suffer (the carpet plants will probably be the first) you can up the lights a notch (or maybe one at a time (the front one)). If floating plants are added and they begin to cover the surface, again, up the intensity a little.
You will have to decide which Shrimp you are aiming for, Chilis would love your pure tap water, but Shrimp may need a few more minerals. Salty Shrimp will be fine (but expensive for what it is), use GH+ for Caridina and GH/KH+ for Neos.
If you just want to increase the KH using separate salts (as mentioned in the previous post), Potassium Bicarbonate is probably the best bet.
To be honest, your tank looks to be in very good shape for it's age, so I think what you are doing so far is going down the right track, just keep it as clean and stable as possible.
P.S. You ought to start your own thread, a Journals is good, keeping all your info and progression in one place.
Cheers!