What’s this….Java Moss? Is it unhealthy for fish and shrimp?

[Virg]

I have Danios, shrimps and Hillstream Loaches in my 10-gallon freshwater.  

Can anyone identify this moss that is quickly spreading?  Is it unhealthy for the water system?  I have both a bubbler water filter and an outside water filter to keep the tank aerated, not sure about this plant?

 Thanks so much for your feedback.

[Guppysnail]

Hair algae. Out of control fish can get tangled. Other than that it sucks up nutrients and oxygen. Use a new toothbrush or fork it comes right off. Cut back or shut off blue lights. Blue instantly grows hair algae in my tanks (red grows staghorn). 

Welcome to the forum. Excess nutrients also contribute 

Light length and intensity also contribute to hair algae. 

[lefty o]

green hair algae. agree with the above.

[Patrick_G]

Maybe cut back on the time you’re running your lights to 7 hours. I’d also do a water change. It looks like you have quite a bit of evaporation. That can concentrate excess nutrients in the water and encourage algae growth. 

[Torrey]

Supposedly, you can roll hair algae into a ball and use it in replacement of the moss balls that are no longer available due to zebra mussels. 

I have tried, and my opinion is the hair algae we are able to grow wants to be rolled several times a day, and is therefore too labor intensive for this particular fishkeeper😅

@JoeQ has a fabulous trick for removing hair algae, it's even more effective than my recommendation to twirl a clean toothbrush to pick it up.😁

[JoeQ]

On 2/15/2022 at 3:34 PM, Torrey said:

Supposedly, you can roll hair algae into a ball and use it in replacement of the moss balls that are no longer available due to zebra mussels. 

I have tried, and my opinion is the hair algae we are able to grow wants to be rolled several times a day, and is therefore too labor intensive for this particular fishkeeper😅

@JoeQ has a fabulous trick for removing hair algae, it's even more effective than my recommendation to twirl a clean toothbrush to pick it up.😁

This looks like a lot and id probably use a fork then a unused tooth brush. For mine which is usually a long errant stran I use a twisted pipe cleaner (usually twisted into a spring shape) or any other shape which will best remove the whole stran. I also second it's most likely caused more so by over fertilization than from your lights.  

[Virg]

Thanks!