J. Holmes Posted January 22, 2023 Share Posted January 22, 2023 So… I get this algae off and on. It generally stays on the tips of my Val and doesn’t spread. But now it’s attacking my plants. It’s this strange brown hairy algae. I’ve also go green dust algae collecting on my tiger lotus, so I know something is out of whack. I’m just not sure how to figure out how. I’ve got 3 zebra Nerites, 3 horned Nerites, 6 Amanos, and 2 Ottos. No one seems to get rid of this stuff. water: 29 gallon temp: 77 lights: 8 hours. 4 in morning. Break. 4 in the evening. CO2: just added a month ago. Indicator turned green last week. Ferts: root tabs and easy green,iron, Potassium once a month: water changes: every two weeks. levels: Nitrates: 20 PH: 6.8 (lower than wanted. Working on it) nitrites: 0 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Theplatymaster Posted January 22, 2023 Share Posted January 22, 2023 often hair algae is caused by too much iron. Nerite snails and otocinclus are flat algae eaters, they wont touch it, while amanos will eat it if they are hungry. I recommend fasting the tank for a week. The animals (Assuming its not super young fry) will be fine, and the amanos should start working at the algae. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lennie Posted January 22, 2023 Share Posted January 22, 2023 Seems like staghorn algae to me. But I cannot see clearly, might be a mistake. Can you google staghorn algae and compare it to yours in person? That might help! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J. Holmes Posted January 23, 2023 Author Share Posted January 23, 2023 On 1/22/2023 at 3:06 PM, Lennie said: Seems like staghorn algae to me. But I cannot see clearly, might be a mistake. Can you google staghorn algae and compare it to yours in person? That might help! Definitely staghorn! I was reading where people use injectable CO2 and spot treat. Anyone had success with that? I’ll take a break on fertilizer and do a short fast with the fish as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lennie Posted January 23, 2023 Share Posted January 23, 2023 On 1/23/2023 at 5:26 PM, J. Holmes said: I was reading where people use injectable CO2 and spot treat. Anyone had success with that? If you ask me, I would personally not use it, especially considering I am keeping shrimp and snails. It may work, but I don't wanna such stuff to my tank still. I think it is a better idea to dip stuff into it in a seperate container. I will share a video below 🙂 you may check on this topic I've found. If I'm not wrong the guy who wrote the post in detail is a Biochemistry Professor (Dirk Bellstedt). At least it was mentioned as so in reddit. I directly link the related page where he commented on. https://tropicalaquarium.co.za/threads/so-who-uses-excel-gluteraldehyde.5411/page-3 hope it helps, here is the video: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JettsPapa Posted January 23, 2023 Share Posted January 23, 2023 (edited) On 1/23/2023 at 8:52 AM, Lennie said: If you ask me, I would personally not use it, especially considering I am keeping shrimp and snails. It may work, but I don't wanna such stuff to my tank still. I think it is a better idea to dip stuff into it in a seperate container. I will share a video below 🙂 I've used Excel a number of times and haven't noticed it harming my shrimp or snails. I've found it to be fairly effective on black bearded algae and staghorn algae, and completely useless against hair algae. Persistent removal by hand combined with regular water changes seems to be most effective against it (at least for me). Edited January 23, 2023 by JettsPapa 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J. Holmes Posted January 23, 2023 Author Share Posted January 23, 2023 On 1/23/2023 at 11:37 AM, JettsPapa said: I've used Excel a number of times and haven't noticed it harming my shrimp or snails. I've found it to be fairly effective on black bearded algae and staghorn algae, and completely useless against hair algae. Persistent removal by hand combined with regular water changes seems to be most effective against it (at least for me). Did you just put it in the tank, remove the plant completely or just spot treat? It’s kinda in patches in mine and then has completely engulfed one plant. Buts it got very shallow roots and I’m not sure it could handle being pulled out and replanted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JettsPapa Posted January 23, 2023 Share Posted January 23, 2023 On 1/23/2023 at 10:43 AM, J. Holmes said: Did you just put it in the tank, remove the plant completely or just spot treat? It’s kinda in patches in mine and then has completely engulfed one plant. Buts it got very shallow roots and I’m not sure it could handle being pulled out and replanted. I treat the whole tank. The only time I've removed a plant and treated it separately was when I was trying to kill hair algae in a clump of java moss (it didn't work). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lennie Posted January 23, 2023 Share Posted January 23, 2023 Doesn't excel kill Jungle val? @JettsPapa I remember reading lots of stuff that excel melting Jungle Val. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JettsPapa Posted January 23, 2023 Share Posted January 23, 2023 On 1/23/2023 at 11:15 AM, Lennie said: Doesn't excel kill Jungle val? @JettsPapa I remember reading lots of stuff that excel melting Jungle Val. It may set it back a little, but it doesn't kill mine. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J. Holmes Posted January 23, 2023 Author Share Posted January 23, 2023 On 1/23/2023 at 12:15 PM, Lennie said: Doesn't excel kill Jungle val? @JettsPapa I remember reading lots of stuff that excel melting Jungle Val. I do not have jungle Val…. I don’t think 😬. Just Val that I bought from Coop a year ago Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JettsPapa Posted January 23, 2023 Share Posted January 23, 2023 On 1/23/2023 at 11:24 AM, J. Holmes said: I do not have jungle Val…. I don’t think 😬. Just Val that I bought from Coop a year ago Maybe I should have clarified. Mine is corkscrew val. I doubt the different varieties are affected differently by Excel, but I could be wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lennie Posted January 23, 2023 Share Posted January 23, 2023 On 1/23/2023 at 8:24 PM, J. Holmes said: I do not have jungle Val…. I don’t think 😬. Just Val that I bought from Coop a year ago I feel like Jungle val is how people generally call it the easy way. I doubt different varieties react differently as well 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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