How to deal with thread or string algae on plants?

[martinmin]

My tank has an algae boom on plants' leaves and stems, green hair-like or thread like algae. It's very hard to get rid of from plants' stem or leaves. I can easily pull plants off from the soil when trying to removing thread algae.

Does green killing machine kill this type of algae?  What about easy-carbon? Amano shrimps are too small for this algae, I think. Just one single thread of algae is very long. How many shrimps can eat this single thread algae? Otocinclus catfish o is not famous for eating this algae either.  Manual removal is hard, and they come back quickly.

Please advice any solutions that may eliminate it.

 

 

[martinmin]

On 10/5/2023 at 9:53 PM, martinmin said:

My tank has an algae boom on plants' leaves and stems, green hair-like or thread like algae. It's very hard to get rid of from plants' stem or leaves. I can easily pull plants off from the soil when trying to removing thread algae.

Does green killing machine kill this type of algae?  What about easy-carbon? Amano shrimps are too small for this algae, I think. Just one single thread of algae is very long. How many shrimps can eat this single thread algae? Otocinclus catfish o is not famous for eating this algae either.  Manual removal is hard, and they come back quickly.

Please advice any solutions that may eliminate it.

 

 

Just searched and seems to be able to kill long thread algae. But how to measure 3% solution? I usually guess or use eye-measurement. I am afraid it may kill my fishes. I have easy-carbon, will use this too but it may not be effective to treat this algae.

[Zeaqua]

Recently had an issue with hair algae on some swords and val wasn’t sure what to do for a few months, so I decided to half the lighting hours. No new growth has any algae, but I might need some Amanos or SAEs to clean up what’s left.

[martinmin]

On 10/6/2023 at 7:28 AM, Pepere said:

I used to have this type of Algae… along with hair algae, black beard algae, staghorn algae, green spot, green dust..

I dont have any visible growths of any of them currently…

I tried Easy Carbon daily for months and even over dosed it and or spot dosed it on algae….   As well as hydrogen peroxide….   Neither had any lasting results…. Daily dosing easy carbon really didnt seem to do much of anything…

Removing as much as I could manually several times a week, injecting CO2 to 30 ppm, trimming away infested plants replanting healthy growing algae free tops, maintaining stable water hardness and fertilizer levels, increasing light intensity, thinning out dense growth so flow is not inhibited, increasing flow with a canister filter spray bar set up, weekly 50% water changes brought me to no visible algae outbreaks…

It takes months to accomplish.  I know, it is not nearly as appealing as measuring a solution and adding it…. But the big difference is it actually worked and the other method did not….  
 

Thats my experience anyway…

3 infested tanks now free of visible infestation…

Based on description it seems hydrogen peroxide is effective, so sad to hear it is not working. I plan to use it and easy carbon as well.

Most suggestions are lower lighting. But you suggested increase lighting. Is this a typo? 

 

On 10/6/2023 at 7:49 AM, Zeaqua said:

Recently had an issue with hair algae on some swords and val wasn’t sure what to do for a few months, so I decided to half the lighting hours. No new growth has any algae, but I might need some Amanos or SAEs to clean up what’s left.

Only reducing lighting helps? I will try too. Halving it is a lot though

[martinmin]

I guess my problem was that one time I trimmed plants too much so algae started to grow and take over.

 

I agree that lighting shouldn't be reduced.