Hair Algae? Fish to add to clean-up crew..

[schmofam]

I have some kind of hair algae growing on leaves. First, I'm curious about what type of algae this could be and then I wanted to ask the community about what type of fish could help clean it up. I already have ~35 Cherry Shrimp, a Narite, and a Mystery snail.

My tank specs-

20-gallon tank

Stock:

• 10 tetras
• 3 guppies
• ~35 shrimp
• the two snails mentioned above

I keep the tank at 77 degrees, pH ~7.3, ~50 gH

Edited February 21 by schmofam

[Pepere]

Algae eating livestock would not be my first course of action.

https://www.2hraquarist.com/blogs/algae-control/prevent-algae-growth

“Maintaining good plant health, and stable parameters are important as it allows plants to grow consistently healthy. Healthy plants produce anti-microbial chemicals that prevent pathogens and algae from attacking the plant. However, each time growth parameters are changed drastically, plants have to channel energy instead to re-program their enzymes to optimize for new conditions.”

“Under stress, plants will generally stop defending the older, less valuable leaves first. Algae will then opportunistically spawn on the affected (usually older) leaves. If the plant recovers in time, often affected leaves can recover. However, often the plant may choose instead to channel energy into producing new leaves, sacrificing the oldest leaves. Old leaves do not heal, and need to be trimmed away to make space for new growth. Preventing the plant from under going such periods of stress is important in keeping the tank algae free.”

 

https://www.2hraquarist.com/blogs/algae-control/how-do-you-control-algae-naturally

Reading every bit of info you can find on the 2 hr aquarist and putting it in to action is well worth the effort.  Information I learned on the site allowed me to transform my display tanks to have no visible algae.  Granted they are co2 injected tanks which makes the task much easier.

 

iI am currently working on another non co2 supplemented tank and trying to refine my skills to keep that one free of visible algae as well…. I am not there yet, but it is oh so much better than any of my prior attempts…

[Pepere]

Just to add, I recently discovered by reading the 2 hr aquarist site, that in a co2 supplemented tank it takes about 2 weeks for plants to adjust and reprogram and to see a response in terms of robust new growth.

 

In a tank that is not supplemented with co2 it takes longer.  Possibly as long as 6 weeks to determine if your changes are making a difference.  
 

Changes will be observed in terms of new growth.  Oftentimes the old growth will be abandoned by the plant, and as a leaf is getting weaker it leaches organics from the leaves that algae likes to munch on…

[schmofam]

Thanks, I'll check that out. My tank is not supplemented it appears I will have to wait.