Safe Algaecide?

[Mercfh]

So I know in general to treat the root cause....and I think adding c02 should help with that. However I do want something to help curb the algae thats already built onto leaves.

Is there anything thats actually safe out there? I've heard horror stories with algaefix and the like.

Outside of that, I know SAE's eat hair algae but is there anything else that will actually eat green hair algae?

[Tony s]

Rosy barbs and Mollies are decent at hair algae removal. 

[tolstoy21]

SAE's are great for hair algae, but my experience is that they won't eat it if its overly long. Also, they can get about 6" so they aren't great for smaller aquariums. I've read all over the internet that they stop eating algae once they get older, but this is not my experience.

I have found an SAE and some otos to be great at keeping algae at bay.

[Pepere]

On 9/30/2024 at 9:31 PM, Mercfh said:

However I do want something to help curb the algae thats already built onto leaves.

My general experience has been that leaves with significant algae growth seldom get better.    Oftentimes the plant has reprogrammed itself to suit changed conditions in new growth, due to alteration of conditions, and have stopped expending energy to defend the old growth…

 

Typically new growth is algae free and old growth gets algae predominantly at the leaf margins as the leaves become leaky and waste organics leach out of them that Algae seems to have an affinity for.

I have had better success removing the infested leaves.  Removal stimulates new growth and eliminates light shading and flow restriction and removes a lot of Algae at once that could break free fragments to spread algae…

Sometimes cutting new growth tops and replanting them and discarding old bottoms is best.

 

I would caution you to wait a few weeks after dialing in your co2 and fertilizers and lights before doing this as those changes will start the plant reprogramming to new conditions again…

 

Once co2, and ferts are optimized, and the plant has had time to readjust to new conditions growth should really take off…

 

My favorite quote from my favorite plant related website, the 2 hr aquarist below.

 

”

Plants that are growing robustly produce an array of anti-microbial chemicals; various  alkaloids, terpenes, phenolics, as a defence against pathogens and microbes. Plants will prioritize defending the valuable new leaves first, as these newest leaves are optimized and adapted to the current environment and contribute the most. Leaves have limited plasticity, so older leaves have limited ability to be adapted to new environments. Parallel to this, the plant may draw reserve energy and nutrients from older leaves to fund the growth of new leaves. The bigger the change in environment, the more we see this in play. As the plant abandon defending the older leaves, metabolites leak from the leaf margins and attract algae to spawn.

 

While the exact mechanism of plant defences and algae triggers can be complicated, the useful observation is this: Old or unhealthy leaves attract algae, while robustly grown, fresh new leaves are algae resistant. While hobbyists have been obsessed with correlating particular nutrients or parameters with algae growth, the far more common trigger for algae in most tanks is unhealthy/old leaves which plants have given up defending. Plants sacrifice old growth when they are under adaptation stress or not getting their needs fulfilled.””