Getting rid of green hair algae

[DrNic]

I'm starting to get hair algae in 2 of my tanks and would like to get rid of it. I don't mind the low level spot algae that i see but this stuff is just really ugly. It tends to grow on the plants toward the tops of the tanks where the light is brightest. Will the addition of ferts clear out this type of algae?

I included a photo (although I took it after I had manually removed most of it after my water change this afternoon)

[PostalPenguin]

You can spot treat Flourish Excel. Adding ferts will probably make it worse unless you add CO2.

[DrNic]

Is there any other way to get rid of this stuff? I've tried lowering my feeding but that doesn't really seem to be helping. Are there any fish that eat this?

[ko4000]

*Subscribing*

B/C I am seeing hair algae developing in the corner of one of my tanks. Its near a window... Grrrrrrrrrrrrr

[Algenco]

I spot treat with peroxide

[DrNic]

Will that hurt the plants or fish?

[ko4000]

I spot treat with peroxide

What exactly do you mean, how do you go about it?

[Algenco]

syringe with a small section of airline in place of a needle, turn off the filter, squirt peroxide on the effected areas, wait 5 min and turn the filter back on.
you can use 2-3 ml per gal if needed, and treat daily until it's gone, one treatment usually works

no harm to fish, very few plants are bothered by it

[ko4000]

Amazing. Learn something new ever day.

[DrNic]

I wasn't aware that H202 could be used for algae! That's great. I'm going to try it this weekend!!

[Algenco]

much cheaper than excel! The only plant I've heard it hurting was Willow leaf hygro.

Brush algae requires 2-3 treatments, green hair 1 usually works

[DrNic]

I gave the peroxide a try. It worked a little. Some of the aglae is brown now. I think I might not have actually hit the algae with the syringe. I'm going to try again this weekend and squirt a little harder.

More info to come.

[Sarkazmo]

I've been having issues with green hair algae and brown hair algae in my FW tank... so I read all the advice on AC and decided to go the Peroxide route. Though I did it a bit differently. The hair algae was covering my Java Moss so I took the moss out, genty squezed out the water then poured peroxide all over it and let it sit for a few moments then washed it with dechlorinated water to remove the peroxide. I've replaced it in my tank and the hair algae is gone... GONE. So now I got to wait and see if I've damaged the moss. I'll let everyone know how it turns out.

Sark

[Algenco]

I've been having issues with green hair algae and brown hair algae in my FW tank... so I read all the advice on AC and decided to go the Peroxide route. Though I did it a bit differently. The hair algae was covering my Java Moss so I took the moss out, genty squezed out the water then poured peroxide all over it and let it sit for a few moments then washed it with dechlorinated water to remove the peroxide. I've replaced it in my tank and the hair algae is gone... GONE. So now I got to wait and see if I've damaged the moss. I'll let everyone know how it turns out.

Sark

I soak plants in a solution of 1 part peroxide, 3 parts water for 5 minutes, not necessary to rinse.

[DrNic]

I think I'm going to try the dip method. I've tried dosing the tanks with 2-3ml per gallon but it's not doing that much. Some of the algae looks dead but most of it is still there.

[Sarkazmo]

I've been having issues with green hair algae and brown hair algae in my FW tank... so I read all the advice on AC and decided to go the Peroxide route. Though I did it a bit differently. The hair algae was covering my Java Moss so I took the moss out, genty squezed out the water then poured peroxide all over it and let it sit for a few moments then washed it with dechlorinated water to remove the peroxide. I've replaced it in my tank and the hair algae is gone... GONE. So now I got to wait and see if I've damaged the moss. I'll let everyone know how it turns out.


It's been three days since the treatment and the moss is looking better than ever. No hair algae anywhere on it!!! Since the Java Moss is so easy to remove and replace I think I'll stick with my method. It worked great!

Sark

[plantedlab]

Wow you learn something new every day! I have been having some hair algae issues lately myself. I will have to try this.

In a community tank I use American Flag Fish to eat har algae, but I also have shrimp only tanks. Are inverts sensative to Hydrogen Peroxide?

[Sarkazmo]

Hair algae is back but only lightly so I treated the moss as I did last time and it's gone again so this may end up being a weekly thing. I know I'm using too much light for too long and that's the main issue. Dunno if I can cut back on my Sancho viewing though! Have to watch my Betta.

Sark

[Zilla]

I've read elsewhere that too much iron can contribute to hair algae. If you haven't already, check water parameters and test for iron. If it comes up high, look to the contents of the ferts that are being used.

As I've been researching plant ferts and they're not all the same. Alot of them I wouldn't feed to my outdoor plants, never mind my tank plants. Lots of junk in them, much like many of the fish foods that are out there.

Plants only need traces of iron, not mega overdoses. :ssmile: Once the problem is located, there shouldn't be a need to use Peroxide or another type of fert to use as a algaecide. Is it just me, or is it scary that a well known company such as Seachem can make a product that can grow and kill something at the same time? I love SeaChem, but that's just weird and it won't be used in my tank.

[Sarkazmo]

I'm not using any fertilizers though I've got Eco-Complete as a substrate. I'm getting a master FW test kit (drips not strips! :P) at the begining of the month but it doesn't have an iron (FE) test. Typically, if you know how to make a thing flourish, you also know how to kill it. Ain't science wonderful??? ;)

Sark

[DrNic]

So far the peroxide dip has worked really well. On saturday I pulled out all the plants and dipped them in 35% H2O2 for 5 minutes, then replanted. The green hair algae looks gone and the black beard algae is definitely dead as well. A couple of the leaves on the java ferns are yellowing now but the main plants are fine. (I suspect that those are the leaves that were dead/dying anyway).

Now I have to figure out how to pull this off in my more sensitive tanks. I doubt my neons will like having all their plants pulled out. Hmmm....

[Zilla]

I'm not using any fertilizers though I've got Eco-Complete as a substrate. I'm getting a master FW test kit (drips not strips! :P) at the begining of the month but it doesn't have an iron (FE) test. Typically, if you know how to make a thing flourish, you also know how to kill it. Ain't science wonderful??? ;)

Sark

Sorry, I thought you said you were.

Will your LFS test your water for you? I ask this question with baited breath as I had one test mine and it proved to be a diaster, but if they are only looking for Iron in whatever water you're using, they shouldn't be able to mess it up too bad. If that comes up clean, then reduce your photoperiod that you've already mentioned and be mindful of overfeeding.

The Flourish thing is weird. I love SeaChem but I can't wrap brain around how their ferts work. As it is, I avoid them as I have Vals in my tank and their ferts are known to make them melt. Like I already said, if it can kill algae somewhere along the line it could and does kill plants.