8g Fluval Flora Journal

[Sillyfishies]

That was NOT what I was expecting! KILL IT! KILL WITH FIRE!

 

[Tyler D]

Almost looks like the roots of your plant extending upwards

 

[Zimmanski]

That was NOT what I was expecting! KILL IT! KILL WITH FIRE!

Haha I know its pretty awful stuff!

 

[Coyne]

I have something similar in my Fluval 3.

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

Take a turkey baster to it and see if it sucks out easily? It looks like a really think grown out rhizo or something.

 

[Zimmanski]

Take a turkey baster to it and see if it sucks out easily? It looks like a really think grown out rhizo or something.

It does come out fairly easy, the large clumps do anyway. I've used the turkey baster and the water changer to get a lot of it out before the blackout

 

[Billbug68]

Yeah, mine wasn't nearly that bad. It was almost like my diatoms turned fuzzy and started to look like that, covering my HC. It eventually went away, I think the Amanos liked to munch on it...

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

Yeah mine disappeared too when I added Amano shrimp to my GF's tank.. also I did a lot of manual removal.

I was also getting it in my tank, which didn't have shrimp. The Otos weren't touching it. I tried a little bit of algaefix since I didn't have shrimp in this tank (not invert safe). The rhizo turned white and disappeared in a couple of days.

 

[Billbug68]

Yeah mine disappeared too when I added Amano shrimp to my GF's tank.. also I did a lot of manual removal.

I was also getting it in my tank, which didn't have shrimp. The Otos weren't touching it. I tried a little bit of algaefix since I didn't have shrimp in this tank (not invert safe). The rhizo turned white and disappeared in a couple of days.

*GASP!* Algaefix??? How dare you, Brian... :rotfl:

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

The stuff works..use in moderation and carefully. Tom Barr recommended it. Works for stubborn stuff like Spiro and Rhizo where shrimp aren't present.

 

[Jkeating8]

I had a little bout with Rhizo a while back. I think it hitch hiked on a plant or something. One day I noticed like 1/6 of my substrate covered in it. I drew up some H2o2 and knocked it out with one dose. Hasn't come back. Although, on decaying plant leaves sometimes I get this weird hair algae. It's only on dying leaves though.

 

[Rivercats]

That looks like Rhizoclonium algae. Is it soft and sort of slimy? It is usually found in still water, low CO2, and is easy to kill with peroxide.

 

[Zimmanski]

That looks like Rhizoclonium algae. Is it soft and sort of slimy? It is usually found in still water, low CO2, and is easy to kill with peroxide.

Yes, I've discovered that's what it is, I've increased the water flow a couple weeks ago and hit it with peroxide before. The peroxide worked but not like it has on other algae a in the past. I'm a little weary of using peroxide and other chemicals because of the tank size and because it houses snails and corydoras so that's why I have been trying the more natural approaches lately.

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

Check out post #305 by Tom Barr... I hate using chemicals too but I'm a believer after using it sparingly. It's just another tool.

http://www.barrreport.com/showthread.php/9553-120-gallon-Dutch-Planted-something-or-another/page31

Especially where he states, "So far this product [algaefix] was effective killing the most troublesome hair algae species(Rhizo, Spirogyra, Vaucheria, Cladophora)."

 

[Rivercats]

I'll tell you what tho, Algaefix also has a bad habit of killing fish for no apparent reason. I've used it a few times in the ponds over the years and don't even like using it there. Some people have great results with this products and others end up with a bunch of dead fish.

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

I wonder if it's user error somehow though... i've used it twice with no ill-effect to my fish (including the pygmy corys). It knocked out that nasty spiro I had. Didn't even harm my flame moss.

But yes... if you can knock out what you have w/out chemicals other than Glut or h202, by all means... but I'm just sharing what I learned about it (via Tom Barr) and my own experience using it.

 

[Billbug68]

I read somewhere that it's just as effective at half the recommended dose, and fish showed no signs of gasping or stress, like they did at full dose.

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

Yeah I used it 'sparingly' at less than the recommended dose. I removed any absorbers such as carbon/purigen when I'm treating. During the treatment, I also used an airstone since I read somewhere that it has an affect on the o2 levels. After I'm done treating with it, I completed the process with a nice hefty water change. Then added in some carbon to remove any residual chemicals.

 

[Billbug68]

Actually thinking about trying it... My manzanita branches looks like I've got moss tied to it...