Algae combat techniques

[bluerose]

I have several kinds of algae... regular green stuff that grows on the tank walls, some brush algae, and then what might be blue-green algae that's growing along the walls in my substrate.

The brush I can handle with a nice H202 dip on the Anubias, but I'm not sure if I can do the same to my Java Ferns and the other plant I have (sort of a grassy type but is in bunches... possibly Dwarf Subulata? can't find it online at the moment).

Also, would Excel melt these plants or no?

 

[WhiteDevil]

Excel wont melt plants. its plant food.


you can dip any plants to my knowledge.

Does it look like this ?

I have that stuff and its dwarf subulata

 

[bluerose]

Excel melts Anacharis-- lost all of mine on the second dose of Excel. So... while it is fertilizer, it doesn't agree with all of them and I believe H202 melts them as well. At this point I probably will do all of the dipping/cleaning when I move my tank in a couple of weeks.

Yup, that appears to be the plant I have. Cool looking with my ferns as foreground except that they have a habit of coming unplanted...

 

[kaiofcanada]

Actually some anacharis and some vals are known to melt with excel. I also recently found that limnophila also melt with higher doses of excel. I have had to decrease the dose amount from 2ml every two days to 1ml every day, for the limnophila and for one of my fish that gets sick at full dose. The limnophila stills looks a bit sickly, but it is finally growing again and putting up new shoots.

I am not sure about the plants you have.

I use an unused toothbrush to scrub off the algae that grows along the substrate line. It is easier that using the big brushes and you can control the pressure better. Run it under hot water first and smush the bristles a bit with your thumb before using.

You can use an algae brush for glass or acrylic to get the green stuff off the walls. I have a batch of otos that really should be fired for their lack of passion for cleaning the walls. They seem to prefer cleaning the driftwood. You mighht consider some other algae eaters depending on your preference: plecos, bristlenose plecos, siamese or chinese algae eaters and several varieties of shrimp. I am very excited to be getting some snowball shrimp from bs6749. He breeds snowballs, yellow and red cherry shrimp and some crystal varieties.

As for the brush algae, I know siamese algae eaters love this kind.

 

[cpeluso]

What about a product such as API "Algaefix?" It's supposed to "control many kinds of algae without harming fish or plants." It looks like the active ingredient is polyethylene dichloride.

 

[kaiofcanada]

What about a product such as API "Algaefix?" It's supposed to "control many kinds of algae without harming fish or plants." It looks like the active ingredient is polyethylene dichloride.

I try not to use chemicals such as that. Instead, I try to balance the problem. Afterall, we have the problems for a reason, and if they persist then you will always be dumping more stuff in your tank. Algae grows typically because something is either in abundance, such as nutrients or limited, such as light.

That product might work. I really would not know. It's all preference though. I would try to balance whatever is off to control the algae growth first.

 

[jsoong]

Excel wont melt plants. its plant food.

you can dip any plants to my knowledge.

Excel isn't like fertilizer, it is an organic carbon CO2 substitute & fairly reactive. <That 's why it kills algae.>

It will kill plants without stomata ... including Vals, anacharis, hornwort, etc. I found that the Excel sensitive plants are also intolerant of Bleach or H2O2. <So basically, I have not found any easy dips/ or other ways to kill algae with these plants.>

 

[FishEggs]

you can try doing the diy yeast co2 generator. i notice when mine gets low the algae starts peeking in so i switch it out with a new mix. if you dont want to do co2 you should probably cut back on your light cycle.