Help! How do I get rid of these?

[senemedar]

Ever since I got myself "Marian" - a Green Severum - I have those algaes on my plants, and I don't know how to get rid of them... It started, because I put bit more food especially for my fish, as I knew it's gonna be a big one (and indeed, he's eating for a whole tank just himself), but those nasty things got onto the plants and I can't loose them.
I tried the blackout for a few days, but every time they seem to disappear they got back as soon as I hit the lights back on - and I can't keep the lights off for too long, because I have other plants there as well.
After a long thoughts I bought some chemicals - I genuinely hate chemicals and try not to use them if there's no need, but this time I gave up; but I can't use them as it turned out, because I have some shrimps and snails in my tank as well... Please advise me, what to do? Is there any other chemical I can get in the UK market, and that wouldn't hurt "Wilhelm the Shrimp"? Or - better - any other method I can use to get rid of them?

 

[aquandrew]

what is your water change schedule and how much do you change at a time? what are your nitrate readings before and after you do a water change? what kind of substrate do you have?

 

[NYgiantsRP]

Severums are plant destroyers. Mine even tore up anubias and java fern. Hopefully yours wont. Also to add to aquaandrews questions, how long do you leave your lights on? What is stocked in the tank?

 

[senemedar]

@aquandrew:
As a substrate I have a 'standard' gravel. As for water changes-- every week I clean sponges from filters and change about 10-20% of water; every other week (sometimes once every three weeks, depends on Uni's assignments!) I change about 40-50% of water. As for Nitrates, that is a bit problematic - because of the water, I always have about 10-20 ppm, and basically gave up fighting this after about a year; the stock doesn't seem to be bothered, looks like it's acclimatised

@NYgiantsRP - 'Marian' has sent my Java moss to hell already, now he's working on next thing... Apart from him, theres six glass catfish, six black skirt tetras, snowball pleco, red-tailed shark and a pearl gourami, few guppies and few mollies... (not too much, as they dying off and I don't want to replace them).
Lights are on 2pm and off at 10pm.

 

[NYgiantsRP]

You could up your weekly changes to 50%, and your light back to 6 hours and it might help. Your plants will most likley all be ruin in a week of two.

 

[aquandrew]

are you thoroughly vacuuming through the gravel during each water change? if not, gravel can be a huge nitrate factory which would cause algae problems. i agree with doing at least 50% a week. i do that in all of my freshwater tanks and some even more.

 

[Mebbid]

Algae control in a planted tank is a whole different monster than a regular tank. You are basically looking at allowing your plants to out compete the algae for resources. This is done with a mix of fertilizing, lighting, and carbon supplementation. The 20ppm of nitrate isn't an issue at all and is actually right around where you want your nitrates for a planted tank.

What lights do you have over your tank?
What fertilizers are you adding?
What carbon source are you using? (if any)

You can use hydrogen peroxide as a control method for the Black brush algae that you have growing out of control. Using up to 1ml / gallon you cna use a syringe to squirt it directly on problem areas. Just be sure to turn your filters off before using it and let it sit for at least 15 minutes with the light off before turning everything back on. Like was said previously, dropping your light down to 6 hours daily is another way to help combat algae.

 

[senemedar]

My tank is AquaStyle 980T, and the lights are - 2x25W (white) and 1x20W - especially for plants, although to combat algae I turned one of the 25's off.
I have just ran out of the fertilisers, but I didn't rush to buy one, as I thought it would benefit the algae more than the plants... Was I wrong?
Same for carbon source - I have some yeast-based distributor (I can't remember the name right now, but can check should needed) - I ran out of it about a week ago, and didn't want to put any before I sort the problem out...

I will do the hydrogen peroxide treatment - I have a 3% solution in the cupboard, will that do?

 

[Mebbid]

My tank is AquaStyle 980T, and the lights are - 2x25W (white) and 1x20W - especially for plants, although to combat algae I turned one of the 25's off.
I have just ran out of the fertilisers, but I didn't rush to buy one, as I thought it would benefit the algae more than the plants... Was I wrong?
Same for carbon source - I have some yeast-based distributor (I can't remember the name right now, but can check should needed) - I ran out of it about a week ago, and didn't want to put any before I sort the problem out...

I will do the hydrogen peroxide treatment - I have a 3% solution in the cupboard, will that do?

That's the stuff to use. That is also your problem. The plants are no longer growing which is allowing the algae to grow.

Take a look at Green Leaf Aquariums Their PPS pro pack is $30 and will last you a year or more. It contains all the ferts you need for a planted tank. As for a carbon source, buy a gallon of metricide 14 day sterilizing solution. It is the same thing as excel but is 2x as powerful and WAAAAY cheaper.

 

[senemedar]

Do I need to dissolve my peroxide first, or do I squirt my 3% solution straight in?
I looked at fertilisers, but they only ship to States... Is it available in the UK by any chance?

 

[Mebbid]

Do I need to dissolve my peroxide first, or do I squirt my 3% solution straight in?
I looked at fertilisers, but they only ship to States... Is it available in the UK by any chance?

Try www.aquariumfertilizer.com

Yes you can just use straight 3% hydrogen peroxide

 

[SgtMjr]

I dosed 50ml of H2O2 in my 50gallon... Killed almost all my algea... Spot shot it on problem areas and let it sit for an hour, wiped it out. I lost two of 19 Narite's and a Amano shrimp. It was my last resort, but worked killer.

Just a thought

 

[Old Scales]

Welcome to AA SgtMjr. Great forum, great people. Your tank is beautiful. Congrats. OS.

 

[jwh0818]

H202 is peroxide? If not what?

 

[Old Scales]

Yes H2O2 is the chemical term for hydrogen peroxide. OS.

 

[jwh0818]

Yes H2O2 is the chemical term for hydrogen peroxide. OS.

Thanks, I knew school would pay off one day