Alexgcraig
Aquarium Advice Regular
I zoomed in on the first pic, hopefully you can see it, it's growing off the driftwood, am not sure if it's algea or moss... Thanks!
Moss or Algea? Thanks!
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BBradbury
Aquarium Advice Addict
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Moss Growth
Hello Alex...
The strings in the pic look like a species of moss to me. It looks very much like the Singapore moss I have attached to some pieces of driftwood in my tanks. It's one of the good things.
B
Hello Alex...
The strings in the pic look like a species of moss to me. It looks very much like the Singapore moss I have attached to some pieces of driftwood in my tanks. It's one of the good things.
B
Leonardo7689
Aquarium Advice Freak
- Joined
- Jul 8, 2012
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- 272
It looks like moss to me. Maybe java moss?
mrvincent
Aquarium Advice Addict
Yo tang, that's probably a mix of Java Moss and Cladophora algae
I've put in red the clado parts, and pink the moss parts;
Take the parts in the red circle I made, and try to make a ball with it. If it forms a cladophora ball, then that's cladophora. It is not nocive, but can grow everywhere. You can collect all the clado growth and make a huge ball with it, then you'll have some clado balls if it is some...
If you can't make a ball that look like this with your growth, then that's not clados.
I have both them in my tank, and it look good;
I've put in red the clado parts, and pink the moss parts;
Take the parts in the red circle I made, and try to make a ball with it. If it forms a cladophora ball, then that's cladophora. It is not nocive, but can grow everywhere. You can collect all the clado growth and make a huge ball with it, then you'll have some clado balls if it is some...
If you can't make a ball that look like this with your growth, then that's not clados.
I have both them in my tank, and it look good;
OP
OP
Alexgcraig
Aquarium Advice Regular
thanks all for the feedback, i have shrimp and Ottos, do i need to worry about this algea? i see it in both my tanks, 55g and 10g, i have BML LED high light (@75% on dimmer, 7 hour photoperiod, 75W in 55g and 25W in 10g), dosing with daily excel + flourish 3 times/week. need more info?
there is indeed also Java Moss in the pic, i bought that originally.
Thanks!
there is indeed also Java Moss in the pic, i bought that originally.
Thanks!
mrvincent
Aquarium Advice Addict
Don't worry for both of them. Cladophora is the easiest algae to remove IMO, anyway, if you like it, you don't have to remove it. It will majorly grow only on woods, rocks, and in my case it grow ON my moss a bit. This algae like high light, it grow faster. It like CO2 and excel I think
mrvincent
Aquarium Advice Addict
I would reduce your flourish dose, and excel too. Dose excel 1 day on 2, instead of all days, shrimps are REALLY sensitive with excel, I've got few death overtime before...
Excel can be overdosed but not when you have shrimps. Flourish excess will give you algae problems.
A good plants supplements is root tabs, it doesn't feed algaes.
Excel can be overdosed but not when you have shrimps. Flourish excess will give you algae problems.
A good plants supplements is root tabs, it doesn't feed algaes.
aqua_chem
Aquarium Advice Addict
It certainly looks like cladophora to me. Note though that the species of cladophora that makes moss balls is different than the one that is considered a nuisance species.
I've had it before. Unfortunately it acts more like a plant than many other algaes, meaning that good plant conditions = good algae conditions. I never had much luck with Excel or shrimp on the stuff, but H2O2 really hurts it.
I've had it before. Unfortunately it acts more like a plant than many other algaes, meaning that good plant conditions = good algae conditions. I never had much luck with Excel or shrimp on the stuff, but H2O2 really hurts it.
OP
OP
Alexgcraig
Aquarium Advice Regular
ah, i also have a moss ball that came from Peabody's, maybe it branched off from that... if it's not super invasive i dont mind continuing daily excel, i'd like to get my HC growing! but if you say so, i'll follow your advice.
it's been 2 months now of shrimp + excel and no problem in both tanks... so far...
thanks!
it's been 2 months now of shrimp + excel and no problem in both tanks... so far...
thanks!
mrvincent
Aquarium Advice Addict
To spread HC, wait to have a full little spot of good and healty carpet, I will do a ugly green spot for the first month (as you can see on my picture), then take a cissors and make frags of HC, then root them everywhere. It will spread so much fast !
You have good lights for both your aquariums, so for dosing daily ferts you must have HEAVY planted tank, otherwise you'll have a ferts buildup and that'll feed algae. What I'm doing with moderate/heavy planted tank starting from after a water change:
Day 1:
double normal dose of excel (not the starting dose)
dosing nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium. I like to add some drop of Flourish Trace (as the name say it it's trace elements, so doesn't require so much)
Day 5: redosing Excel and a bit of Flourish Comprehensive supplement in small dose just for keeping a good level of nutrients until day 14 (50% WC day)
In your case you can follow this schedule, but add more excel than me because I'm injecting CO2 from pressurized system.
When I dose excel these times, it's only in combinaison of H2O2 (peroxide) for killing my staghorn infestation.
If you're bored of clados filaments growing at unwanted places, just dose 3% 10 volume peroxide on clados spots with a seringe at maximum of 1ml/gallons. Wait 5 days, clados will be white, and will go away by itself.
You have good lights for both your aquariums, so for dosing daily ferts you must have HEAVY planted tank, otherwise you'll have a ferts buildup and that'll feed algae. What I'm doing with moderate/heavy planted tank starting from after a water change:
Day 1:
double normal dose of excel (not the starting dose)
dosing nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium. I like to add some drop of Flourish Trace (as the name say it it's trace elements, so doesn't require so much)
Day 5: redosing Excel and a bit of Flourish Comprehensive supplement in small dose just for keeping a good level of nutrients until day 14 (50% WC day)
In your case you can follow this schedule, but add more excel than me because I'm injecting CO2 from pressurized system.
When I dose excel these times, it's only in combinaison of H2O2 (peroxide) for killing my staghorn infestation.
If you're bored of clados filaments growing at unwanted places, just dose 3% 10 volume peroxide on clados spots with a seringe at maximum of 1ml/gallons. Wait 5 days, clados will be white, and will go away by itself.
aqua_chem
Aquarium Advice Addict
Are you on dosing H2O2 and Excel at the same time? Same container?
OP
OP
Alexgcraig
Aquarium Advice Regular
no, havent even tried dosing the H2O2 yet, just excel as directed on the bottle. the algea is still very contained, i've been just nipping it off myself, i guess as it becomes more of a problem i can do localized treatment with H2O2?
the tanks are quite heavily planted and growing!
the tanks are quite heavily planted and growing!
mrvincent
Aquarium Advice Addict
Lol same container but not in same time.
1. I turn filter and anything that make water flow off.
2. I take a well rinsed shooter, I put double or triple normal excel dose, then I take it with seringe and dose on unwanted algae. Then I rinse the shooter when there's no more excel in it. (I don't dose that daily because I have sensitives shrimps, so triple dose excel once a week maximum for treating algae)
10 min waiting time
3. I put 15ml of 6% peroxid in the glass (I use the shooter glass cause it's easier to fill the seringe, then I take 5 ml with the serginge, and before I apply, I suck 5 ml of aquarium water into the seringe. It make 3% peroxide solution (if I'm not wrong) and then spray it on unwanted algeas on the same spots I dosed excel.
I wait until O2 bubbles to dissapear, it usually take 20-25 mins.
4. Then I turn filter on.
I've got very good results fighting staghorn algae with this method, It turns from dark grey to light red in only 1 day. Also effective on Cladophora, it turn white 2 days after, and dissapear after 5-7 days. I've put 5:30 hrs lighting/day instead of 6hrs, I'm at minimum light I think. And I've raised (like put higher) my light fixture about 1.5 inchs.
(Sorry for my bad english, I usually speak french)
1. I turn filter and anything that make water flow off.
2. I take a well rinsed shooter, I put double or triple normal excel dose, then I take it with seringe and dose on unwanted algae. Then I rinse the shooter when there's no more excel in it. (I don't dose that daily because I have sensitives shrimps, so triple dose excel once a week maximum for treating algae)
10 min waiting time
3. I put 15ml of 6% peroxid in the glass (I use the shooter glass cause it's easier to fill the seringe, then I take 5 ml with the serginge, and before I apply, I suck 5 ml of aquarium water into the seringe. It make 3% peroxide solution (if I'm not wrong) and then spray it on unwanted algeas on the same spots I dosed excel.
I wait until O2 bubbles to dissapear, it usually take 20-25 mins.
4. Then I turn filter on.
I've got very good results fighting staghorn algae with this method, It turns from dark grey to light red in only 1 day. Also effective on Cladophora, it turn white 2 days after, and dissapear after 5-7 days. I've put 5:30 hrs lighting/day instead of 6hrs, I'm at minimum light I think. And I've raised (like put higher) my light fixture about 1.5 inchs.
(Sorry for my bad english, I usually speak french)
mrvincent
Aquarium Advice Addict
Alex, do you like this algae or not ? You can turn it into balls without killing them, or only remove it with your hands... Do this chemical tricks only if you have infestation problems... Usually it doesn't occur with cladophora.
OP
OP
Alexgcraig
Aquarium Advice Regular
sure! as long as it doesnt become an infestation then no problem! thanks for all the feedback!
alex
OP
OP
Alexgcraig
Aquarium Advice Regular
Hey guys, thanks again for your previous help, it now looks like grey beard algea is becoming a problem (i don't mind the cladophora, looks kinda cool!)
i've been dosing PPS-Pro daily (using this guide suggested by Rivercats Newbie Guide to PPS-Pro - PPS Analysis and Feedback - Aquatic Plant Central) and Excel as directed on the bottle, i've reduced lights to 50% on the high light Build My LED dimmer and put a 2 hour pause in lighting mid-day, total photoperiod is 6-7 hours.
Updated tank stats are below, am I going to have to make the jump to compressed CO2? I'd really like to get a carpet going, but every time i turn the lights back up to 75% the grey beard gets worse, tank has been established for about 5 months now, any feedback/suggestions appreciated, i attached some pics, it's taking over the moss, plants and tank glass, note the algea balls on the right side of the wood... thanks!
tanks/specs:
55g: high light Build 7000K My LED, daily dosing Excel + PPS-Pro, 6 rummynose tetras, 8 guppies, 8 pearl danios, 4 ottos, MANY RCS. java moss, HC (barely surviving!), glosso (reaching for the surface, not growing like a carpet...), micro swords (growing well but slowly), ludwiga (growing very fast), vals (doing ok in spite of the excel), dwarf sag (growing fast), anubias, Amazon swords (w/ root tabs, doing ok). Eheim 2217.
tap water GK/KH; colors turn after 2 drops for each
PH 7.6, ammonia 0, nitrites 0, nitrates .15/20
i've been dosing PPS-Pro daily (using this guide suggested by Rivercats Newbie Guide to PPS-Pro - PPS Analysis and Feedback - Aquatic Plant Central) and Excel as directed on the bottle, i've reduced lights to 50% on the high light Build My LED dimmer and put a 2 hour pause in lighting mid-day, total photoperiod is 6-7 hours.
Updated tank stats are below, am I going to have to make the jump to compressed CO2? I'd really like to get a carpet going, but every time i turn the lights back up to 75% the grey beard gets worse, tank has been established for about 5 months now, any feedback/suggestions appreciated, i attached some pics, it's taking over the moss, plants and tank glass, note the algea balls on the right side of the wood... thanks!
tanks/specs:
55g: high light Build 7000K My LED, daily dosing Excel + PPS-Pro, 6 rummynose tetras, 8 guppies, 8 pearl danios, 4 ottos, MANY RCS. java moss, HC (barely surviving!), glosso (reaching for the surface, not growing like a carpet...), micro swords (growing well but slowly), ludwiga (growing very fast), vals (doing ok in spite of the excel), dwarf sag (growing fast), anubias, Amazon swords (w/ root tabs, doing ok). Eheim 2217.
tap water GK/KH; colors turn after 2 drops for each
PH 7.6, ammonia 0, nitrites 0, nitrates .15/20
