What Algae is this and what to do (Good Pic Now)

[fish_4_all]

Here you can see better what it looks like. Even the nana leaf that is covered with it has the same "branches" and it is gfetting longer by the minute or so it seems. 8O

Tank parms:
33 watts NO over 10 gallon tank
Dose NO3 7.5ppm and K2SO4 to 10ppm 3x a week
Dose KH2PO4 to 2ppm once a week after water change
Dose CSM+B to .15ppm 3x a week
Lighting on 10-14 hours a day, most of the time it is 6 inches above the tanks.
NO CO2 injection.
Plants affected are pearlweed, Nana, crypt Wendtii and primrose.
Not affected, Aromatica and Christmas moss
Christmas moss is growing but shows some brown spots and stringyness.
Other plants are flourishing even with algae.

What can be done? Otos? Blackout? Will excel take care of it? Less lighting?

Please help as it has gone past being a neusance and has really started to grow rather quickly. I need to nip this before it over runs the tank.

 

[rkilling1]

is it easy to remove?

 

[fish_4_all]

Only the ends are easy to remove. The point of contact with the plant is really tough.

 

[rkilling1]

Only the ends are easy to remove. The stuff that is attached to the plants is really tough.

sorry man, I expected you to say that. From the looks of the pics, I would say that stuff is BBA.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Looks like BBA. Looks like you could use CO2. Could try cutting the hours down to just 10 hours max. Excel may help as well. But CO2 is the Best course of action at that lighting.

 

[fish_4_all]

What about the length it gets? I thought BBA was little tufts, even on the Nana leaf it is getting well over 1/2 inch long and the other stuff that looks just like it is well over 2-3 inches in places? The stuff you see on the nana leaf is only 24 hours old.

As far as CO2, it isn't an option unless I can manage to keep my pH above 7.0 as my BN absolutely hate it lower. I also had it with CO2 anyway but it is the ever Pain in the Neck DIY so levels fluctuate and cause it anyway.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

BBA is usually around the edges of the plant leaves, like in your pics, and is very hard to remove.

 

[rkilling1]

It's kinda hard to see it the pics. Can you get a better picture?

 

[Lonewolfblue]

It's kinda hard to see it the pics. Can you get a better picture?

Look at the leaf directly under the air bubbler. It's probably the most visible part in the pic. Definitely BBA.

 

[fish_4_all]

Trying right now, give me sec. Until then, a better descrip. I have seen BBA and it is a bunch that seems to have a lot of small strands. This stuff has branches that almost looks like coral. The leaf of the nana has it on all the leaf and not just the edges. Will have pics if I can get it to show up in just a few.

I am beginning to think it is staghorn algae.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Now that looks like staghorn, but in the other pic, some of the anubias look like they can also have BBA around the edges. But yes, staghorn there.

http://www.otocinclus.com/articles/algae.html

 

[fish_4_all]

Will otos eat it? SAE aren't really an option because they will outgrow my 10 gallon tanks rather easily and it is well stocked already. I could trade some neon tetra for mollies or the other fish is supposed to pick at it, my memory sucks. What else can be done if anything?

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Nope, otos won't touch it. But shrimp might. And I know American Flag Fish do too.

 

[fish_4_all]

How big do Cherry barbs get? Is there other barbs that like to eat this stuff?

 

[rkilling1]

Well, I think your tank is telling you that you need CO2. That would be my guess.

EDIT: you dose a lot of ferts for not having CO2 or any source of C.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Cherry barbs don't get real big, and should be ok. The deeper red ones are the males, and the lighter brown ones are the females. I've had mine in my 26G for a year now, and they are maybe an inch and a half, or just under. The males are a little smaller than the females.

 

[joannde]

Rosy barbs will eat it also. I got a pair of long finned. They're very pretty and I'm glad I added them to the tank, not only because they eat hair and staghorn algae, but because they are very nice fish.

 

[NoSvOrAx]

I had a bad outbreak of stag and hair algae in my 29G. I say had because I picked up a couple of mollies and it disappeared. Admitedly, there are strings of green poop all over the place now....

P.S. it seems, by my tank atleast, female mollies like to eat algae more than males.

 

[BillD]

Looks like thread algae to me, although, there may also be BBA. You can take an old toothbrush and twirl it around in it to remove most of it. It won't completely eradicate it or cure the cause of the problem.

 

[fish_4_all]

CO2 is only an option if I can manage to keep my pH above 7.0, preferably 7.2
My BN are 100 more active than they were while I had CO2 injection and the tank is meant to be for the BN.

I tried removing it manually and it rips off the leaves. The only real options is to decrease dosing and get excel. That and the addition of the fish.

Anyone know if bards will school with neon tetras?