hair algae

[ldaniel]

Hi all,
does anyone know what the determining macro or micro nutrient are that creates hair algae growth?
Also, when those nutrients are taking up and the algae dies off, will it just disappear?
Thanks

 

[Yellow Eye Tang]

I had an ugly spurt of hair algae growth in my tank by using DIY CO2. I was using the 2 liter setup and mixing my own warm water/Yeast mixture. The problem was I could not maintain the proper levels of CO2. It continued to fluctuate the CO2 levels up and down and it caused the ugly outbreak. What size tank? My planted tank is only a 20g in which case I stopped using CO2 and the outbreak died on it's own.

 

[EndlersEatGuppies]

How long do u keep your lights on???

 

[ldaniel]

The issue is in a 25 tall. I run the lights, T5 ho, for about 12 hours a day. I have a DIY co2 system,, 1000ml bottles x 2. I stopped dosing ferts about 2 weeks ago, and over the course of 3 days all the main growth of the algae has stopped and it is now gone.

I have a small cat fish, 2 dwarf frogs and about 10 ghost shrimp. With a few small snails.
My co2 was at 60ppm this morning and I have removed one of the bottles.

 

[ldaniel]

The issue is in a 25 tall. I run the lights, T5 ho, for about 12 hours a day. I have a DIY co2 system,, 1000ml bottles x 2. I stopped dosing ferts about 2 weeks ago, and over the course of 3 days all the main growth of the algae has stopped and it is now gone.

I have a small cat fish, 2 dwarf frogs and about 10 ghost shrimp. With a few small snails.
My co2 was at 60ppm this morning and I have removed one of the bottles.

 

[EndlersEatGuppies]

IMO the lights are on way to long.

 

[mudraker]

The lights are usually the culprit in hair algae.

Algaes are caused by an inbalance of nutrients (light is a plant nutrient) not the nutrient itself.

Too much or too little of any given nutrient will give algae an advantage to outgrow the plants.

 

[jetajockey]

Agreed. I've had hair algae issues when I had too much light, cut back on light and the algae went with it.

 

[mudraker]

What kind of dosing regimen did you use?

Discontinuing fertz can also contribute you algae, as much as yoyo levels of CO2.

When I was doing DIY, I alternated refilling bottles (refill one a week) and it really helped to level off the CO2 fluctuations.

 

[ldaniel]

i have been testing my CO2 levels now for a few days, when i get up in the morning i will take a sample before the lights come on and then again once i get home after the lights have been on all day. my CO2 levels are through the roof.
before the lights come on i was having reading around 120ppm. after the lights have been on all day my readings are sitting around 40ppm. thus i took out one of the bottles.

 

[EndlersEatGuppies]

before the lights come on i was having reading around 120ppm. after the lights have been on all day my readings are sitting around 40ppm. thus i took out one of the bottles.

That was a SMART thing to do!