Help getting rid of hair algae

[PNWaquarist]

So it turns out that hair algae hitched on to one of the plants I purchased from the LFS and has been growing all over my Hornwort. It's still a relatively minor annoyance, but I'm beginning to find it in my filter and would like to get rid of it. Any suggestions?

The hair algae only grows on the Hornwort at the top of the tank. I'm assuming that the bottom of the tank is too dark. My tank is 18" tall and my light source is a single 17 W T8 bulb. The water is also slightly stained with tannins from the driftwood, so it's not the most hospitable environment for most plants (though my tetras and rams really seem to appreciate the dim conditions). Plants growing in or near the substrate include Java Fern, Crypt spiralis, Crypt wendtii, and Staurogyne repens (it's about 5" tall, but seems to be surviving).

If I were to chuck the Hornwort and leave the lights off for a period of time, would that work? I've also considered adding peat pellets to the filter to further darken the water, but I'm only at about 2.5 dKH and, at pH 6.6, I don't want to lower the pH any further.

 

[ericwithac]

So it turns out that hair algae hitched on to one of the plants I purchased from the LFS and has been growing all over my Hornwort. It's still a relatively minor annoyance, but I'm beginning to find it in my filter and would like to get rid of it. Any suggestions?

The hair algae only grows on the Hornwort at the top of the tank. I'm assuming that the bottom of the tank is too dark. My tank is 18" tall and my light source is a single 17 W T8 bulb. The water is also slightly stained with tannins from the driftwood, so it's not the most hospitable environment for most plants (though my tetras and rams really seem to appreciate the dim conditions). Plants growing in or near the substrate include Java Fern, Crypt spiralis, Crypt wendtii, and Staurogyne repens (it's about 5" tall, but seems to be surviving).

If I were to chuck the Hornwort and leave the lights off for a period of time, would that work? I've also considered adding peat pellets to the filter to further darken the water, but I'm only at about 2.5 dKH and, at pH 6.6, I don't want to lower the pH any further.

Found this article on the subject, hope this helps!

 

[icydeath]

So it turns out that hair algae hitched on to one of the plants I purchased from the LFS and has been growing all over my Hornwort. It's still a relatively minor annoyance, but I'm beginning to find it in my filter and would like to get rid of it. Any suggestions?

The hair algae only grows on the Hornwort at the top of the tank. I'm assuming that the bottom of the tank is too dark. My tank is 18" tall and my light source is a single 17 W T8 bulb. The water is also slightly stained with tannins from the driftwood, so it's not the most hospitable environment for most plants (though my tetras and rams really seem to appreciate the dim conditions). Plants growing in or near the substrate include Java Fern, Crypt spiralis, Crypt wendtii, and Staurogyne repens (it's about 5" tall, but seems to be surviving).

If I were to chuck the Hornwort and leave the lights off for a period of time, would that work? I've also considered adding peat pellets to the filter to further darken the water, but I'm only at about 2.5 dKH and, at pH 6.6, I don't want to lower the pH any further.

I had this problem with the anacharis in my tank. I chucked most of it and planted the rest, the green hair algae is gone now. My tank has anubias (nana I believe), a ton of java fern, and a floating plant I don't know the name of. With planted tanks, you are probably only getting that algae because the light is better up there so they can partially out compete. If you give them equal lighting (planting hornwort or chucking it) to the plants, your plants will outcompete and the algae will die.

 

[PNWaquarist]

Thanks for the replies. I'm going to chuck the Hornwort and hope that the hair algae dies off at some point. I do enough water changes that my nitrate is in the 5-8 ppm range.

I'd like to stock my tank with Hornwort again but, as suggested, I may plant it instead of tethering it to the top of the tank.

 

[icydeath]

Glad I could help

 

[ericwithac]

Good luck!