Re: [APD] Re: hair algae prevention

[starvinfatdad at juno_com]

Jason, when I replied to your last post it went directly to your email instead of the list.  Hope you don't mind me reposting this back out on the list so the mavens can get involved (also added a _little_ more to my post)...

-- "-<(:: jason ::)>-" <ombass at mac_com> wrote:
My tank has been set up about a year.  55gal tall plexi tank w/no CO2
(yet!), just two low-end 15w standard plant-friendly bulbs (haven't moved up
to Compacts yet, but have been wanting to).  Lots of plants, mainly swords,
with occasional dosing of liquid Flourish.  Substrate of bottom layer:
flourite (60%) and top layer standard gravel (40%).

Diet of small amount of flake, some pellets, and frozen bloodworms.

Never had the hair algae until last two months or so (maybe came with a fish
or snail?)

Let me know if you would like to know anything further...

Thanks for your help!

:-)

_jason_

Well, you've had this aquarium longer than I've had mine, so hopefully some of the real experts are going to chime in here.  One thing that stands out is 30W over a 55 tall (custom size?).  Not much light.  I have that much over a 20g and have been told it's really too little.  Is this by a window where you get sunlight?

Sometimes increase in fish load/feeding can create a situation favorable to algae.  That might be likely in a tank with less light since it would have less ability to absorb a change in nutrient level.  Did you add a number of fish or do a major trimming or start adding lots of bloodworms to mealtime or replant and stir up the substrate about two months ago?  That sort of thing.  Once algae is there from such an event it doesn't necessarily disappear even though the tank rebalances afterward.

I don't know what kind of fish you have, but some of the usual suspects for algae control in a fw tank are the venerable SAE, Amano shrimp, otocinclus, Ancistrus (bristlenose pleco).  There are some others, but they don't get quite the PR these get.

To get rid of the algae, I'm going to repeat to you the advice I got from this list.  Your tank is a lot bigger, but similar since it's a deep tank.  The name of the thread was "Keys to an algae-free low light tank".  Do a search on the APD archive and all the posts will come up- check out the advice first-hand.  I did a 4-day blackout which got rid of ~90% or better of the algae and did no damage to fish or plants.  What a relief that was.  I think I would do a 5-day if I had to do it again, but this first time I was afraid for the fish.  Also, was advised to raise the light to 2-2.5 wpg (over 20g).  Then add some of the fish and shrimp mentioned, and some peat to the substrate.  This is all for a non-CO2 tank.  Also, the responders mentioned in one case adding a percentage of floating plants, and in another case, some Val that had overgrown the surface of a 29g, providing shade.  I think you'll be wanting to put a couple of PCs over your tank before you worry about shade, !
 though ;^)

Please read the responses to my post to get a better idea- hope that helps-

James B.

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