green hair algae

[smellsfishy]

I have dark green hair algae taking over my 55gal tank. What can I do to get rid of it? I have it growing on the glass, rocks, and other live plants.

[Deborah]

Keeping a tank algae free seems to be something of a balancing act. You need enough light, fertilizer, and co2 so that your plants are growing fast enough to out compete the algae. If you have lots of light you need lots of co2 and fertilizer. Low light tanks do well with no co2 and little fertilizer. If one part of the equation is out of balance algae gets a toehold. I have never been entirely successful in keeping the algae at bay so I'm not going to offer concrete acvice

If you post some specifics about your setup (how much light, how many and what kind of fish, what plants, water parameteres) I'm sure someone will be able to steer you in the right direction.

[smellsfishy]

I have about 15 fish all between 1/2" and 3" with one 5" pink kissing gouramia. The tank is loaded with assorted swords and ferns and some grasses. I have 2 24" hoods with 1 florescent light in each one. My LFS guy told me to buy snails,but couldn't guarantee they wouldn't eat my plants.

[Deborah]

I'm really shaky on the light stuff but it sounds as if you have 40 watts of light over a 55 gallon tank. That is pretty low for even low light plants. Could be you need a little more light for the plants to really get going. Do you have new growth on your plants? If they are just sort of hanging in there a little more light might do the trick.

Snails are not usually used as algae control in a planted tank. Amano shrimp, otocinclus, siamese algae eaters and bristle nose ancistrus are all touted as good algae eaters.

[smellsfishy]

I have to cut back my plants because they grow like crazy. The tank has been setup over 14 years. It gets lots of indirect natual light durring the day. Never had a problem untill I added a plant that had a very small amount of this algae on it and now it is everywhere!

[smellsfishy]

I forgot to mention that I have two siamese algae eaters. They can't even begin to keep up with this stuff.

[Deborah]

Could your phosphates or nitrates be too high? I think that would feed an algae bloom. You could experiment by cutting back on feeding and doing a lot of water changes.

[Lake_shore_aquatics]

get some rose cherry barbs and don't feed them or your other fish for a few days they will eat it right up. I had the same problem.