# BEARD ALGEA!!!! raahhh!!!!



## Citizen Snips (Jan 6, 2010)

I've noticed two very small tufts of beard algae beginning to grow on my large porous caverock in my planted tank.

I know it's not TERRIBLE unless it takes over - but I don't want it to take over at all. I've been treating with all three Seachem nutrients and I'm thinking of slowing down with them now that algae is around - figure it will only speed things up.

Is Algae-Destroyer a safe chemical to use when attempting to rid my tank of this? Like I said I don't mind it - I think it looks nice, I just don't want it attaching to my glass (although I have an algae magnet) or my plants and killing them.

Tips anyone? I'll definitely go out and buy that Algeacide if it works but I am weary of putting more foreign chemicals into my tank and I don't want to have to uproot and bleach my plants. That seems crazy.

Also - I do have a bristlenose pleco - but I don't think he's real into eating the algae. I hear algae eaters will stop eating algae if they are being fed actual food on the reg so they aren't actually great "algae eaters" at all....


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## bmlbytes (Aug 1, 2009)

Algae Destroyer Liquid will kill many different types of algae. There are a few issues with it though. The first problem is it kills the algae, and then the algae rots. That will raise ammonia levels slightly. The second issue is that it will likely kill plants in the tank. You can use a half dose to try to get it to kill algae only, but your plants will definately not grow as long as ADL is in the tank. The third problem is that it can be dangerous to shrimp, snails and other inverts. 

Algae Destroyer Liquid is a good thing to get rid of algae when there are only fish in the tank, but it has negative effects on other aquaculture.


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## Citizen Snips (Jan 6, 2010)

So that makes that product completely ridiculous if it kills your other FW plants.

Why would they even sell that?

btw I currently have no inverts, but would amano shrimp cure this problem?

Any other ideas before it gets out of control?


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## bmlbytes (Aug 1, 2009)

It is supposed to not hurt your other plants, but I have heard reports of it doing so. If you think about it, how is a chemical supposed to differentiate between algae and another type of plant? Many reports say that it worked to use a half dose with their tank, or that it did not hurt hardy plants. I still would not use it in a planted tank. 

Shrimp might eat algae, but they are notoriously light eaters. They would most likely not be able to do much to prevent any problems.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

I've read two pieces of advice on the bba. Take your dose of flourish excel (the carbon supplement), put in a syringe and squirt it directly on the stuff. You can double the recommended dose, but no more than that or bad things happen to the fish. The other is to raise the pH to above 7-7.5, the stuff is supposed to prefer acid water. 

I've tried the excel, its not a panacea, but it does help.


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## Citizen Snips (Jan 6, 2010)

Well I've already noticed that my PH is low (around 6 - 6.2) and i figured it was because of all of the Co2 I've been adding so I started cutting back. Are you saying adding extra Co2 will actually help remove algae and not speed it's growth?

I know too much Co2 will just kill all the fish...

I also heard that squirting stress coat right onto the beard algae and leaving it for about an hour during a water change will also get rid of it.

Also won't drastically raising the PH completely flip the fish out?


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Seachem Flourish excel is a liquid you use instead of Co2. It is toxic to bba. I don't think co2 has any effect on algae. But it is supposed to help plants grow faster and 'outcompete' algae. I don't know what happens if you use excel and Co2. You plants might go nuts, if the fish start gasping at the surface, cut them both and add aeration. Raising the pH quickly is bad, but slowly should be safe enough, depending on the fish. 

You say the stuff is growing on a rock? Take it out and scrub it with bleach. Much easier to deal with than bba on live plants.


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## Citizen Snips (Jan 6, 2010)

Wait this algae is green and fuzzy - it's not black beard algae just normal beard algae...

Isn't black beard algae like the most brutal and worst algae one could get? I know I don't have that...

What I got is 2 little tufts of light green algae spots like these http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/images/graphics/bbalgae2.jpg but brighter...

I've only been using Excel (normally daily but I've slowed down thinking that's why my PH is so low) Iron and Flourish (twice a week)

What about the use of butterfly loaches?


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## hXcChic22 (Dec 26, 2009)

Butterfly loaches need a lot of current and slightly cooler temperatures than tropicals. Wouldn't recommend putting them in there because they might up and die on you, your tank not having the characteristics they prefer.


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## Citizen Snips (Jan 6, 2010)

you know me so well hXcChic22


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## hXcChic22 (Dec 26, 2009)

Do you have Ottos? They might help...


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## Citizen Snips (Jan 6, 2010)

no I don't have ottos and I'm already fearing overstocking my tank with my current plan... 

I really like the algae's natural look I just fear for my plants life.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Its it long green strings? Green hair algae. Plecos prefer algaa they can scrape. The stringy SAEs and some goodieds will eat it.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

here try this link. http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/algae.htm


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## Citizen Snips (Jan 6, 2010)

strange - the only one on the list it resembles exactly is the black brush algae but it's certainly not that dark or black. It's bright green.


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## PaulLamb (Nov 15, 2009)

I have had great success with a product called "Broad Spectrum Algae Control" Tetra brand. I've used it in two tanks against a unicellular algae bloom and against out of control spyrogyra. Both aquariums have multiple plant species which were unaffected by the treatments. Both were permanently cured after three treatments (one every three days). The only side effects I noticed were the death of all surface algae in both aquariums (so rotting could lead to increased ammonia as bmlbytes suggested if there is a lot of surface algae in the tank), and all the snails were wiped out. Neither of these side effects were a problem in my case.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

There are thousands of algae. Most of the green ones aren't that bad. BBA is ugly, but kind of slow growing and it doesn't hurt fish. IMO cyanobacter/blue-green algea is the worst. I just can't believe how fast it grows. It covers everything and smothers and kills even hornwort.


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