# Help the dunce(me) kill the Algae



## NewGuy (Apr 24, 2007)

I have, on my driftwood, lots of green hair-like algae. it sways in the water and my fish do not seem to eat it. It grows on my heater, filter and even my gravel, and I don't like it. I'm unsure what type of Algae it is, as friends have told me its blue-green and others say its beard/hair algae. 

Can i please have a nice, simple explanation on how to kill it without killing my Amazon Sword or Angelfish.

:fish:
EDIT:
The stuff's really hard to snap a picture of, but I got this:


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## Damon (Jan 18, 2005)

Either hair or thread algae. Need more info about the tank including feeding, lighting and inhabitants.


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## NewGuy (Apr 24, 2007)

The fish are fed daily using the usual Flake food. The tank is inhabited by a Small angel, a catfish, and three orange fish whose names I can't quite remember... Sunshine something.The tank is lit for roughly the same amount of time as the sun is up, with enough light to keep my Amazon Sword alive. The tank itself has been running since April. The inhabitants have been there since May.

Pictures:
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa119/JamesOnline-Photo/Fish/fish2.jpg
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa119/JamesOnline-Photo/Fish/fish3.png
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa119/JamesOnline-Photo/Fish/Fish1.png


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## Fishboy93 (Jun 11, 2005)

The unkown fish you have are platys. How big is your tank? Keep up with water changes and manually remove it.


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## frogman5 (Mar 13, 2007)

or you can get some type of algea eater that will keep some of the algea at bay


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## anasfire23 (Jan 19, 2005)

Have you actually been doing water changes and gravel vacs? I've never seen anyone's tank with so much algae on the gravel. Surely giving it a vac when you siphon out water will stop it getting out of control? Just a little something to ponder .


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## Pac-Man (Mar 18, 2005)

Lighting as in how many watts you have over your tank. I assume you don't have c02? You might want to look into doing a DIY c02 setup. The algae is sucking up excess nutrients. If you want to get rid of the algae, do a three day black out. Is the sword your only plant? Throw some other easy plants in there, like java fern, to suck up some of the excess nutrients. This also may help with your algae problems. Perhaps you should cut down a little on feeding also. Good Luck, algae is a pain but youll beat it eventually.


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## bscman (Mar 23, 2007)

How much food do you feed daily?
How often do you gravel vac/water change?

I'd agree a 3day (complete!) black out would take care of the current stuff...make sure you clean the gravel and rinse the filter to get all that dead stuff out so it doesn't decay and screw with water quality.


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## Damon (Jan 18, 2005)

frogman5 said:


> or you can get some type of algea eater that will keep some of the algea at bay


Never buy an algae eater unless you know what you are dealing with and why you have the problem. Fix the problem, not the result.


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## NewGuy (Apr 24, 2007)

anasfire23 said:


> Have you actually been doing water changes and gravel vacs? I've never seen anyone's tank with so much algae on the gravel. Surely giving it a vac when you siphon out water will stop it getting out of control? Just a little something to ponder .



I've been doing RELIGIOUS water changes of once every 3 days. I do not own a gravel vac, and use a siphon I got at bunnings. 

I'll buy a gravel vac next chance I get.


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## anasfire23 (Jan 19, 2005)

The fact that you said you got it at bunnings leads me to think that maybe you are an Aussie like me? If that is the case you can pick up a cheap gravel vac at Big W or Kmart for like $5. They are awesome things...removes waste and water in one go. I don't know what I'd do without mine..although I actually have to buy a new one..my son got hold of the vac part and started using it as a sword  so he's broken it. Good luck with getting rid of it though I can't even begin to imagine how much of a pain it could be!


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## mousey (Jan 18, 2005)

I have one tank that has so much hair algae that i have just stopped worrying about it. I have tried the java fern and moss trick as well as having sagittaria in there. I think it has something to do with the fact that the tank is overstocked most times with fry, plus the corner where it grows heaviest is where the sun hits the corner.
that said- every water change day I take an old toothbrush and swirl it in the clumps of hair algae and throw it away. Within a couple of days it is back again. A bit is ok as if you get fry they seem to really enjoy poking about in it. I think they get little bits of live food in it.


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## Damon (Jan 18, 2005)

Before I conclude it hair or thread a better pic would be helpful. It could be cladophora.


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## Camie (May 21, 2007)

Fishboy93 said:


> The unkown fish you have are platys. How big is your tank? Keep up with water changes and manually remove it.


Sunset Wagtail Platies to be exact, i used to have some


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