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Without trying to be funny, this looks like a human hair. I would simply try pulling it out with your fingers or tweezers......’hair’ algae 🤪 if you are referring to the tiny green dots most likely gsa however it looks small and I can’t quite tell if it isn’t something within the leaf structure...

Seems in fathomable really, like a plague. The early successes confuse the situation further. I can appreciate your despair and the want to find the cause as I’m sure it will be just one factor but the continuation of the same issue suggests a common denominator...... It seems such a shame for...

Hi John, sounds like a nightmare for you and I can understand how demoralising it must be, especially given your past history in planted tanks and the exquisite scaping room you now own. Have you always had the issues, as you stated in your opening post that plant health has declined over time...

Thanks @Tim Harrison, yeah low light is key and good maintenance. I had no plants and no algae at all. I have ran several plantless hardscape only tanks and have had no issues, but always only ran low intensity RGB led. Circulation is also key, don’t allow any build up of detrius and maintain...

Whenever I suffered staghorn, simply upping tank maintenance fixed the issue. Good filter clean and increasing water change frequency for a week or two did the trick. I’ve always found staghorn to be a ‘cleanliness’ issue rather than light or co2. Just my experience with it though.....

Hi, good to hear things are moving in the right direction. Plants love co2, by reducing your huge lighting intensity, you reduced the huge demand for co2. By improving your distribution you have improved co2 availability to the plants, these two combined result in a win win situation :-) Getting...

perhaps, but why would increasing your light reduce their growth?, unless it is to encourage the plants into positive action, which will then also need c02 attention otherwise you could end up with a whole different problem of green algae. I believe it is all in the balance, i run low light and...

I would never increase light to battle algae. You can end up creating more trouble both for plants and increasing the chances of other types of algae. It is a balance and increased lighting also means providing increased c02 availability. We dont even know if it is diatoms as yet, so increasing...

Unfortunately it seems there isnt an overnight cure or single solution for most algaes, persistance and multiple changes are often necessary. Addressing one issue at a time may see results, but for the most effective control, extra c02 either concentration or distribution combined with lower...

Hi, whilst I don't think your lighting is high, increasing it is unlikely to help. How high above the water is your lighting unit and what turnover is your filter. I'm guessing your tank is around 300 litres which with 2x 54w t5 tubes isn't excessive IMO. Mark Evans used the same amount over his...

Yep definitely staghorn algae. Increased co2 availability, extra filter cleaning and extra water changes until it's gone, plus liquid carbon dosing (if an option) for fast effective irradication. Clean tank with good co2 will keep you staghorn free :) Cheerio, Ady.

I think you'll have to suck it and see. Depends on your lighting type and intensity i guess, for example led is more point source than fluorescent and has less spill. How high the light is above the tank etc will determine spill and intensity also......I'd be more worried about the extra light...

Thanks Clive. These are the instructions: You can probably see why I asked. I have re-calibrated my meter now to both, it was a little out but spot on now :) Got all I need to keep me accurate for a while! Thanks, Ady.

Sorry to jump in but i just have a quick question. Is it necessary to calibrate the pen to both ph7 and ph4 or just the closest to your reults, eg ph7? Just want to clarify before re-calibrating my meter, the instructions are slightly vague with it but it intimates only calibrating using the...

:lol: Perhaps politley suggest that you wont notice the spraybar so much when there is a vibrant palette of green and red foliage to distract the eye :) Are you still carrying out multiple water changes whilst fighting the algae?.....still closing the blinds?, still running only 1 light tube...

Hi mate. It's normal, something to do with resins/sap being released from the wood but it goes away eventually. Remove what you can manually, but ive read shrimp and ottos take care of it also :) Nothing to worry about, just looks a bit unsightly. Cheerio, Ady.

Ah good news about the extra powerhead, that's one issue removed, just ensure that the flow is reaching all areas without dead spots or conflicting circulation patterns. Regards fertilisers, personally I'd stick with the standard EI dosing mixes. I'd guess your problem lies more with too much...

Hi Lauris and welcome to the forum. Advice number 3 sounds good :) I'd halve your lighting intensity and reduce the photoperiod to say 6hrs whilst ridding the tank of algae, slowly increasing up to around an 8hr photoperiod when all is well. Also you need to dose the fertilisers as per...

appreciated Tom, months or even years :wideyed: of a persistant algae problem is enough to try anyones patience :sick: and cleaning up after plecs would be a godsend in comparison.....at least you would be able to see them eating the algae wafers :) I just wanted to highlight some of the...

Until they've eaten all the algae, and grown then they will need supplements :) you'll probably also need extra water changes and gravel vacs too to remove the extra waste. To me this sounds like a good idea, but needs long term consideration. A plec will quickly grow and produce large amounts...

Hi Martin, can't see exactly from your photo but bba forms tuft like clusters. Could you get a close up as from that photo it looks just to be black on the leaf edges which may be the start of bba, but difficult to say. Any images of it on your hardscape also? Cheerio,

Hi Lawrence. As Iain said, you need to dose any carbon source consistently and daily for it to be beneficial, if you dont it could infact be detrimental and induce algae. In a tank this size you could safely dose 1ml per day flourish excel.....the only issue being vallisinera species are...

Echinodorus, crypts and Anubias are pretty hardy, there's a bit of bolbitis there too I think which could work or not. Lowering light intensity is the key and keeping it clean, not over feeding the fish etc. Floating plants will help diffuse the light (and act like a duckweed index to see if...

Hi Plantnoob, is your Mrs friend intending to go high tech or not? Good c02 and distribution along with comprehensive dosing and good tank husbandry and lower light intensity & duration would rid the algae, but how far does she want to go? Alternatively she could go lower tech, reduce the...

Maybe try some fast growing hygrophilas. Also what lighting are you running and for how long?

The issue could lie with the extra natural light as well as your aquarium lighting. Low tech need low lighting as whichever way you look at it it's the light that drives a plants hunger for ferts and carbon. I'd try closing the curtains or blinds during the day and see If that makes a...

do you have livestock in the tank?

have you ever removed it completely from the aquarium and left it for a few hours.....if it doesnt go blue then, then there is definitely a problem with it. Do you use a pre mixed indicator solution or a 4dkh water with a few drops of bromo blue solution? How often do you change it? You dont use...

Hi Alan, out of curiosity what plants do you have and how are they doing? also do you have fish or shrimp in the tank? when you say your drop checker never changes from green what exactly do you mean? never during the injection period or never at all? If it never changes id suspect something is...

Hi there, its generally a mould which forms from sap residues still within the wood, harmless but ugly. Constant scrubbing and syphoning will rid it eventually, pre soaking the wood for a long period of time helps minimise it, but a clean up crew, ottos or amano shrimp seem to relish it :) Heres...

you have tough algae :eek: looks like it could be in an area hiding amongst your sword plants which maybe obstructing flow to this particular spot....if not and if it only grows on your hardscape, and you dont mind the look of it then leave it......otherwise you could try spot dosing the...

looks like bba (black brush/beard algae) caused by low, fluctuating or changing co2 levels. Improved circulation and c02 rids it. Crossochelius Siamensis are known to eat the start of it, but once established not much eats it. Liquid carbon spot dosing helps kill it, but better c02 and or...

Why not just get on top of maintenance, and dose liquid carbon to the water column......the algae should go of its own accord and no need to do a full strip down if you don't need to. Then get back into a routine of regular weekly maintenance :) Cheerio, Ady.

I say the more the merrier regards carbon input....as long as you're consistent. If you're not consistent then much like an addict, there will be a more noticeable cold turkey from the plants if you forget. Carbonated water and liquid carbon offer different carbon sources so its safe to add both...

Ah, cool, you should see an improvement now, maybe it just didn't like the trim and replant and needed time to adjust. No harm in spot dosing whilst feeding etc. all sounds perfect now, as long as your not over illuminating! Cheerio

When you say flow, do you just mean extra circulation pumps or your filter? How long do you have it off for, a few mins or all night? If its to boost carbon availability then it definitely wants to be at the start of the photoperiod as its the only time the plants will use the carbon. At night...

In my opinion yes, the closer to lights on the better as you get the maximum benefit.....just like pressurised co2, on during the photoperiod when plants need it, off at lights off when they don't. Why do you turn your flow off? Are you spot dosing as an algaecide or using it for carbon...

The thing with liquid carbon is that it only has a maximum of 24hr active life once in the aquarium before it is either used up by your plants or broken down into ineffective compounds. If you put 6ml in one day, then leave it for three days, then your plants are getting a huge hit of carbon for...

Sure is, if your lights are still coming on and your not dosing liquid carbon consistently then they're starving on the days they don't get it! Cheerio, Ady.

Hi Rick, It's the lighting intensity rather than the duration that causes issues. The issue will also be that there is no co2, the 11w light over the 30l tank would drive the plants need for co2. I run the same light over my 55l nano and add 1 ml liquid carbon per day, I have hair grass which is...

:lol:

Hi there R, Algae cure = reduce lighting intensity and/or increase c02 availability and increase water changes/maintenance = no algae :D As you have already said you have a comfortable level of c02 for you fish, and im guessing your distribution of c02 is also good via the rear spraybar, Id opt...

Hi, beard/brush algae is co2 related. Fluctuating or poor co2 distribution may well be the cause. If you can increase dosage of co2 I'd do that, ensure distribution is spot on also. If co2 is already maximised with regards the livestock in the tank your next option is to reduce the demand for...

Hi there, Do you have any fish in your tank? If you do they will be more reliable than a drop checker at telling you if there's too much co2. I wouldn't worry about the dc showing yellow if the livestock are fine and maybe it's worth trying the dc in a few different positions within the tank to...

Hi Kris, leggy plants look this way not due to insufficient light, but insufficient c02, they are in fact reaching to break the surface where there is an abundance of c02. 18W over 30l will be ample. Cheerio, Ady.

Yeah i see your point Tom, hair algae seems more related to poor c02, so reducing lighting and increasing c02 are the logical solutions....as always :roll: I was only trying to look at the information provided to offer a possible reason for the recurrent issue, and if c02 is the issue, could...

Hi noticed you do 2x water changes a week. When do you do your water changes in relation to c02 injection? This can have a dramatic effect at reducing c02 and therefore acts like fluctuations and the effect will be exaggerated by your 2 x weekly water changes... obviously only an issue if...

looks like staghorn thats dying due to liquid carbon.

not a gem of knowledge i know, but... i reckon plants in some cases just dont like 'something' and therefore dont thrive whilst others do around them. Most plants are adaptable but there are some eg toninas which only really thrive in very soft water, so without any real knowledge and with...

Re: Help me fight this algae I would try reducing the lighting back to the 2x t5s and remove effected leaves. What lighting did you add?

Keeping the c02 the same, reduced lighting should just slow the pace down of anything that is thriving, and allow anything that needs more access to it a chance. How high is your lighting above the water surface?

How long has it been running on 3 lights for? If a while, id try knocking it down to 2 lights and see what effect that has. Ady.

Razor blade, never fails...careful with the fingers and the silicone though!

Hi, 1) is your dc lime green/yellow for lights on, or just towards the end of the photoperiod? 2)Have your fish shown distress at the c02 level? You need to aim for the first point and sometimes you need to use the second point as reference and then back off a little. However if your confident...

CUC.... Clean Up Crew.... and yes you do, they poo! :thumbup: :lol: Cheerio, Ady.

Hi Clive, sorry for jumping in, but i noticed this on reading the initial post: it was information hiding between photos, so im presuming what we can see on the first photos is in fact algae. On the second photo it looks like a background, but on the first it looks like algae. Cheerio, Ady

I think its more to do with removing organic wastes. Depending on your water supply, you may be adding important minerals via the water change process, but most importantly its providing clean fresh water and removing old 'dirty' water. I dont know much about your set up, but presuming due to...

Hi, nice looking tank Rasmusm. Its amazing the difference that large regular water changes make and its great to see such a strong example of the benefits. Coincidentally ive just been reading in c02 a thread where Clive was advocating large water changes and discouraging a theory of water...

Also if your plants are growing that much in a week it could be down to fluctuating c02 due to flow/distribution issues with the increased plant mass... but again i dont know to what degree we are talking regarding this as a possible reason. You do seem to have plenty of circulation. Maybe the...

Hi again, you seem to be crossing the t's and dotting the i's, so im stumped too! Mind you, 78w over 128l is still quite high in itself. Hopefully someone could shed some light on this. Cheerio, Ady.

Also as an afterthought, add liquid carbon as a boost to c02 demands, also will act as an algaecide!

Hi, 2 x 54w over 128l seems quite high to me. With higher light comes more demand for c02. I noticed you reduced your photoperiod but have you tried reducing the intensity, maybe to one tube for a while? (or raising the luminaire, glass covers, fine mesh or floating plants) Maybe with the higher...

Hi Deano, i have a spec with anubias and betta and early on i also had brown algae on the leaves of my anubias. Keep wiping it off before a water change and when the tank matures (as you said) it will dissappear. Incidentally in this tank there is only an anubias, no other plants, but i dont...

Hi Tonyg1, i had a problem with staghorn algae, my dc was lime green, filter maintenence weekly and water changes weekly. However following some good advice i carried out a week of every other day 40% water changes and dosed daily flourish excel. Within a week the staghorn was gone, i continued...

Hi again guys, much appreciation again for taking the time to discuss this issue, i know it sounds outlandish but could these spots be residue left from the death of the staghorn algae killed by flourish excel? :crazy: The pics maybe dont show the whole story but they really do look like...

Re: Help identifying algae type. Another picture. Hi Paul, thanks for the info, currently my c02 comes on 2hrs pre lights on and goes off 2hrs before lights out. Maybe i need to look at increasing my co2 to get a lime green colouration when lights first come on, not 4hrs into the photoperiod...

Hi, thanks for the replies guys, like joe said he had initially also identified the algae as bba in my journal. However my only concern in identifying it as bba was the lack of the tuft and raised nature of the algae shown. Ive had bba before and it was definitely more furry.... in which case is...

Hi, im hoping somebody will be able to help identify this type of algae, or even confirm that it is algae (not the green algae). My set up has been running for 11 weeks and planted for 7 weeks, and i have just recently got rid of a bout of staghorn algae, but have noticed these dark spots on the...