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Hair algae (corrected Black Brush Algae)

mfcphil

Member
Joined
11 Feb 2009
Messages
426
Juwel 180L
2 x 35w Juwel Hi-Lite bulbs with reflectors...
Co2 2kg Fire extinguisher Hydor diffuser.

Could the black hair algae I am getting be due tho the intorduction of my new Fluval Filter and new reflectors?

Algae is on Crypts and Anubis and some of the small gravel.

My lights were on 10 hours a day just dropped them to 9
I have upped the co2 to 3bps from 2bps
 
Re: Hair algae

Sorry Clark I was just editing that part while you were replying

My lights were on 10 hours a day just dropped them to 9
I have upped the co2 to 3bps from 2bps
 
Re: Hair algae

mfcphil said:
I have upped the co2 to 3bps from 2bps
What you need is a drop checker, counting bubble rates is pretty much useless.
 
Re: Hair algae

I already have a drop checker
dc-bc.jpg


Shows darkish green

Still need to know how to rid myself of the hair algae :(
 
Re: Hair algae

That drop checker looks a bit dark to me and it (and the algae) suggests you need a bit more CO2! You could also dose with some EasyCarbo or Excel to help as it has anti-algae properties.

The new reflectors have upped the light levels in the tank and the CO2 usage has gone up with that so you need to add a bit more. Adjust the CO2 carefully so you don't gas the fish!
 
Re: Hair algae

Ok so I am going to slowly increase the CO2 and add some flourish excel will I have to remove the plants with the algae or will the hair algae die off?

Thanks
 
Re: Hair algae

Hi,
Hair algae is not typically black, it's normally green, therefore it's likely that you are suffering from Black Brush Algae commonly known as BBA. As stated in previous post you will need to increase the injection rate until the dropchecker is a lime green color. It's also likely that you need to turn your gas on earlier, such as an hour or two prior to lights on so that the concentration level is high when the lights first turn on. This is the most important time of the entire photoperiod to have high, stable CO2 levels in the water column. It would also be a good idea to ensure that you have high turnover (10X the tank volume per hour rating).

You should immediately remove as many infected leaves as possible and apply the Excel to the tank as stated on the bottle. Increasing the water change frequency and volume also helps as well.

Cheers,
 
Re: Hair algae

ceg4048 said:
Hi,
Hair algae is not typically black, it's normally green, therefore it's likely that you are suffering from Black Brush Algae commonly known as BBA. As stated in previous post you will need to increase the injection rate until the dropchecker is a lime green color. It's also likely that you need to turn your gas on earlier, such as an hour or two prior to lights on so that the concentration level is high when the lights first turn on. This is the most important time of the entire photoperiod to have high, stable CO2 levels in the water column. It would also be a good idea to ensure that you have high turnover (10X the tank volume per hour rating).

You should immediately remove as many infected leaves as possible and apply the Excel to the tank as stated on the bottle. Increasing the water change frequency and volume also helps as well.

Cheers,


Many thanks although I dont understand what the 10X the tank volume per hour rating means :(

Also I don't have a solenoid so I running co2 24/7
 
Re: Hair algae

Hi,
It means that if you have a 20 gallon tank the filter should be a 10 X 20 = 200 gallon per hour rating. If the filter isn't that strong then you should think about adding something like a Koralia powerhead which has a turnover rating sufficient that the sum of the powerhead rating plus the filter adds up to 200GPH.

Cheers,
 
I see....I have a Juwel internal filter and a Fluval 305 external...do you think that is enough?
 
Well,
I'm fairly certain that a Juwel 180 is a 180 liter tank, which means it's more or less a 45 gallon tank. This means that "ideally", you should have combined filter ratings of 1800LPH, or, 450GPH. From what I can gather, it appears that a 305 is rated at 185GPH but I'm not entirely sure what the turnover rating of the internal filter is, so if it's say, 100GPH you'd have a combined rating of 285GPH which would be a shortfall of 125GPH.

Now this is not to say that you can't be successful with what you have, just that it's an area of weakness. Good flow solves a lot of problems, in this case it moves the CO2 around the tank with much greater force and efficiency, which helps to keep BBA and other CO2 related algae at bay. You have a good chance of solving the BBA by implementing the procedures discussed above, however Excel cost money, and long term it may not be the best solution. Increasing the CO2 injection rate to a level needed to keep algae at bay may negatively affect the fish. If in the future you decide to spend more money on this tank then what this algae is telling you is that you would best be served spending the money on more flow before spending it on something else, such as more lighting. :idea:

Cheers,
 
All seems odd to me...

I had a fluval 104 running without any algae problems at all...as soon as I get a bigger filter I get algae all over the place. :?
 
It looks like The Jewel Rio 180 comes complete with filtration, driven by a 1000LPH pump...I'm guessing the Juwel Vision 180 has the same filter system...so maybe I have enough :?
 
mfcphil said:
It looks like The Jewel Rio 180 comes complete with filtration, driven by a 1000LPH pump...I'm guessing the Juwel Vision 180 has the same filter system...so maybe I have enough :?
OK, if that's the case then maybe you do and that simple things like timing of the CO2 and upping the injection rate might do the trick. Remember though that how the flow is distributed also is a factor.

mfcphil said:
All seems odd to me...

I had a fluval 104 running without any algae problems at all...as soon as I get a bigger filter I get algae all over the place. :?
Hmm, are you absolutely certain that's the only thing that changed, i.e. you installed the Fluval and suddenly there was algae? I see this a lot where we draw conclusions about causality by making connections to unrelated factors. How long was the tank setup with the internal filter only? How much time elapsed between the addition of the Fluval and the appearance of BBA? It could easily be for example that you had set into motion the conditions that cause BBA before you got the Fluval, and then the BBA appeared only coincidentally with the addition of the new filter. It could easily be that your CO2 was marginal prior to the addition of the new filter and that the plants soon outgrew the CO2 supply, so that by the time the new filter was added BBA was already taking hold. The injection rate could have dropped without your being aware of it, or you might have had difficulty settling on an injection rate over the period of a week or two. The lighting period could have changed without your taking it into account.

CO2 instability or starvation has a myriad of possible pathways so it might be premature to correlate BBA with the second filter. ;)

Cheers,
 
Thank you very much for your time and effort in helping sort out this problem...I will do all the things we have talked about and hopefully will see some possitive result ;)
 
Started dosing Excel today!!

Co2 raised to 3bps
20ml Seachem Flourish Excel added.

Will add 5ml daily for the next couple of weeks and will hopefully see an reduction in the BBA
 
The Black algae that was on the back of the tank is turning a pinky red...does this mean it is dying
 
Hi,
Normally this means that the BBA is dying. Physical removal and water changes are important so you should continue to do this.

Cheers,
 
Thats good to know....many thanks!!

I will continue with the excell until its all gone ;)
 
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