How to get rid of stubborn cladophora algae?

[DioramaDieHard]

I have been troubled with cladophora for a few weeks, and have tried liquid carbon treatment, blackouts and manual removal. These all do not seem to work. In particular, the cladophora is impossible to get out of the moss, so any tips on that would be greatly appreciated! From my knowledge there are few algae eaters that actively consume cladophora.... However I have noticed reduced plant growth which could also be a factor, and perhaps is due to the excess silicates produced from the sand in the tank(as I have quite a lot of sand) The substrate itself I know must still be nutritious so that cannot be the problem. The set up in question is 45l with a chihiros A series and a little supplemental CO2 injection(which has not varied according to drop checker...). The Rotala also appears to show nutrient deficiency with pinholes and pale leaves - could this be linked the silicates and cladophora? Thanks a lot!

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,
Welcome to UKAPS. Can we have a picture?

These all do not seem to work

Difficult with "Green Algae" like Cladophora, they belong to the <"same clade as all the higher plants">, and share the <"same basic physiology and photosystems">. The easiest way to think of them is as "plants you don't want".

However I have noticed reduced plant growth which could also be a factor, and perhaps is due to the excess silicates produced from the sand in the tank

Reduced plant growth is interesting, but silicates from sand is <"totally irrelevant">.

The substrate itself I know must still be nutritious so that cannot be the problem...The Rotala also appears to show nutrient deficiency with pinholes and pale leaves

You need to add a <"complete fertiliser">, <"Rotala rotundifolia"> is a plant that comes up a lot in <"nutrient deficiency threads">.

cheers Darrel

 

[G H Nelson]

Please read the guidelines for Algae help!

Dear Member Please give as many details as possible regarding your aquarium set-up, when requiring advice/help! The above will be posted at the start of each help request. Why do we ask these questions? It will stop the member posting multiple times, plus adviser's don't need to scroll through...

www.ukaps.org