# I have hair growing.....



## NAL (Feb 27, 2007)

There is what appears to be hair growing on my anubias, Dwarf sag, and driftwood



















20L with anubias, java moss, java fern, and dwarf sag. I dont have CO2 yet (waiting on parts, since I can't seem to find a good bubble counter), but I have been using flourish excel for the time being. I have been ferting with flourish potassium, iron, and trace. I have a Filstar XP1. I have eco complete substrate.


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## Laith (Sep 4, 2004)

How much light?


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## Bert H (Mar 2, 2004)

Don't let the lack of a bubble counter hold you back. Just place about an inch of your CO2 line into your tank, and set a bubble rate to around 1-2 bps, and connect it to your reactor or diffuser.



> I have been ferting with flourish potassium, iron, and trace.


You'll also need nitrogen (nitrates), and phosphates.


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## NAL (Feb 27, 2007)

Laith said:


> How much light?


sorry 65W for 10hr



Bert H said:


> Don't let the lack of a bubble counter hold you back. Just place about an inch of your CO2 line into your tank, and set a bubble rate to around 1-2 bps, and connect it to your reactor or diffuser.
> 
> You'll also need nitrogen (nitrates), and phosphates.


I don't get what you're saying about the CO2. I am also using phosphate, I forgot the say that.


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## Bert H (Mar 2, 2004)

> I don't get what you're saying about the CO2.


It sounded from your prior post that a lack of a bubble counter was keeping you from hooking up your CO2. So I described a quick way to get an idea of your bubble rate so you could hook up your CO2 withoug the bubble counter.


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## gibmaker (Jan 3, 2007)

Ahh yes....pubescence hahahaha.....sorry I am done now.


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## DonaldmBoyer (Aug 18, 2005)

Seems to be hair algae....

If you have an eye dropper, turkey baster, or syringe (without a needle), you can dose with hydrogen peroxide. Place the dropper full of H2O2 close to the affected area, and slowly apply. Only treat a few plants per day, as too much peroxide can be poisonous to fish and inverts! Your hair algae will die after a day or two; it will turn white. Or, if possible, you can dip your plants in peroxide so you won't have to worry about possibly poisoning your fish. You can dip for about 90 seconds, rinse well, and place back in your tank.

If you do want to apply H2O2 in your tank, I would do a decent water change every day until you are done treating your plants.

Hope this helps!


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## NAL (Feb 27, 2007)

Bert H said:


> It sounded from your prior post that a lack of a bubble counter was keeping you from hooking up your CO2. So I described a quick way to get an idea of your bubble rate so you could hook up your CO2 withoug the bubble counter.


I get what you are saying now, it should be here in a day or 2. Thanks though, that is a good idea.



donaldmboyer said:


> Seems to be hair algae....
> 
> If you have an eye dropper, turkey baster, or syringe (without a needle), you can dose with hydrogen peroxide. Place the dropper full of H2O2 close to the affected area, and slowly apply. Only treat a few plants per day, as too much peroxide can be poisonous to fish and inverts! Your hair algae will die after a day or two; it will turn white. Or, if possible, you can dip your plants in peroxide so you won't have to worry about possibly poisoning your fish. You can dip for about 90 seconds, rinse well, and place back in your tank.
> 
> ...


OK, I'll do that, but I don't have any fish in there yet. So I guess I don't have to worry about harming them, huh?


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## DonaldmBoyer (Aug 18, 2005)

Well, then, obviously not!


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## NAL (Feb 27, 2007)

donaldmboyer said:


> Well, then, obviously not!


Well thanks, it's already turning white and fizzing. So do I just suck it up now?


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## DonaldmBoyer (Aug 18, 2005)

No....wait a day or two.....it will shrivel up and turn white, and then remove it!


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## NAL (Feb 27, 2007)

k thanks man.....What should I do to prevent this in the future?


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## DonaldmBoyer (Aug 18, 2005)

You can do some things, like add nerite snails or any of the shrimps (amanos and cherries are good at maintaining hair algae), reduce the amount of light you have on the aquarium, reduce the photoperiod (cut back when your lights are on by an hour or so), or add a "rest" period exactly half-way during your photoperiod (about 90 minutes or so); also, good weekly water changes can reduce the amount of hair algae, as well as cutting back on ferts or food (which you obviously aren't adding yet) will also help against hair algae. You can always pick it off using your fingers, too

You will probably have to do combos from the above, but if you plan on keeping snails or shrimp, it is always better to have a little hair algae in the tank as that's what those guys like to eat. Then, manual removal is probably the best way to go.


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## NAL (Feb 27, 2007)

donaldmboyer said:


> You can do some things, like add nerite snails or any of the shrimps (amanos and cherries are good at maintaining hair algae), reduce the amount of light you have on the aquarium, reduce the photoperiod (cut back when your lights are on by an hour or so), or add a "rest" period exactly half-way during your photoperiod (about 90 minutes or so); also, good weekly water changes can reduce the amount of hair algae, as well as cutting back on ferts or food (which you obviously aren't adding yet) will also help against hair algae. You can always pick it off using your fingers, too
> 
> You will probably have to do combos from the above, but if you plan on keeping snails or shrimp, it is always better to have a little hair algae in the tank as that's what those guys like to eat. Then, manual removal is probably the best way to go.


Ok thanks, I do plan on having shrimp, so I guess that will help. I will also do a rest period as you said with the light. I am gonna cut back on ferts as well. Thank for all the help


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