# Hmmm.... hair algae



## turtlehead (Nov 27, 2004)

What is a good way to get rid of this. I've tried excel 4x overdose, it's slow but still there. And also tried manually removing, resulting in also removing expensive amounts of hc. Any solutions?


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## John P. (Nov 24, 2004)

If it's "real" hair algae, add more CO2.


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## turtlehead (Nov 27, 2004)

What about adding more plants? What is the main cause of hair algae anyway? Less co2?


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## John P. (Nov 24, 2004)

Not sure what the cause is, but CO2 helps as a prophylactic to keep it from forming.


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## trenac (Jul 16, 2004)

Check your N03 readings; the lack of was the cause of my hair algae.

Giving us more info on your tank setup and water parameters will help us help you.


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## turtlehead (Nov 27, 2004)

Well I don't test my tanks. Everytime I add a pinch of ferts the hairgrass will come back in full force. I do 50% water changes on sundays and top off in the middle of the week, nothing much.


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## trenac (Jul 16, 2004)

It's hard me to say where the problem lies without knowing water parameters. I guess you will just have to experiment with different amounts of fert dosing to see if that helps... Good luck


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## turtlehead (Nov 27, 2004)

I think its because I only have HC in the tank, well I add a bunch of rotala sp. over the weekend, and maybe this tank isn't balanced yet. It's still fairly new. The problem is I am resceping again soon. Maybe it's because I always rescape so much and I don't let the plants grow in.


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## turtlehead (Nov 27, 2004)

Hmm... just to make sure, this is hair algea right? I am currently dosing 4x excel everyday, seems to slow it but not get rid of it. I am going to add diy co2 next weekend, am I going the right direction?










All the plants have new growth and is very health, it's just that there is this hair algea on it... So there is enough ferts in the water. And I do 50% wc everyweek


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## dennis (Mar 1, 2004)

Try adding more NPK and micros. I find I get hair algae, especially in nano tanks, when the micros and macros drop. If your adding lots of Excel you need to be adding NO3, PO4 and Micros. Insufficient micros seem to be the key for me. Try manually removing as much algae as you can and dosing a little more.


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## turtlehead (Nov 27, 2004)

Everytime I add more micros even a pinch with 3x excel the algea comes back full force, I am not adding macros right now do you think that may be the problem?


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## John N. (Dec 11, 2005)

I am/was battling the similar looking algae you are. Before I wasn't dosing anything and the algae flourished. Now that I started to add my macros and traces, the algae has been slow growing, and hopefully will disappear as the plants grow in. This is a newly setup, scaped tank also. So adding macros and traces will help.

-John N.


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## turtlehead (Nov 27, 2004)

This scape is fairly new too I'd say about 2 months, I will add diy co2 next weekend along with some amanos and see what happens, I am also ordering Macros soon. This is an ADA setup, that's why there are some problems that I have not experienced before. And also since this is an HC only tank, I think that fert uptake by the HC is too slow, so I add a bunch of rotalas and they are taking off quite nicely, full root system in just a week, with no added ferts or co2.


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

If you have enough light for HC to grow as a carpet, I think you have too much light to not have CO2 or at least Excel. And, that means adding sufficient fertilizers too. It isn't a good idea to have any of the fertilizer elements in short supply.


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## turtlehead (Nov 27, 2004)

It is a 10 gallon with 28 watts.


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