# [Wet Thumb Forum]-HELP Algae Out of control.



## WetHeadP (May 13, 2004)

A week ago I noticed small transparent hairs on a bunch of my wisteria's now over night my entire tank is taken over by a white slimey transparent hair's

The majority of the "Algae can be removed from the plants with a gentle rub, however i small hairs still stay attached.










I've been looking around for a pic of this kind of alage but can not find a transparent version of it anywhere.

I've been doing cleanings and daily water changes, also bought a couple black mollies and 20 ghost shrimp.

Is their anything else I can do to stop it?

After one night of cleaning it it trippled in size by the next afternoon.

How do i combat this beast!

BTW it happened 3 days before $50.00 of new plants arived at the house.


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## WetHeadP (May 13, 2004)

A week ago I noticed small transparent hairs on a bunch of my wisteria's now over night my entire tank is taken over by a white slimey transparent hair's

The majority of the "Algae can be removed from the plants with a gentle rub, however i small hairs still stay attached.










I've been looking around for a pic of this kind of alage but can not find a transparent version of it anywhere.

I've been doing cleanings and daily water changes, also bought a couple black mollies and 20 ghost shrimp.

Is their anything else I can do to stop it?

After one night of cleaning it it trippled in size by the next afternoon.

How do i combat this beast!

BTW it happened 3 days before $50.00 of new plants arived at the house.


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## Cavan Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

A detailed description of your tank's conditions would help a lot.


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## nino (Oct 2, 2004)

I can't see it clearly from the picture. Is this a newly set up tank? Did you dose any fertilizer? 

If this is a new tank, sometimes there is some fungus growth on plants or woods. Just take them out. It will go away eventually. 

If you dose micro or traces in a newly planted tank, most likely it's hair algae.


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## WetHeadP (May 13, 2004)

tanks been running for 4 months now.

on initial setup placed some fertilizer sticks.

I also add the iron additive every other week

PH 7.5
60 GAL
amonia undetectable

sadily thats all I have for test kits.









13 Platies
2 mollies
26 ghost shrimp
50 or so mystery snails.


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## trenac (Jul 16, 2004)

I don't know if what you have is algae or not. However I have never seen a clear algae. I would highly suggest that you get test kits for PO4 & N03. These two are very important in controlling algae in a planted tank. Also if you have or are planning on injecting C02 then you will need a test kit for KH.

I would not do dailey water changes I would reduce them to once or twice a week.


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## WetHeadP (May 13, 2004)

if it's not algae then what else could it be..

1. it grows. attaches itself to the glass and plants. 
2. spreads to what it can physically touch. 
3.looks like algae just clear. 

after cleaning out the plants rubbing off whatever i could from my plants i placed them back in and added a bunch of other plants. 

the Spread has now stopped and i have just a remaining plant that has little hairs attached to it that seem to no longer be spreading. 

I went out and got some Black mollies ant their eating it.


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## imported_aspen (Feb 20, 2003)

>>'I went out and got some Black mollies ant their eating it.'

let 'em at it, and feed the tank as lightly as you can for a while.

rick


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## trenac (Jul 16, 2004)

Glad to here the Mollys are eating it. Hopefully they will eat it intil it is all gone.

Do yo inject CO2?

Here is a link to help with future algae ID...
http://www.plantgeek.net/article_viewer.php?id=9


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## WetHeadP (May 13, 2004)

Ya i had a DIY co2 system but it's getting to be a pain.

i stoped the DIY C02 looking to make a injection system some how.


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## trenac (Jul 16, 2004)

May I ask why your DIY C02 became a pain?

If you want to make a DIY pressurized C02 here is a link... http://sammyxp.tripod.com/html/id23.html
I am getting ready to try this on my 55G tank.


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## imported_BSS (Apr 14, 2004)

I just put the final piece (external reactor) on my pressurized CO2 system last night. The link trenac provides is one I was looking at. After looking at several sources, I settled on the Milwaukee All-in-One regulator setup (online for <$80US), which takes a bunch of those 'pieces' and compacts them very nicely. I have the solenoid tied to one of my light timers. I then got a 10 lb aluminum CO2 tank for around $110. I built a DIY external reactor for around $15. My pH is now down around 6.9 [with KH around 4...though it used to be around 6?), and I wont' be spending so much time remixing DIY CO2. I'm pretty happy with the decision to go pressurized!


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## WetHeadP (May 13, 2004)

i thought adding c02 lowered your ph not raised it.. 

before c02 7.5 
after c02 7.0


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