# What is this, how do i eliminate it?



## ddavila06 (Jan 31, 2009)

i have this algea..only in one tank.. it showed up when i used ada amazonia stuff.....

anywho, i do little dosing in my tank. add regularly some excel and iron as per bottle's directions. anyone knows how to get rid of it?

tank is 36 bow, has compressed co2, 3 T5HO lights on a timer (on around 9am, off around 8pm) eco complete flora max substrate. thanks

i forgot to mention but this algea is on the glass and also on some larger plants' leaves...


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

That looks like one of the hair algae to me. Check out this web site. 
http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/algae.htm


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## ddavila06 (Jan 31, 2009)

uhmm...no i don't think so, see this are like individual 1cm long hairs. the pictures show messy long algea. i don't know..

btw, this will come right off the glass or plants with a tumb but it comes back super quick..

found this on the algea finder: http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/algaefinder.php?do=view&id=8

but too little info, i can not keep shrimp in there and don't have/dont want mollies.....any other treatment?


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## JeffyFunk (Apr 6, 2006)

I think that might be a form of 'green thread algae'. According to the method of controlled imbalance, it is caused by ammonia. If you just added ADA amazonia, which is known for releasing ammonia initially, then that would make sense to me. ADA amazonia usually only releases ammonia in the beginning so you can (theoretically) just wait out the algae. 

In the link that Tex gal suggested, I think it would correspond to Spirogyra - which they also state as being related to ammonia.


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## ddavila06 (Jan 31, 2009)

it could be another form of hair algea..oh man..
i got rid of the amazonia, that stuff gave menothing but issues...but i already gave them my prayers in another thread.

so whats a good method to clean this stuff out permanently from my tank? thanks


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

Water changes, clean clean tank, fast growing plants to suck up nutrients, low light. I just did a 4 day black out. It should have been 5. Followed it up with peroxide treatment. 

The easiest way after the above is tons of amano shrimp. They will eat the stuff. They love it.  Course if you have high ammonia you can't put them in there.


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## ddavila06 (Jan 31, 2009)

i don't think i can have amanos nor any other shrimp because that tank has nannacaras and apistos... =/ i will reduce light for now. any other alternatives?


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

Only light reduction won't help. You have to do it all. It's really hard to kill. I've taken tanks down because of it. Course if it's a new tank how dirty can it be. Stuff it with plants and see what happens.


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## ddavila06 (Jan 31, 2009)

i haven t been trying to erradicate yet.
however, today i noticed something that caught my eye.
most of the algea is growing at the opposite side of the powerhead and the filter outlet. i have those two at the left side of the tank, stuff is growing on the right side. and in the front glass in the right side only as well...fades off as i get closer to the powerhead..does that mean anything?


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## Silvering (Jun 10, 2011)

Search for Niko's Dummy Question threads, there's one specifically about filtration and flow that will answer your question!  It's fascinating reading and has a lot of great info.


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