# Getting algae off anubias?



## Pseud (Oct 19, 2005)

I know that there's a dip in a solution that you cna use to get rid of algae that's growing on anubias, but I cant' remember what you're supposed to use, and the concentration, and for how long? I think it's a 1 in 10 part solution of bleach and water..... anybody have experience with this?


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## jude_uc (Feb 7, 2006)

I used a 1 : 19 bleach: water solution on my anubias. I left them in for about 3 minutes and it killed off all the algae. All of the anubias weren't even slowed down at all, except one which already had a rhizome rot problem. That one finally succumbed.

-Adam


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## BryceM (Nov 6, 2005)

I've had variable luck with the bleach dip thing. I did learn that its a very bad idea for rotala wallachi . My anubias nana did fine with the 3 minute dip but the very firm, old green spot stuff never truly went away. Thread algae and BGA are very easily killed in comparison. I finally gave in to some advice I got here and just clipped off the bad leaves. After a few days it started sending up tons of new ones. They a long time to fill in, but the new growth looks much better and I'm finally not frustrated with the plant anymore.

I've heard that nerite snails are great at leaving the leaves crystal clear, but I've never tried it myself.


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## bigstick120 (Mar 8, 2005)

nerite snails are the way to go. These snails are great!!!


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## TetraFreak (Mar 15, 2006)

One CHemical thing you may want to try...

I had that problem in my 25 gal a while back. Went to the LFS & picked up a bottle of Aquarium Pharmaceuticals "Algae-Fix" and treated the tank per the directions on the bottle.

it was about a week and the Anubias was green as green could be with no uprooting or after effects.

It also works well for a weekly treatment after everything is cleared up.


Hope this helps.


PEACE!

-TF


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## jude_uc (Feb 7, 2006)

I tried AlgaeFix in my tanks as well at one point. While it does work fairly well at killing certain types of algaes, it was never successful at removing the green spot and other hard algaes that live on anubias. It might help prevent infestations, but I'm not sure about that.

-Adam


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## Pseud (Oct 19, 2005)

I've used Tetra Algae Control in my tank for GW and it worked a charm, but I've tried it again since then to control a little burst of algae and it turned the water cloudy!

I'll try the bleach dip before I clip leaves off, I have a very large rhizome with a lot of leaves that have a lot of algae on...


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## milalic (Aug 26, 2005)

bigstick120 said:


> nerite snails are the way to go. These snails are great!!!


Have to agree with this!


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## djlen (Jun 22, 2004)

I recommend strongly against using 'algae fix' or any other chemical to rid yourself of algae in a planted tank. It can/will adversely affect plants and is not necessary. 
Proper balance of nutrients/light/plants is the way to minimize algae. 
Anubia is a noted algae catcher because of the large size of it's leaf. I have had to bleach dip them occasionally. A 19:1 bleach/water dip will generally clean them up nicely.
I grow mine on bogwood and when they need a cleaning just pull the entire mass of plants, wood and all out of the tank and dip in the above solution for 2 mins., rinse in the sink and quickly into a fresh water bucket treated with tap water conditioner. I use the conditioner at 3 or 4 times the usual strength. 
Be sure and dip your hands into the conditioner bucket too as they will have traces of bleach on them as well and you don't want that in your tank.
For some reason my Anubia always put on a growth spurt after being dipped.
I attribute that to more surface of the leaves being available to the light.

Len


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## yoink (Aug 31, 2005)

bigstick120 said:


> nerite snails are the way to go. These snails are great!!!


I have to agree as well. I put a few in a 20 gallon because I didn't want to cut all those leaves. In about a week they cleared the algae and the leaves look great once again.


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## yildirim (Nov 25, 2004)

Hi,

Friends! I realy do not like what I read here about bleach and other chemicals. You are torturing your plants. Do you bleach your hands if they get mud or dirt on them?  You just try not to get dirt on your hands or take precautions if you are forced to deal with dirt, eg wear gloves or sth. Unless there is no other way you try to clean them with harmless manners. Plants are likewise. If you don't want dirt on them you just take the precautions.

In this case plant is the anubias and algea is GSA and this plant is more likely to be effected with algea because of;
1. Slow growth rate.
2. Incredibly long life of each leaf.
Light or the surface area of the leaf do not have importance too much. I have this plants in several locations at my tank, under direct 4.5 wpg or some really shaded areas like even the fishes disappear when they go there.

So talking about the precautions for keeping anubias away from dirt (algea) necessary precaution would be to increase PO4. It will prevent algea to appear on them and will also in time (1-3 months regarding the amount of GSA) remove the existing alg on the leaves. Some of you may find this time unbearably long. In that case just cut off the heavily infected leaves. Don't afraid to do this as it will also double or triple the growth of new leaves and with luck new rhisome.

But while increasing PO4 you always have to check other nutrients and CO2 in case of crash. I can not tell you a specific ppm for PO4 as I believe that it varies from tank to tank. 4,5-5 works realy fine for me. I have hundreds of leaves of this plant in my heavily planted, jungle like tank.

YILDIRIM


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## Bert H (Mar 2, 2004)

Yildrim, you make a good point. Too often we are looking for the 'quick fix', and we end up treating the symptom and not the cause.


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## holocron (May 29, 2005)

I'm going to toss my vote in this column as well. I hava 12g tank that is mostly anubias species. For a while they were just COVERED in algae. I purchased 2 nerite snails and now the tank is spotless, literally.



bigstick120 said:


> nerite snails are the way to go. These snails are great!!!


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## almond (Mar 5, 2006)

Have anyone tried soaking the leaves in hydrogen peroxide?


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## mlfishman (Apr 4, 2005)

*nerites*

I was thinkikng about 5 nerites for my 29 gallon. What do you think...any one got any they want to sell me??


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## ianiwane (May 6, 2005)

my nerites don't seem to do anything for any type of algae. I threw some gold anubias covered with GSA into my shrimp tank and it was clean in a few days.


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## mlfishman (Apr 4, 2005)

*what type*

what type of scrimps was this??


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## ianiwane (May 6, 2005)

just your usual cherries and crystal red shrimp. They cleaned it well. But I do have several hundred upon hundreds jk, of shrimp in the tank. So I assume they all took turns. haha


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## BryceM (Nov 6, 2005)

OK, experiment time. I traded some plants for 4 nerites today. We'll see if they make any difference. I have a few spots of hard algae on my older anubias leaves. I figure I'll give it a week.


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## RoseHawke (Jan 4, 2005)

ianiwane said:


> my nerites don't seem to do anything for any type of algae. I threw some gold anubias covered with GSA into my shrimp tank and it was clean in a few days.


With GSA? Hmmmm, maybe I just don't have enough shrimp yet :???: !


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## Capt. (Nov 24, 2004)

Guaiac boy, I'm very interested in the results of your experiment. Please keep us updated.

yildirim I think there's more to it than PO4. I was running high levels of phosphate and still getting this algae. I've read that water current also plays a role. Circulation in my tank is low and I think I need to increase it significantly.


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## yildirim (Nov 25, 2004)

Hi again,

_Almond,_ I can tell you that H2O2 has no effect on GSA. I directly poured on the leaves and soaked for some time, I even heard some sizzling sound but definitely no effect. 

_Capt.,_ I can tell you that circulation at my tanks is much lover than anyone else here so I don't give credit to circulation for this algea. And I agree that there is more to it than PO4 here. Increasing PO4 will immediately cause some other issues with other nutrients (for anubias esp. Fe, Mg and CO2) so you almost have to keep an eye on them and increase them as well along with other nutrients if you are keeping more than anubias. Keeping PO4 high and leaving everything else will not cause too much change.

YILDIRIM


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## BryceM (Nov 6, 2005)

So it's been a few days. I see the nerites on the glass mostly, but they've definitely been around some of the hardscape too. There are areas on the driftwood and rocks that previously had a bit of GSA and even a little spot of BBA there and there. The areas where they've been are clean as a whistle. I haven't seen them on the anubias though yet. The leaves still have a few spots.

Having only 4 of them in a 46g tank is probably asking for a lot.


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## RoseHawke (Jan 4, 2005)

yoink said:


> I have to agree as well. I put a few in a 20 gallon because I didn't want to cut all those leaves. In about a week they cleared the algae and the leaves look great once again.


Everything I'm pulling up on these seems to indicate a saltwater invertebrate? They can survive in FW as well  ?


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